I've always been struck by G.K. Chesterton's quote. In his book, What's Wrong with the World, he wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”
This statement echoes what is true in most of life. We prefer solutions that cost us the “least” amount time, energy, and commitment. If you go to the doctor and he says, “Here is a diet and exercise program that will restore your health" we respond, “Meh.” But if he says, “Here is a miracle pill. Pop one of these and all your troubles will melt away" we respond, “Yes Lord!
It's like our personal finances. Everyone wants financial peace. Everyone wants to strike a windfall at the gas station gaming parlor—and maybe a miracle happens now and then. Otherwise, people wouldn't try. But if you are really sincere, and follow a disciplined regime of investing (esp. from a young age) you'd easily become a millionaire (or multimillionaire). Easily by far! It’s not even close.
I would never suggest that miraculous, effortless, transformations do not happen in the Christian life. God is not limited and can freely bless however he chooses. But overwhelmingly, the Christian life (blessed life) comes down to a long, enduring obedience, of trusting God, living out your faith, day in, and day out. Exponential blessing (exponential return on investment) is the fruit of endurance in all of life—and especially in the Christian life!
I'll tell you a little secret about endurance. It only feels hard at the very beginning. Think of what it’s like to pedal up a hill. Not impossible, but takes some gumption, right? But once you get a little momentum—you get the wind of the Holy Spirit on your back—it’s like riding downhill. You can let off the pedals a little. There is true freedom, and joy. To borrow Aristotle's phrase, there is “human flourishing.”
But most never get to blessings of faith and endurance, because endurance feels difficult at first. Like a diet. Like exercise. Like saving. So, the Christian life isn’t often attempted, its largely left untried. And still, what do people say? “Been there, don't that… went to church, tried religion, heard the sermon… didn't work for me.” You can't sincerely say exercise didn't work if you never “worked out.” You can't sincerely say faith didn't work if you never let your faith work itself out. At least be honest with yourself and admit, “Not that God failed you, but never really tried in the first place.”
James doesn't let us blame God for faith not “working.” In James 1, James contrasts two approaches to life. I'll call the first approach the “Typical" Approach.
Three Traits of the “Typical” Person. First, the Typical Person Deflects Any Responsibility. James 1:13-14 writes, “No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.”
For James, we're prone to self-deception. What is the deception. We're far more apt to blame God, the church, the government, our parents, the doctor, our own children, the family dog, the Devil—than ever look in the mirror at ourselves. James uses the analogy of seeds. Every human desire is like a little seed, sown in our hearts. You sow enough seeds, and those seeds germinate and take root deep within the dark, hidden recesses of your heart. And then one day a little seedling pops out of the ground, and it grows branches, and bears fruit. And if it was an evil desire that was first sown, that desire gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully formed, bears the fruit of death.
Do you know what an evil desire is? It’s a perishable seed that produces perishable fruit and leads to a tragic, perishable end. I want you to think about how sin first manifests itself. The first-fruits of sin. When our desires are evil it manifests first internally. You have a bad mood or a bad attitude. You have toxic emotions. You're internally preoccupied with that desire.
But what's inside works itself outward. You think you can hide what going on inside, but you really cannot. Desires and moods always work themselves outward. The facial expressions betray the secret desires of your heart. Your mood, your words, seemingly innocent comments. Out of the overflow of the heart, Jesus taught. Every glance of the eyes. Every touch of the hand. Every footstep. Your time and energy. The fruit of whatever you've sown in your heart works itself out in actions, and actions become a lifestyle, and a lifestyle becomes your character, and your character becomes your destiny. Sin isn't just a mistake—sin is fruit born out of intent and desire. James says, “Do not be deceived (i.e. about nature of sin.)
Second, The Typical Person Unleashes Destructive Anger. James 1:19-20, “19 My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” What James is alluding to here is the deeper undercurrent of our desires. When our evil desires aren't fulfilled, it manifests in anger, impatience, and immoderation of speech. A lack of self-control. Emotional Volatility.
Per this verse… In human relationships there is wisdom in being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. There is a value to listening to “people" in an understanding, patient way. In the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen Covey penned the advice, “Seek first to understand before being understood.” Anger rarely brings about anything good, or life-giving. It frustrates goals. There is little value in addressing skills if we don't first address root anger.
