Receiving the Word

In the previous passage (James 1:16–17), James told us that not evil but every good and perfect gift comes from our good God. Above all, God has given us the gift of regeneration—the life of God in the soul of man—by the word of truth. God has given us divine nature. He has given us a new heart, not the old, rebellious, stony heart, but a heart of flesh, a heart that obeys God. Therefore we can think God’s thoughts, will God’s will, and love righteousness and hate wickedness.

James now tells us that we who are born again by the word of God must grow up and become mature by receiving the word that was implanted at our regeneration. If we are born of God, we are to manifest that life in our daily lives. We are to be governed by the word of God. Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. . . . . If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:7, 10).

People are always trying to circumvent obedience. That is antinomianism, not Christianity. If we are born of God, we will obey God.

Knowledge of God

James begins by exhorting his beloved brothers in God’s holy family to know what God says: “My dear brothers, take note of this” (v. 19). In other words, we are to know doctrine; we are to know the word of God. Christians cannot afford to be ignorant of God’s ways. We are to hear and do the will of God. So in James 1:19, God commands us to know. Then he commands us to become a certain kind of people, a people of discipline.

Discipline: Quick to Hear

The first discipline James speaks of is being quick to hear: “Everyone should be quick to listen” (v. 19). Every believer must be quick to hear the word of God. The emphasis is on listening and learning. To receive wisdom, we must be under authority and listen to those who are above us. We must turn off all distractions and focus with total discipline. We must listen with the idea of learning from our parents, pastors, teachers, and all superiors. We must also listen to our equals and those below us. We must listen to our spouses and children. We must listen to our neighbors. We must learn to say with Samuel, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

Jesus listened. Isaiah says about him, “The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious” (Isa. 50:4-5).

Those who listen are those who respect others. If you don’t respect anyone, you will not listen to anyone. Parents must teach their children to respect them and others so they can listen and learn from them.

Listening is a difficult skill for some people to master. Eli’s children refused to listen to the word of God, and they were killed, as we read in 1 Samuel: “‘If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?’ [Eli’s] sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death” (1 Sam. 2:25).

We must listen to the word of God as we read the Bible in daily devotions. We must also listen as the minister preaches the word of God. We must prepare our hearts throughout the week before the Sabbath so that when we come to worship, we will listen carefully. Why? Because God himself speaks to us through the preacher. And as we listen, we must resist the distractions of the devil. As we listen to the word of God, we will be storing up good things, such as wisdom, in our hearts. Jesus said, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart” (Luke 6:45).

We must exercise this discipline of listening. A disciple says, “I don’t know much. But my teacher knows, and I am eager to learn. So I will listen to my teacher. I will close my mouth, and open my eyes, ears, and heart. I want to be like Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and heard the gospel. I do not want to be like Martha, who was distracted (Luke 10). Nor do I want to be like Eutychus, who fell asleep in church. He failed to listen and fell to his death (Acts 20).” Friends, let us be quick to listen, that we may live.

Without listening to ministers of the gospel, we cannot grow up to maturity. Paul explains, “It was [the Lord Jesus Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. . . . Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Eph. 4:11–12, 14–15).

We must listen to God’s word. God the Father came on the Mount of Transfiguration and said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matt. 17:5). Paul says, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Without listening closely to the word of God, we cannot be saved.

Listening is the first and most important step to salvation. The rich man of Luke 16 did not listen during his lifetime to the Bible, that is, to the Law and the Prophets. And when he died, he entered immediately and irreversibly into the fire, agony, and torment of hell.

Discipline: Slow to Speak

So James first exhorts us to be quick to listen. Then he says we must be slow to speak. Peter was not slow to speak. When Jesus said he had to go to Jerusalem and be crucified, “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you’” (Matt. 16:22). Jesus rebuked him for his hasty words.

We must be quick to hear but slow to speak. This does not mean Christians are to take a vow of silence, nor does it mean we must speak slowly. “Slow to speak” means we should speak only after having listened carefully. We should speak carefully, thoughtfully, prayerfully, and biblically. We should speak as those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit, who alone can control our tongues.

