James 1:22-27
If we look back as verse 21 in the Revised English Bible it reads:
“discard everything sordid … and meekly accept the message planted in your hearts, with its power to save you.”
Those words are incredibly powerful. Get rid of all the negativity and sordidness of the world, and meekly, without argument, accept the message planted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The message has the power to save us. It is not the sordidness that is the problem as much as the failure to accept, without hesitation or argument or bargaining, the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ that has been planted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
As we move into verse 22 however, there is further stipulation. Not only must we accept the message, we must act on it. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus stated that not everyone who called out to Him “Lord” would enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who do the will of God will enter the Kingdom. Many would say ‘but we prophesied and cast out demons in your name!’ Sound familiar? I know many who do that but do not know God. Jesus said he would tell these people “I never knew you” and send them away. Jesus wants a relationship with us. He wants us to seek to do His will. If we only follow the outward appearance of some religious organisation but do not spend time getting to know Jesus and seeking His guidance and obeying it, but rather do what we please, we will not be permitted into Heaven. The person who follows the religious observances of a religious organisation is like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. The Pharisees did not know God and the religious observer does not know Him either.
James emphasises the difference between the person who accepts Jesus’ word and acts on it and the one who does not. He likens the superficial listener as a person who looks at himself in a mirror then forgets what he looks like as soon as he looks away. The person who listens to God’s word but does not put it into practice has not recognised the changes he needs to make in his life. In contrast, the person who “looks into the perfect law … that makes us free” (REB) and does not turn away, but instead remembers what he hears and acts upon those instructions will find freedom and happiness.
As far as James is concerned, the most important change to make in life is that of speech. We are to watch the language we use, the attitude we express to others. This is shown in the way we act. The person who speaks words of love will look out for those in need of help and have compassion on them, offering practical assistance wherever possible. That person will also ensure their words are not corrupted by the world.
Romans 12:2 says “do not confirm any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is …” (NIV). Beware the corrupting influence of the world, not only in changing your speech, but also your attitudes that are reflected in that speech.
Those who are polluted by the world seek security or advancement on earthly terms. That is at the heart of much of the behaviour described by James. We are not to be concerned with how much money we make but instead we are to see that what we have belongs to God for us to use for His purposes. God asks us to love others and care for them. When we love God and not the world we are able to give what He has entrusted to us freely as He desires. This does not mean you are to give all your money away. Rather you should be willing to give when God asks you to.
In Matthew 6:24 Jesus spoke about the person who served Money not God. He stated that no one can serve two masters. That person will hate one and love and be devoted to the other.
So in this passage James warns us that we must accept and act upon God’s word. We must seek first a relationship with Jesus and seek to do God’s will. We must be particularly careful to watch what we say.

James 1: 19-21
“Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]. So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.” Amplified.
Verse 19 is something I remind myself of often because I use it in my counselling practice and in my life in general. I remind myself that I need to be willing to listen to others and slow to speak. This discipline means I actually listen to the person talking to me instead of waiting for them to stop talking so I can say my bit, which I am rehearsing as they speak. The result of rehearsing is to not hear what the other is saying. So it is important to listen to others without expecting to say something back. This allows me to feel respect for the other person and consider his viewpoint. Doing this has the benefit of reducing my readiness to take offense at his words and get angry. James identifies this self-control as the mark of a wise person. Being careful to listen to another person without racing to react to his words reduces the chance that I will take offense at the other person and get angry. James identifies an important tool in achieving this readiness to listen and slowness to anger is a humble acceptance of the teachings of Jesus that are found in the Bible. If we accept the teachings and welcome them into our hearts, allowing the Holy Spirit to place them there, then we are better able to resist the unrighteousness that comes from failing to listen to others and the unrighteousness that leads to uncontrollable anger.
Looking at the context of these verses, appearing as they do after a discussion about testing and then gifts, we can see that the willingness to listen and slowness to react is a result of the wisdom that comes from seeking to follow Jesus closely as discussed in the previous verses.

James 1: 16-18
“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” NIV
In verses 16 to 18 we see that we must never be deceived into thinking that bad things come from God or good things come from satan. Only God can give good things and God will never give what is evil. His gifts are always good and perfect. An example of a good and perfect gift is cited in verse 5 with the giving of wisdom.
James refers to God as the Father of the heavenly lights. His light (spiritual) is in the world as well as the physical light he has given us from the sun and the moon. But unlike the physical light of the sun and moon that can be hidden by cloud or obscured by objects that cast us into shadow, God’s light is constant. The moon waxes and wanes. In time the sun will run out of energy. God is always the same. He does not change. God chose to give us new birth through the gospel or word of truth. We become in this new birth the firstfruits of all God has created. We are the best of the harvest. We are set aside and consecrated to God. We who are redeemed are the highest point of God’s creation.
In verses 13 to 15 we saw the stages of desire, sin and death. Now in these verses we see the stages of God, word of truth, birth. Desire and satan lead to death but God leads to, and is, life.