Respond to what you hear
"So get rid of all the filfth and evil in your lives and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts. For it is strong enough to save your souls."
The previous verse has spoken about listening - listening to God! But is what is God saying? But we cannot come to his presence knowing that moral fiflth is so preevalent in our lives. This is what James is telling us. This means that a clean up has to take place. We need to get rid of all the filth.
Getting rid of the filth we need to humbly accept God's word. If we have heard and read God's how do we respond, do we respond by humbly accepting God's word?
5 comments:
Phil,
Do you think we need to get rid of the filth before we can hear God?
Dave
interesting q, some would say you cannot hear God if you have filth in your life. But what is James saying here? He is asking the question how are you going respond to what you hear. How are you going to respond to what you have read in the law? James is saying you cannot just stand there and listen or just look in the mirror you have to respond to what you heard, read or seen. Immeidate reponse is that you will desire to make sure your life is right with God. Also you will want to respond and put into action what you have read in the law (Jasmes 1:25.) This for me is what James is saying.
If you cannot hear God if you have filth in your life, how can anyone ever respond to him? That would mean you have to be perfect before you can "be saved"!
Apart from that, I think you are saying that if a "conversion experience" does not result in a changed life, then it is not a real conversion experience. Would you agree with this?
I think Dave lynch on his Genesis blog touch this theme "Sinners Prayer" (30th Dec 06).
Again this is a theme we struggle with. In a conversion expereince some may say that once they have commited to being a christian, they often give up something but then there is often things we struggle with year on year out. Paul speaks about a thorn in the flesh and in romans he said he struggled to do the good he wish to do. So I couldnt reallty say that we are all of a sudden perfect or that it is only perfect people allowed - then none of would be allowed! When I come to him prayer so often it may be that he reminds me of some failing by his spirit, I then take it to him and ask that he would help me to change it.
James and Paul in their writings both talk about changed lives. if you look at Galatians 6 it talks about lives living by the spirit should demonstrate the fruit of the spirit in their lives. Sadly I have come accross examples too where someone has not lived the changed life. But at the end of the day it is not for me to judge.
Totally agree that we are neither all of a sudden or ever perfect, but I do think there should be an ongoing change in the life of someone who professes to follow Christ.
The Galatians fruit of the sinful nature is just as important to look at as the fruit of the spirit, often we forget to look at the indicators of sinfulness in our nature. We discussed this in housegroup not long ago, we all found it both interesting and challenging.
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