We must speak to edify the church, not to stir up controversy. We should speak as the oracles of God. We should speak out of the wisdom we have stored up by listening to others. Paul explains, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you” (1 Cor. 11:23). Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him” (Matt. 12:34b–35). This is why we should cherish fellowship with older godly people. All those years they have stored up wisdom, and they can tell us how we can live successfully for Christ.

Discipline: Slow to Become Angry

Then James says we should be slow to become angry. This does not mean that we should never get angry. Anger is a proper emotion when it is expressed biblically. God himself is angry at sinners every day (Ps. 7:11). God’s wrath is revealed “against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Rom. 1:18). Phinehas killed the immoral couple in his zeal and holy anger (Num. 25:7–8), and God blessed him. In righteous anger, Moses destroyed the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, burned up the golden calf, and, through the Levites, killed three thousand Israelite idolaters.

Never think that anger is evil. If anger is evil, then God would be evil. Jesus became angry at his hearers who refused to believe in him (Mark 3:5). Jesus also made a whip and drove out all the merchants from the temple courts (John 2:14–17). At the word of Peter, the Holy Spirit killed Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). This is holy anger. When Paul pronounced anathema (curse) on Bar-Jesus, he became blind (Acts 13:6–12).

Jesus is full of compassion, but the same Jesus is also full of wrath. So in Revelation 6 we are told that the wicked will cry out to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” (Rev. 6:15–17). We also read, “Out of [Christ’s] mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:15–16). I hope we will have respect for the Lord Jesus Christ and tremble with fear.

But not all anger is righteous. We must control our anger, rather than being controlled by it. We should not give excuses to justify unholy anger, such as, “It is a family trait”; “I am under too much stress at work”; “I did not get enough sleep last night”; “I cannot help it.” We are not Christians if we say we cannot control our anger, because God enables us to be transformed.

So Paul exhorts, “‘In your anger, do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 4:26–27). We are to get rid of all sinful anger. Paul also writes, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger” (Eph. 4:31).

Cain became angry due to envy of his brother and killed him. Such an angry man is not listening to God. So we must get rid of our sinful anger by repentance, prayer, reading the Bible, and receiving godly counsel. When we do these things, God will give us grace. The writer to the Hebrews says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

Friends, if you have anger, direct it to deal with your problems, not to destroy people. If you are fat, get angry at your eating habits. Start eating less and eating more healthily. If you are lazy, get angry at your laziness. Start working smarter and harder so that you can leave your mediocrity and begin to excel. Get angry at your wicked consumerism of credit buying and mountain of debt. Start saying no to stuff and living a disciplined life.

Sinful anger gives a foothold to the devil (Eph. 4:28). We are to resist the devil and submit to God. Don’t be like James and John, the sons of thunder, who wanted to call down fire down upon the Samaritans (Luke 9:54–55).

James even gives a reason why we should be slow to anger. He says, “Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (v. 20). The unrighteous, unholy anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness God requires of his children. We are new creations; we are God’s children. We were bad trees, but we have been made good trees, to produce good fruit. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Eph. 2:10).

Unholy anger does not bring about the kind of practical righteousness we read about in Deuteronomy 6:25: “If we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” Jesus also spoke of this righteousness: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20).

Hebrews 12 speaks of this practical righteousness: “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (vv. 10–14).

The proof of justification is sanctification, that is, obedience to the will of God. Our behavior reveals who our father is. (PGM) We have the lineaments of our father, whether God or the devil. Paul exhorts believers, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children. . . . For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph. 5:1, 8). He also says that we are to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). But Jesus rebuked the wicked people, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire” (John 8:44a). He also said, “The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one” (Matt. 13:38). If we are born of God, we will exhibit the nature of God.

Dispose of All Moral Filth

Then James says, “Throw out all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent” (v. 21). What do we do with stinking garbage in the house? We throw it out! In the same way, James says, throw out all moral filth. Such spiritual housecleaning is necessary for us to receive the word of God.