What is anger? Anger is the servant of unfulfilled, unrealized, evil desires. Later in James. James writes, James 3:16, “For where there is evil and selfish ambition (desire) there is every kind of disorder and evil practice.” In James 4:1-3, “What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don't they come from your passions that wage war within you? You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You don't have because you don't ask—you ask and don't receive because you ask with the wrong motives…” Do you see? The root of our anger, volatility, is our evil desires.
Third, the Typical Person is Unserious and Disobedient. Listen to what James says. James 1:22-25, “22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.”
The worst part of self-deception is what I'll label “deflection.” I've noticed this about myself. We Christians love a good lashing. We love getting our toes stepped on, we love an edgy sermon, an edgy rebuke. We cheer it on—bring the Word pastor! But instead of abiding in God's Word, we deflect it. Every word bounces off us like rubber bullets. The Word may sting for a second, but it doesn't penetrate. James says we notice something ugly in the mirror of God's Word, but we walk out the door Sunday and quickly forget what God showed us. Friends, I'm guilty too! I write the crazy sermon. Deflection can come like second nature.
But do not be deceived. Hearing is not obeying. Hearing is not the same as trying, enduring, persevering, living. Seeing something isn't the same as repentance, sanctification, and transformation. In fact, I've noticed that “hearing” for many is a form of entertainment or pleasure. Hearing is nothing more than a superficial ego-check. God shows you the smudge on your soul and the minute after you walk out the door you forget about it.
Religious people have mastered the art of deflection. Meanwhile, the evil desires remain, the anger and self-deception keeps growing, “faith doesn't work.”
The typical person (churched or unchurched) deflects personal responsibility, unleashes destructive anger, is unserious and disobedient… and it’s all evidenced by the lack of righteous fruit in one's life.
Now let’s flip the coin and talk about The A-Typical Person. I love something Walter Bruegmann said, in his book Prophetic Imagination. He says we must not just criticize, but energize people, offering the biblical alternative of a hopeful life.
1) The A-Typical Person Receives God’s Word Internally. James 1:16-18, “16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
James is using the same organic imagery for the Word of God as he does evil desires. Whereas our evil desires are like shifting shadows, hanging over us… the alternative is to embrace the Father of Lights, and the unchanging Word of God. The Word of Truth is a seed like any other—when that Word finds receptive soil in our hearts, it too germinates, and grows, and produces branches and fruit.
The difference between our evil desires and the Word of truth is this: Our evil desires are a perishable seed, they produce perishable rotting fruit, and leads to a perishable destiny, the grave. But the word of God is an imperishable seed, producing imperishable fruit, and an imperishable destiny!!!
Peter magnificently echoes James on this point. 1 Peter 1:22-25, 22 Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other, from a pure heart love one another constantly, 23 because you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For
All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like a flower of the grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.
If you want to experience life change, change what you sow. I've found time in the Word chokes out the most stubborn, residual, evil desires. And time in the Word dissipates my anger and impatience, and unleashes sincere love.
2) The Atypical Person Embraces God's Word Humbly. James 1:21, “Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
Now allow me to rock your world. Earlier we mentioned James 1:19, “19 My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
The primary application of this has very little to do with interpersonal behavior—though it’s great interpersonal advice. What is James really talking about here? In verse 18 James just told us, “[God] gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
If the Word of God is powerful to give birth to God's very best in my life… that what should I do? I should be quick to listen to God's Word, slow to speak, and slow to anger. In fact, I should desire to rid myself of all moral filth and evil (that is so typical even among those who call Jesus Lord)… and I should do what? Humbly receive the implanted, imperishable word that is able to save me and make my soul imperishable.
3)The Atypical Person Embraces God's Word Intently.
James 1:25. Notice the contrast. “25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.”
God shows us stuff not for information, not for mere introspection, but for our transformation and blessing! If God shows you the path of freedom by his Word… James says Persevere! Endure in it! You will be Blessed if you Obey it. The fruit of the word sown, received, and planted deep within is transformation into Christ's likeness, righteousness.
James is saying don't just take a fleeting glance in the mirror of God's Word. Stop. Gaze into the word intently. Instead of being self-absorbed; absorb the living, imperishable word of God. Try it, endure in it, and find it to be true!