Be Unspotted of the World

James 1

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world

I post this because I see many hearers of the word and few doers. In fact, if you even try, just a little bit, to be a doer in this world you are labeled as an -ist, or a -phobe, or declared guilty of some form of -ism, and if none of these apply then you’re crazy, hateful, abusive, and so on.

I wish we would read the word of God with the intent to be doers no matter what the world says. I wish we would read God’s word, God’s written plan for our lives with the intent to follow it and not the intent to make God’s word fit into our plan. I wish we would read and study the God’s sovereign word with the intent to become more firm and fervent, and bold in our faith, not to try and use his own word against himself or to try and disprove his word. That has not worked ever since the word was penned yet we still try. I wish we would all stop thinking so highly of ourselves and realize the futility in trying to do it our own way.

Not a single one of us is so great as to be able to claim a greater sovereignty than God. Be hearers and then be doers of GOD’S WORD, NOT YOUR OWN AND BE UNSPOTTED OF THE WORLD!

No Mercy

James 2
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
 
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
 
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
 
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
 
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
 
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
 
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
 
God can do anything. He is sovereign. But make no mistake, this relationship with God is reciprocal. That means that although God can do everything, he wants you to take responsibility and work too. We pray for healing, and do not go to a doctor, we pray for financial blessings but do not work, we pray for unsaved relatives to get saved and do not talk to them about sin and death brought on by sin, we pray for peace and unleash anger on the world, we pray to understand and yet we seek only to be understood, we pray for anything and do not position ourselves in any like manner to receive the blessing. We show great faith in constantly praying, believing that God hears us, and yet that faith is not producing the work God expects from us. Remember, God created the perfect world, he made it so there was no death. Satan chose to rebel, and Adam and Eve chose to follow.
We, mankind, brought sin and death into the world. If you ask yourself why does this happen or does not happen, it is because that perfect union with God was broken. We now live in a time where we must start with faith. THe belief that God is who and what he says he is. Then we have to allow ourselves to be servants to him. And if there is any of you who believe that a servant does not work, then please re-read the bible. Jesus came first as a servant. He showed us what the work of the spirit. Yes, he showed loved. But he also told people to stop sinning. He saved the harlot, and then told her to sin no more. He broke bread with those whom the law said he should not. But during the bread breaking he was preaching about the will of the father.
Jesus spoke more about hell and the consequences of sin than any other man in the bible. That is the work of the spirit. We are commanded to follow him, to do HIS will. Be ye doers of the word, not just hearers!! Faith without work is dead. Can you hear that brethren. If you say you have faith, and do not see clearly the work before you, then your faith is dead. Translated, you are not a follower of Christ if you do not do it the way he says do it. You do not have the authority to change HIS plan. There is only one way to get this done. HIS WAY!!! For he will have judgment without mercy. Oh please hear that, no mercy. Yes, the Jesus that loves is saying that for the disobedient he will have no mercy. Mercy is that gift we are all counting on to be saved. To have faith and no works is to forego that mercy. Jesus has made it clear.