As we said, sinful anger does not produce the holy life that God desires; therefore, we are to throw out all the garbage of our old, evil lives. This is not a suggestion; it is a divine command. We are to throw out all moral filth and the mountain of evil. We are to throw it out once for all, not gradually. We are to throw it out totally, from our hearts.

Paul said that as children of God, we are to imitate our heavenly Father (Eph. 5:1). Peter says the same thing: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. . . . Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pet. 1:23; 2:1–3).

We read about such cleaning everywhere in the Bible. Paul admonishes, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). Get rid of these things! Throw them out! Dispose of them once for all. He also writes, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (Eph. 4:31). Elsewhere he exhorts, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need” (Eph. 4:28).

So if you are a thief, you must stop stealing right away. You will be able to do so because you are born of God and have the Holy Spirit in you. You have the power within you not to sin (posse non peccare). So although you were a thief, you can stop stealing, once for all. Then you should start doing labor, including manual labor. Don’t come and say, “I don’t have a one-hundred-thousand-dollar job so I cannot work.” No. Start working with your hands, as Paul exhorts, so that you can pay your bills and the bills of your family. But that is not the end of it. Finally, you must give to those who are needy. You were taking money when you were a thief. Now you give. That is what true conversion is.

In Zechariah’s prophecy we read about Joshua the high priest standing before God, clothed in filthy garments. But God dealt with his filth: “Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’ Then he said to Joshua, ‘See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you’” (Zech 3:3-4). This is what James is telling us: Get rid of all moral rhuparia (filthiness).

Our moral filth prevents us from making progress in our spiritual lives. We must get rid of it! The Hebrews writer admonishes, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1–2).

Receive the Implanted Word

Then James tells us to receive the implanted word in humility: “and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (v. 21). We must walk in humility. The Bible says, “Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). Jesus was humble. He tells us, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29).

A Christian is humble, for he has seen God by faith, as Isaiah saw the holy God and was humbled (Isa. 6). Why are people proud and arrogant? It is because they have never seen God, the almighty, all-holy, all-wise, all-sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords. John the apostle saw him and he fell down as dead (Rev. 1:17). But a proud man is a fool. He says in his heart, “There is no God” (Ps. 14:1).

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. This grace is all we need to live a life that is pleasing to God. So James says, “Receive the implanted word by which we have been regenerated.” This is a command. What is the implanted word? Jesus explained, “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop thirty, sixty, and one hundredfold” (Luke 8:15). It is a manifestation of the life of God in the soul of man. Jesus also said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you” (John 15:7).

To receive the implanted word means to come under the rule of the gospel. We are to let the word of God abide in us and govern our understanding, decisions, and emotions. To receive the word is to welcome, embrace, and obey the word of God. The Bible says Christ dwells in us (Eph. 3:17), meaning he rules in us. The Bible says the Holy Spirit dwells in us (Rom. 8:11); he is our resident boss. And the word of Christ is to dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16), governing our speech and actions. That is what it means to receive the word.

Christ our Lord rules our hearts by his Spirit through his word. In Ecclesiastes 8:2 we read, “Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God.” What was that oath? “Jesus is Lord” (Rom. 10:9). This oath is to govern all aspects of our lives.

God’s word works effectually in God’s people. Paul writes, “We also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13).

This word is the apostolic word: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). This word is God’s holy word (2 Tim. 3:15). This word is God’s own inspired word: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

Finally, James says this word is powerful to save our souls (“which can save you”). No words of sinful men can save our souls from God’s wrath and eternal death. No gold, no science, no human philosophy, no human religion can save our souls from the wages of sin. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ alone is powerful to save those who believe. By it, we are saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved. In this passage, James is speaking about our future salvation, just as Paul does elsewhere: “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Rom. 5:9).

Friends, we are born of God by the word of truth. And that divine life will manifest in and through us as we receive the word, that is, as we live in obedience to the word daily. May God, therefore, help us not only to hear the word but also to understand it, believe it, and receive it. May we strive to be rich in good works so that we may enjoy full present assurance of our coming salvation.