Daily Bible Reading – 10.27.2021
James 1:26-27, Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
In James’ discussion concerning an alive and active faith, he briefly returns to the power of speech. James wanted to make it clear that authentic faith influences what we say. One of the measures of our growing or waning faith is what comes out of our mouths. If we are more careful and thoughtful in using words to build others up, then we know our faith is genuine and growing. However, if we notice more negative, critical, and unhelpful words flowing from our mouths, then it may be time to do a heart check to see what is going on deep inside.
When Jesus confronted the Pharisees with their hypocrisy he quoted from Isaiah,
Matthew 15:8-11, “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
The mouth eventually tells on the heart. Listen to what you say so you know where you are spiritually.
That is why James says that true faith that God accepts is that which keeps oneself from being polluted by the world. Our faith is a matter of the heart. What we do morally matters. What we do privately matters. What we bring into our mind matters.
Genuine faith will battle in the power of the Holy Spirit and refuse to indulge the sinful nature and accommodate evil that has invaded the many systems and structures within our world. As authentic followers of Jesus, we humbly surrender ourselves to the Lordship of Christ so that we can be transformed into His likeness.
The Apostle Paul said it this way,
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Questions to Consider:
What is your speech saying about where you are spiritually? Is there an area of your life that needs to come under the Lordship of Jesus?
Weekly Memory Verse:
James 1:22, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.