James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8,14,15,21-23
What’s the difference between a mirror and a photograph?
In a mirror we see ourselves as we see us; in a photograph we see ourselves as others see us.
It would be very strange if we looked in a mirror and saw a stranger looking out at us. But what if we couldn’t remember what we ourselves looked like? We might then think that what we saw was indeed our self. In that case we would be self-deceived.
James says that the person who reads the Bible (looks at the perfect law) and doesn’t do what it says is just like someone who looks in a mirror and then forgets what they look like.
What happens if you ignore what you read? If it’s a warning sign that we’re reading, we ignore it at our peril.
What happens if you ignore what the Bible says? The consequences are not just that one day we have to face God in judgement but that here and now we don’t get the best out of life because we are ignoring all that God has shown us about himself and the way he wants us to live which we find in the pages of this book.
James’ practical or ethical emphasis reminds us that following Jesus is a way of life and not just a theoretical construct. Here are some of the practical instructions James gives in his letter.
Curb our tempers (vs 19,20) eg: avoid arguments, tantrums from not getting our own way.
Clean up our minds (v 21) avoid those books, magazines, TV programmes, pop music, Internet in which we read, hear or see what does not please God
Control our tongues (v 26) no gossip, lies, bad language and bad jokes
Care for others (v 27) helping people who are new or lonely at school or work, or neighbours in need, the sick or homeless
Commit our lives to Jesus (v 21) I can confirm from my experience that being committed to Jesus is the best life.
“The reading from James emphasizes a special danger for religious people — self-deception. Sincerity and earnestness are necessary components of a life of faith, but they are by no means sufficient. James reminds us three times that it is very easy to deceive yourself. This is hard to admit to yourself, and even harder to detect in its many guises.
“”Don’t be deceived,” writes James (1:16). All the good gifts in your life “come from the Father above.” In a striking description, James says that “God gives generously to all without finding fault.” In the Christian scheme of things, the myth of the self-made person is just that, a myth. It’s a self-deception.” [Daniel B. Clendenin]
Many people believe that we get to heaven according to the scheme that they have devised – that is, on our own terms. This is yet another self-deception. It is often said of certain persons that, since they do good, God will not leave them out of heaven. That is a self-deception because the Bible makes it clear that if such persons have left God out of their lives then ultimately God will leave them out of God’s life. How can we imagine that God would allow us to dictate the terms for getting into heaven? God has set the terms and we only get to heaven on his terms, not ours.
So what are God’s terms?
God is holy and the heaven we’re talking about is being in God’s presence. Since God is holy everything in his presence must be holy. Holy means without fault, righteous, clean, sinless.
To get to heaven one has to be holy.
To be holy one has to be free of sin/fault/pollution/.. (God defines what is sin.)
Every human has sin that keeps us away from the holy God. That sin has to be atoned (paid) for. To atone means to make good something that is wrong, especially in terms of reconciling a broken relationship.
We are not able to atone (pay) for our own sin and reconcile with God. All the pennance in the world cannot atone for a single sin.
The only way to be free of sin is to be forgiven and the only forgiveness is through Jesus’ death. His death atones for all our sin. So we must adopt Jesus’ atonement for our sins.
To be forgiven one has to confess and repent. That is, admit one’s sin and turn from it.
Repentance is being so sorry for sin that you are willing to give it up.
And ask forgiveness in Jesus’ name.
And commit to following Jesus in his way.
When God forgives us he makes us holy and draws us into his presence.
The result of coming to God on his terms is that he gives us a completely new life. We are transformed. This is the work of God’s Spirit working in us from the inside out. Jesus said that what defiles us comes from within us. Our words and actions come from inside, from our attitudes, motivations and beliefs. God’s Spirit transforms our beliefs, attitudes and motives and thereby changes our behaviour, our words and deeds (for the better).
When people come under the influence/control of the Holy Spirit they get to see their faults and they gain the motivation and the resources to deal with each fault and clean out the pollution and so live godly lives. Without the Spirit, trying to do this is difficult and ultimately ineffective.
When we just try harder to ‘be good’ it’s like cleaning the outside but leaving the inside dirty. When we commit our lives to Jesus we are changed inside and given the power to really and practically change the way we live.
So when we read Bible passages like this one in James and we see the need to clean up our act, it’s not a matter of doing it ourselves, but of working with the Holy Spirit to make the changes we need to live godly lives.
If who would like to talk or pray about commitment to Christ and heaven on God’s terms, feel free to email me through this website.