Since the 1st-century believers had no prior experience about living as followers of Jesus, they needed some guidance: What does faith in Jesus look like in everyday life? How does it make a practical difference in relationships with others? Two thousand years later, these remain relevant questions – and James’ letter to the first Christians is an excellent guide, still today.
Faith in action: listening and doing
29 August 2021 • Pastor Michael Dutschke • for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost
Bible Passage: James 1:19-27
+ expandMy dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
New International Version (NIV) - for other versions see BibleGateway.com
