James 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
The obnoxious weed that creeps into our gardens that brings many plants to their end. This is a slow destruction for our plants, day-by-day the weeds grow a bit more and eventually overtake the plant. Sometimes we can see this happening but neglect to step in and destroy the weed so the plant can live. If we think about it, if we would just everyday do a little work around our plants we would not be faced with trying to restore what looks to be a hopeless situation.
Much is the same with our Christian life. The complexity of life will often leave us over ran with “weeds” before we realize it. Therefore, when we realize we are nearly too far gone we then must go into emergency mode to try and salvage any fruit that may be left. As James writes to the Twelve Tribes in the Dispersion he addresses these very issues. He first tells us as we have the privilege to hear the Word we should be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19). But then James moves on to verse 21 telling us how to prepare and receive the Word.
Putting Away
James tells us to put away a couple of things before we approach the Word of God: filthiness & rampant wickedness. We must as we approach the Word remove any type of overflowing wickedness for our lives. James is not necessarily pointing out specific sin, though that could apply. But James is speaking of a general evil. Regardless, any type of excessive behavior is the very thing followers of Christ must put off. We see this exhortation many times throughout Scripture. Paul encourages the reader in The Letter to the Colossians & the Letter to the Ephesians to put on the new self (Colossians 3:10/ Ephesians 4:24). As Paul writes to the churches the implications is that by “putting on the new self” that we are putting of the old self and all the sinful desires that we were enslaved to. Paul reminds the Ephesians:
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. -Ephesians 5:3-4
Paul knows the importance of walking in holiness as the believer. When we walk in obedience to God we then have hearts and minds that are not held captive to this world but are prepared to be informed and reformed by the Word of God.
Receiving in Humility
The Creator has spoken and He has put it in a book. Paul tells Timothy the Scriptures are the very “breathe of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Word is the “implanted Word, which is able to save our souls” (James 1:19b). As we turn the pages of Scripture or hear the Word expounded we should receive the Word bearing the weight as if God himself is speaking to us. As James has spoke in the previous verse we must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19). This is the humility that must fill our hearts and minds as we are confronted with the Word. It is in the Word of God where we meet our Savior. The Christ revealed to us through the Scripture by the Holy Spirit takes us from darkness to light, we understand this as believers. We know that the Word brought us face-to-face with Jesus; therefore, as we seek maturity in our Christian life we must know as the Psalmist the Word is the “lamp unto my feet and light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Seeking Maturity
Our greatest desire as believers should be that we grow in maturity throughout our Christian walk. We should want to know God more so that the zeal of our faith will shine bright into the world. This is James’ desire for the believer as well; it is Christ’s desire for us too. How do we grow? We grow by and through the Word. We grow by sitting under right preaching of Truth, we grow by personal Bible reading & study time. If when enter into that time when we encounter the Word with sin running wild in our lives or self righteous arrogance the seed of the Word that is thrown forth will be choked out by the world (Matthew 13:1-23). So brothers and sisters let us cast away every weight & sin and receive the Word of God with humility for the sake of our soul. As those pesky weeds begin to overtake the garden, let us take the tools we have been given and clear the ground so that the fruit of the seed planted will come and the harvest will be bountiful.
God has spoken, He put it in a book, let us be mastered by that book.
The Implanted Word
The Implanted Word 7/27/20
James 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
The obnoxious weed that creeps into our gardens that brings many plants to their end. This is a slow destruction for our plants, day-by-day the weeds grow a bit more and eventually overtake the plant. Sometimes we can see this happening but neglect to step in and destroy the weed so the plant can live. If we think about it, if we would just everyday do a little work around our plants we would not be faced with trying to restore what looks to be a hopeless situation.
Much is the same with our Christian life. The complexity of life will often leave us over ran with “weeds” before we realize it. Therefore, when we realize we are nearly too far gone we then must go into emergency mode to try and salvage any fruit that may be left. As James writes to the Twelve Tribes in the Dispersion he addresses these very issues. He first tells us as we have the privilege to hear the Word we should be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19). But then James moves on to verse 21 telling us how to prepare and receive the Word.
Putting Away
James tells us to put away a couple of things before we approach the Word of God: filthiness & rampant wickedness. We must as we approach the Word remove any type of overflowing wickedness for our lives. James is not necessarily pointing out specific sin, though that could apply. But James is speaking of a general evil. Regardless, any type of excessive behavior is the very thing followers of Christ must put off. We see this exhortation many times throughout Scripture. Paul encourages the reader in The Letter to the Colossians & the Letter to the Ephesians to put on the new self (Colossians 3:10/ Ephesians 4:24). As Paul writes to the churches the implications is that by “putting on the new self” that we are putting of the old self and all the sinful desires that we were enslaved to. Paul reminds the Ephesians:
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. -Ephesians 5:3-4
Paul knows the importance of walking in holiness as the believer. When we walk in obedience to God we then have hearts and minds that are not held captive to this world but are prepared to be informed and reformed by the Word of God.
Receiving in Humility
The Creator has spoken and He has put it in a book. Paul tells Timothy the Scriptures are the very “breathe of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Word is the “implanted Word, which is able to save our souls” (James 1:19b). As we turn the pages of Scripture or hear the Word expounded we should receive the Word bearing the weight as if God himself is speaking to us. As James has spoke in the previous verse we must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19). This is the humility that must fill our hearts and minds as we are confronted with the Word. It is in the Word of God where we meet our Savior. The Christ revealed to us through the Scripture by the Holy Spirit takes us from darkness to light, we understand this as believers. We know that the Word brought us face-to-face with Jesus; therefore, as we seek maturity in our Christian life we must know as the Psalmist the Word is the “lamp unto my feet and light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Seeking Maturity
Our greatest desire as believers should be that we grow in maturity throughout our Christian walk. We should want to know God more so that the zeal of our faith will shine bright into the world. This is James’ desire for the believer as well; it is Christ’s desire for us too. How do we grow? We grow by and through the Word. We grow by sitting under right preaching of Truth, we grow by personal Bible reading & study time. If when enter into that time when we encounter the Word with sin running wild in our lives or self righteous arrogance the seed of the Word that is thrown forth will be choked out by the world (Matthew 13:1-23). So brothers and sisters let us cast away every weight & sin and receive the Word of God with humility for the sake of our soul. As those pesky weeds begin to overtake the garden, let us take the tools we have been given and clear the ground so that the fruit of the seed planted will come and the harvest will be bountiful.
God has spoken, He put it in a book, let us be mastered by that book.