a few thoughts on James 1:21 from my Papaw

James 1:21 - Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly receive the word planted in you, which can save you.

We need to always remember that every instruction/command from God is for our benefit as well as those around us.  Our obedience benefits us on several levels.

·      I can’t think of a more certain path to intimacy with God than obedience to his word.  When we know his word and obey it we experience the peace that comes with that and our trust in him grows.

·      Every sin is detrimental to us.  Its pleasure is short lived and the consequences endure.

·      Many sins involve someone else, either directly or indirectly.  That results in either hurt to the other person or draws the other person into sin with us.  So when we obey God we do good to others.

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James not only tells us what to do but provide the path for doing it; “humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

I read this and I can think of two ways the word can save me.

·      There is, of course, the gospel message.  “We are saved by grace through faith.”

Very little of the Bible, even the New Testament, is about salvation.  It is primarily instruction for living the Christian life, as disciples of Jesus.  In this case there is ample instruction for getting rid of moral filth.  It begins with warnings about what we allow into our minds.

Earlier in this chapter James laid out the progression that leads to sin when he wrote told us that We are “carried away and enticed” by our own lust.  This lust for a sinful thing, if not checked, leads to the actual sin.

Jesus had a similar warning when he said that when we lust after a woman [in our mind] we have committed adultery in our hearts already.  All sin begins with a thought.

So, to get rid of moral filth in our lives we need to stop our minds from going there in the first place.  But how do we do that?

·      I believe James gives us the answer to that when he says; “In humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

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What word is James referring to and how was it implanted?

·      Here James is referring to God’s word, the Bible. That brings us to how the word is implanted in the first place.

When we submitted to Christ in baptism, and were raised out of the water, we were born again.  A new person. And, we were no longer doing life alone.  We received the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit, a guide and comforter for the rest of our lives.  That is what Acts 2:38 tells us.

However, we can quench the Spirit within us and go our own merry way if we so choose.  Paul admonishes us, in 1 Thess. 5:19; “Do not quench the Spirit” 

-       This is the humility James is talking about.  We can be arrogant and think we know, or even worse, go our way without even caring if we know.  Or we can humbly submit to God by knowing his word and living our lives accordingly, as disciples.

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When we do that we find ample help in carrying out God’s will in our lives.

So, if we want to be rid of moral filth in our lives we first have to free our minds of evil thoughts which lead to evil actions.  That is not such an easy thing to do.  How many of us have control over where our thoughts go?  I find that very difficult.  My brain has a mind of its own and I find my thoughts going wherever they decide to go whenever they choose.  Most people I know have the same problem.

One way to rid our minds of thoughts we don’t want is to fill it with thoughts we do want.  I like Paul’s comment in Philippians 3:13b where he says, “but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead . . .”  If we focus on Jesus and the word, filling our mind with those things, there is no room for anything else.

If we fill them with positive things that we want, there is no room for the evil we don’t want.  We get practical help with that, too.  One good example is Philippians 4:8 “. . . Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

James is one of my favorite books in the Bible.  He tells it straight and gives practical advice on living the Christian life.  Now if I can “humbly accept the word planted in” me, it will keep me from doing stupid stuff and indeed, save me.