James 1:21: Therefore Put Away All Filthiness And Rampant Wickedness

James 1:21
[21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (ESV)

Imagine for a moment that you have a very terrible disease. Nice thought, right? You talk to the doctor and he assures you that if you come in for a surgery he can completely cure you. That's good news. So, the day comes and you go to the doctor's office, ready for the surgery that will bring your body back to perfect health.

When you step through the door of the doctor's office you are unprepared for the horrible scene that awaits you. The entire room is filled with filth! There are cockroaches crawling through bags of garbage that are strewn all over the floor. Used needles with dry caked blood are laying around. The stench in the room is overwhelming.

That's quite a mental scene I have painted for you, isn't it? James tells us to put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness. We often make the mistake of viewing our sin or vices as "not that bad." God has a very different viewpoint. God is holy. He is perfect. Any sin, no matter how small, is a vile offense to him. Our sinful habits and behaviors are repulsive and disgusting.

Oh, let's get back to our image of a surgery. James talks about the Word of God being able to save our souls. That double-edged sword of the Spirit will cut out the sickness of our sin and save us. As we approach surgery let's make sure that the area where the work is being done is clear of filth and wickedness.

Are you ready for God to do a work in you? Ask him to cleanse you of your sin. Come to him humbly, knowing that His Word is the cure for you.

Comments

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

Search This Blog