Having explained the value of trials and our options in trials, James next exhorted his readers to respond properly to their trials. In this section he stressed the Word of God because it is the key to resisting temptations and responding to trials correctly (cf. Matt. 4:1-11).
1:19 James' readers already knew what he had just reminded them of in the preceding verses (vv. 17-18; cf. Prov. 10:19; 13:3; 14:29; 15:1; 17:27-28; 29:11, 20; Eccles. 7:9). Nevertheless they needed to act in harmony with this knowledge.
"He [James] drives home the teaching about our death-bound, sinful nature with the cry Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren(16); he drives home the teaching about the new birth with the cry Know this, my beloved brethren(19a)."58
We may respond to trials by complaining about them and becoming angry over them. James advised his readers to remain silent and calm and to listen submissively to the Word of God (v. 23).
"It is possible to be unfailingly regular in Bible reading, but to achieve no more than to have moved the book-mark forward: this is reading unrelated to an attentive spirit."59
Many people have observed that we have two ears and one mouth, which ought to remind us to listen twice as much as we speak (cf. Prov. 10:19; 17:27).60
"Ceaseless talkers may easily degenerate into fierce controversialists."61
"The great talker is rarely a great listener, and never is the ear more firmly closed than when anger takes over."62
1:20 An angry response to temptations does not advance the righteousness in character and conduct that God is seeking to produce in the believer.
"The policy James condemns is one of seeking to promote the cause of freedom by politically motivated and engineered violence (an endeavor to be brought into the discussion at 4:1-3)."63
The filthiness in view seems to be all kinds of unclean behavior that lies outside the will of God including anger and wrath. The "remains of wickedness"are those evil habits of life we carry over from the unredeemed world (cf. Ps. 17:4; Luke 6:45). The believer should accept submissively what God has revealed and should respond cooperatively to what He commands. The Word of God will then have good soil in which to grow, and it will yield an abundant harvest of righteousness in the believer.
"We pray for safety instead of purity because we do not see impurity as dangerous."64
Some interpreters have understood the phrase "which is able to save your souls"to imply that the souls of James' readers still needed to experience salvation from eternal damnation. Since his readers were Christians (vv. 1-2) some interpreters believe that when a believer sins he loses his salvation and needs saving again. However the words James used and the context make clear that this is not what he meant. "Save your lives"or "save your selves"(Gr. psychas) is a better translation (cf. Matt. 16:24-27; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9; 9:56; James 5:20; 1 Pet. 1:9).65"Soul"does not describe a part of the individual that is different from some other part of him or her such as the body; it describes the whole person.
". . . the expression is never found in any New Testament text which describes the conversion experience!"66
By obeying God's Word the believer can save his life from the consequences of sin. The ultimate consequence for a believer is premature physical (not eternal) death (cf. 1:15; 5:19-20; Prov. 10:27; 11:19; 12:28; 13:14; 19:16; Rom. 8:13; 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 John 5:16).67James was still talking about the consequences of obeying and disobeying God: the crown of life (v. 12) and death (v. 15).
"It has often been observed that the Epistle of James is, of all the New Testament writings, the one which most clearly reflects the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. The theme of death as the consequence of sin is an extremely frequent one in the book of Proverbs. . . . It should be evident that this is the Old Testament concept which furnishes the background for James' thought. A recognition of this fact clarifies a great deal."68
Whereas verses 19-21 stress the importance of listening to the Word, verses 22-25 emphasize the necessity of putting the Word into practice, applying it.
1:22 Doing the Word of God in this context means persevering in God's will when we experience temptation. Hearing God's will is good as far as it goes, but obedience should follow. Some Christian disciples delude themselves by thinking that knowing God's will is enough, but it is only foundational to doing God's will.
"The blessing does not come in studyingthe Word, but in doingthe Word."69
"The call to do what it says' lies at the center of all that James teaches. It sums up the message of the whole book: Put into practice what you profess to believe. Indeed, 1:22 may well be the key verse of James's epistle."70
1:23-24 This illustration is so clear and so common that it needs little comment. The Greek verb katanoeorefers to careful observation. It does not mean to cast a hasty superficial glance, as some have suggested.
1:25 The law to which James referred is the revelation of God's will contained in Scripture (cf. Matt. 5:17). It is perfect because it is the perfect will of a perfect God.
"Unlike the imperfect metal mirror in the previous illustration, this law is able to give the beholder a true and undistorted revelation of himself."71
"The law of God is perfect, first, because it perfectly expresses his nature and, secondly, because it perfectly matches ours."72
It is a law of liberty because by obeying it we find true liberty from sin and its consequences (i.e., real life).
"True freedom is the opportunity and the ability to give expression to what we truly are."73
Note James' agreement with Paul that Christians live in comparative liberty under the "law of Christ"(Gal. 5:1; 6:2; cf. Matt. 11:30). Obedient adherence to the Word of God is the key to experiencing God's blessing in life now as well as in the eschatological future.
". . . the letter . . . is a law book' in a deeper and more pervasive sense than any other single writing in the New Testament."74
"Thus the passage falls into three sections, each with a distinct response to the word God speaks: hearing (19b-20), receiving (21) and obeying (22-25)."75
James proceeded to explain in 1:26-2:13 what a doer of works (1:25) does.
1:26 "Religious"(Gr. threskos, used here only in the New Testament) describes someone who fears or worships God. In particular, it refers to the outward consequences of what one believes (i.e., piety) rather than to what he believes or the fact that he believes deeply. The Jews who were James' original readers typically regarded personal prayer and fasting, regular attendance at worship services, and the observance of holy days and feasts as signs of true spirituality (cf. Matt. 6:1-18). However, James said a better test of spirituality was God's control of one's tongue (cf. 3:1-12).
1:27 Taking care of orphans and widows is a duty that lies close to the heart of God (cf. Exod. 22:21; Deut. 10:18; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 5:28; Ezek. 22:7; Zech. 8:10). Yet many who professed to love Him neglected it (Ps. 68:5; Eccles. 4:10; Mark 12:40).76Likewise personal moral purity is an excellent external indicator of godliness (cf. Acts 15:20; 1 Tim. 5:22). James argued for reality. He did not want us to deceive ourselves into thinking that we are spiritual if our obedience to God is only superficial.
"Like Jesus, James sees worship not in terms of external law but as an expression of inner active goodness."77
"To summarize, vv. 22-27 insist that a person's religion must consist of more than superficial acts. It is not enough to listen to the statement of spiritual truth (vv. 22-25), nor is it sufficient to engage in formal religious activity (v. 26). The person whose religious experience is genuine will put spiritual truth into practice, and his life will be marked by love for others and holiness before God."78
In this chapter James dealt with the practical problem of trials and temptations. He used this subject to remind his readers of some very basic truths that have implications in many other areas of practical Christian living. Some of these areas are consistent commitment to God and obedience to His Word. We will demonstrate behavior that is as genuinely religious as anything anyone can do when we respond to temptations to depart from God's will appropriately. The appropriate response involves rejecting them and rejoicing in them because we believe God is using them to perfect us for His glory.
