Month: July 2012

James 1:21

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

I love the book of James! He’s so practical in his writing isn’t he? His book is full of suggestions that we can apply to our everyday living, in order to live abundantly, in step and in tune with God.

James is confident, that God has planted His word and His truth within our hearts, yet so often we avoid it and maybe even run from it. We choose selective hearing, choosing only what we want to hear, only those things that will satisfy our own cravings, pleasures and desires. When we compromise in our living this is the way we choose to live? It’s not that we don’t know what’s right. We do! We have a conscience that even gives us an alert, yet we ignore it! We know what’s right. We know what we should do, but we don’t do it, instead, we react against it and find ourselves dabbling with temptation. We do the wrong thing just because it looks enticing. It’s interesting in Verse 19 and 20 James speaks out on listening, speaking and anger and connects these things to this verse with a therefore. Read verse 19 and 20 to see how he applies it. By nature we are a rebellious and angry people defiled in sin. Only God’s Words can break through hardness to soften a heart and save us from ruin. We must put off the filthy, decaying rags that we wear, listen to His healing words within our hearts and follow in obedience.

Acts 20: 24

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

What a sacrificial attitude Paul has when he addresses the elders of the church in Ephesus. Paul had lived quite a life before God transformed him, but here he has only one message to deliver and he makes no apologies for be being bold in speaking the gospel of repentance from sin by turning to God through faith in Christ. He not only has the message, but he has an overwhelming passion to deliver it, in spite of the persecution and suffering that he knows awaits him for doing so. He knows that his life pales in comparison to the crown of life that awaits him after death, if he remains faithful to the calling of Christ on his life. In Verse 28 he pleads with the leaders to follow the same, stand firm on the Truth and shepherd the flock; the church, faithfully.

Friends, like Paul, let’s not weary of well doing. Find that passion to deliver the message of God’s grace, in spite of…
Our life pales in comparison to what awaits for our faithful service.