Achieving Maturity By Not Deceiving Yourself
James 1:19-27
I.
Introduction.
A. We continue to learn how to achieve Spiritual maturity.
B. Last we looked at temptations, before that enduring trials.
C. James now starts to focus on some of the specific problems.
1. But first he needs to insure that his readers will not miss the application of the lesson.
D. Self-deception is the main point of this section of text.
1. He wants you to examine yourself concerning the issues that he will talk about next.
II.
The Danger of Self-Deception.
A. Many people believe they are saved when they are not.
1. Matthew 7:21-22 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
B. There are Christians who are fooling themselves concerning their own salvation.
1. Believe they are spiritual when they are not.
C. A mark of Spiritual maturity is when a person can honestly examine himself or herself.
1. The know themselves and admits their deficiencies.
D. Real spiritual maturity comes though a proper relationship to God through His word.
1. God’s words are the only truth.
2. If we cannot relate God’s word into application in our daily living, we become a hypocrite.
E. There are three responsibilities we have toward God’s word.
1. The first one is….
III.
Receive the Word. (James 1:19-21)
A.
It must become implanted in our hearts.
1. Parable of the Sower. Matt 13:1-9.
a. Hard Heart- did understand or receive the Word and produced no fruit.
b. Shallow heart. – Very emotional, no depth, born no fruit.
c. Crowded heart- lacked repentance and allow sin back in, produced no fruit.
d. Fruitful heart- received, allowed to take root, gave all the soil to the seed, produced the greatest fruit.
B.
Test of Salvation is by our Fruit.
1. Means there has been a changed life.
a. In our character and conduct.
2. Fruit may be;
a. Winning souls, Rom. 1:16.
b. Growing in holy living, Rom. 6:22.
c. Sharing our material possessions, Rom.15: 28.
d. How we praise the Lord, Heb. 13:15.
C.
Word of God cannot work in our lives unless we receive it
the right way.
1. Mark
4:24 And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.
2. Matthew 13:13 This is why I speak to them in
parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do
they understand.
3. This is why Christians attend bible studies
never growing.
4. They become “dull of hearing”
a. Hebrews 5:11 About this we have much to say, and it
is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
D. If the word is implanted then we must obey
the instructions James gives us;
1. Be Swift to hear (19a).
a. Servant is quick to hear his master.
b. Mother is quick to hear baby.
c. David hiding from Philistines, desired
drink from the well in occupied Bethlehem, 2 Sam. 23:14-17.
2. Slow to speak, (19b).
a. Have two ears, only one mouth.
3. Slow to anger.
a. Do not get angry with God or His Word.
b. David when told about the stolen ewe
responded with anger.
c. Peter was slow to hear, swift to speak and
swift to anger.
d. Mans anger will not produce Godliness.
4. Have a prepared heart.
a. Our heart is the soil.
b. It must be prepared by;
1) Confessing our sins 1 John 1:9.
2) Meditating on God’s love and grace.
3) Pray that God to “plow up” any hard soil
and rip up all the weeds.
i. Jeremiah 4:3 “For thus says the Lord to
the men of Judah and Jerusalem:
"Break up your fallow (uncultivated) ground, and sow not among
thorns.”
IV.
Practice
the Word, (James 1:22-25).
A. Not enough to hear, we must put the word
into action.
1. Hearing a good sermon is nothing if you do
nothing after you hear it.
2. Have you heard, “Too many Christians mark
their bibles, but their bibles don’t mark them”.
3. If you think your spiritual because you
hear God’s word, your kidding yourself.
B. There are three ways a mirror to help us to
understand the difference in hearing and doing.
1. Examination.
a. Mirror allows us to see our physical image.
b. When looking in a mirror we should be
examining appearance.
1) It’s vital to good health.
2) It’s vital to preventing embarrassment.
c. People make mistakes when using a mirror.
1) Immaturity will only glance at the image.
2) People only glance at the Word of God.
i. Picture vs. X-Ray.
3) They forget what they see.
i. If looking deep enough, they would never be
able to forget it.
ii. Isaiah 6:5 And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost;
for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!"
iii. Luke 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying,
"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."
iv. Job 42:6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
4) They fail to obey the word.
i. Thinking that hearing is doing.
d. When using God’s mirror (the word) we must
gaze not glance.
1) Are you afraid of what you might see?
e. After seeing ourselves, remember what we
are
1) And what the word says we must do.
f.
Why is it
called the perfect law of liberty?
1) Because when we obey it, God sets us free.
2. Restoration (EX.38:8)
a. Exodus 38:8 He made the basin of bronze and its stand
of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the
entrance of the tent of meeting.
1) Washed the priests hands and feet to
prepare them to enter the holy place.
2) Water for washing is a picture of the Word
of God in its cleaning power.
i. John 15:3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
b. The mirror of the word helps to cleanse us.
3. Transformation
a. 2 Cor. 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding
the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one
degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
C. We must practice the word; otherwise we are
deceiving ourselves.
V.
Share
The Word (James 1:26-27)
A. Religion means the outward practice, the
service of a god.
1. Used only 5 times in N.T.
B. Pure religion is not the ceremonies,
temples or special services.
C. It means practicing God’s Word and sharing it
with others.
1. Speech (vs. 26)
a. Tongue reveals the true heart of a person.
1) Matthew 12:34-35 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good,
when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. [35] The good person out of his good treasure
brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth
evil.
b. Controlled tongue equals a controlled body.
2. Service (v. 27a).
a. After seeing ourselves and Christ in the
mirror of God;
1) We must see others needs before ourselves.
2) Words are no substitute for deeds of love.
3. Separation from the world (v.72b)
a. We are in the world physically, but not of
the world spiritually.
b. Only through separation can we serve the
world.
c. Friendship with the world leads to love of
the world.
d. Love of the world will lead to conforming
to the world.
e. Illustration:
1) Lot’s choice to be a part of the world
caused him to lose every thing.
2) Abraham’s separation from the world enabled
him to serve the world in a greater way.
Conclusion: