LISTENING TO AND DOING GOD'S WORD

Passage: James 1:19-27

Key verse: 27

NIV

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters,(A) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak(B) and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger(C) does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of(D) all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,(E) which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(F) 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,(G) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.(H)

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues(I) deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after(J) orphans and widows(K) in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.(L)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 (A)Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person (B)be quick to hear, (C)slow to speak, (D)slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore (E)put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with (F)meekness the implanted word, (G)which is able to save your souls.

22 But be (H)doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, (I)the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, (J)he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious (K)and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's (L)religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: (M)to visit (N)orphans and widows in their affliction, and (O)to keep oneself (P)unstained from the world.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Righteousness God desires (19-21) People are often quick to speak their mind. But Christians should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Human anger can lead us to sin against others and against God. Instead of living by our feelings, we must rid ourselves of moral filth and then humbly accept the word of God. This produces the righteousness God desires. 2. Look intently into the word of God (22-27) Listening to God's word is only half of what we should do. We are to also do what God's word says. Merely listening to God's word without any practical response is like looking into a mirror and then immediately forgetting what we look like. The word of God functions like a spiritual mirror into our hearts. We see what is there, how to repent and what to do. Then we can, for example, control our speech and look after orphans and widows. This is religion that God our Father accepts.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your word. Help me to listen to your word and do what it says.

One Word: Listen to God's word and put it into practice.