A Living Faith Evidenced in One’s Response to Scripture (James 1:19-27)
In James 1:1-18, James the half-brother of Jesus and pastor of the Jerusalem church addressed the circumstances of suffering that his scattered flock was enduring. A living faith is evidenced in one’s response to trials (see the previous posts here). And it is in such circumstances of suffering that one’s faith will be challenged regarding obedience to Scripture as well. Circumstances of suffering do not excuse a negative response to God’s Word. A living faith is also evidenced in one’s response to Scripture.
As he does throughout most of the letter (to introduce almost every new subsection), James appeals to “my brethren” with pastoral concern. This concern revolves around the theme of obedience (works) to the Word/law. See the repeated use of the following key terms in James 1:19-2:26.
- The Word (James 1:21, 22, 23)
- The Law (James 1:25; 2:8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- Works (James 1:25; 2:14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26)
James commands his scattered, suffering flock to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Why? “For” (because) the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. In other words, wrath does not produce righteous living. Wrath against what?
If you read these verses in isolation from the immediate context, you might think that James is concerned with interpersonal relationships (parallel to James 3-4). However, a strong exegetical case can be made that James is concerned about one’s response to God’s Word.
- James generally starts a new subsection (even short ones) with “my brethren.” He does so in James 1:19 and does not do so again until James 2:1. Thus, James 1:19-1:27 should be interpreted as one unified subsection.
- Verse 21 is the direct application to the commands in James 1:19-20 to be receptive. Receptive to what? In light of the commands to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (prideful responses), a person is exhorted to display the contrasting response of humility: receive with meekness the engrafted Word.
- The context seems to transition from one topic (James 1:18) to a new topic (James 1:22ff.) based on the key point about the engrafted Word (James 1:18, 21). Rather than seeing James 1:19-20 as an interruption, the verses can be interpreted in light of James’ theme, functioning as a transition.
James would remind them that their knowledge of the new birth through the Word must lead to a new life directed by the Word.” (Hiebert, The Epistle of James, p. 111)
In fact, the main thrust of James’ whole epistle, as the correct application of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, is to call on believers to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving themselves (James 1:22 with Matthew 7:24). If anyone thinks that he is religious/has a living faith (genuine faith) instead of a false/dead faith, he must pass the tests exemplified in James 1:26-27. He must look into the mirror of the perfect standard: the law of liberty/law of Christ (the Sermon on the Mount in particular). The one blessed/favored by God evidences the regenerating work of the Spirit through the Word by making corrections and becoming a doer of the Word.
The key tests that James focuses on will be the mirror of God’s Word/law regarding:
- Treatment of the poor (widows and orphans in particular) without partiality (James 1:27; 2:1-13)
- Use of the tongue—wisdom in speech and conduct (James 1:26; 3:1-18)
- Keeping oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27; 4:1-5:12)
James reinforces that believers will indeed be judged (James 2:12-13; 3:1; 4:11-12; 5:9, 12). This is not contrary to justification by faith, which assures no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). This is contending that the righteousness of the law (James 1:20-21) be fulfilled because of the inward transformation that will be evidenced in our works (James 1:22) by a correct response to God’s Word (James 1:19, 25). And this response to God’s Word will vindicate our faith as living (Rom. 8:4; James 2:14-26 cf. Matt. 5:19-20; 25:31-46) in contrast to those who are deceived: hearers who do not do the will of the Father (James 1:23-24; cf. Matthew 7:21).
James’ motive, according to James 5:19-20, is to save deceived people (cf. James 1:22) from eternal damnation and to get true believers back on track from justifying a licentious lifestyle (James 1:21 cf. 2 Peter 2:19-22) when they should be living transformed lives of good works because of their faith/the implanted Word (a New Covenant blessing; James 1:18, 21). Apparently, some professing believers were misinterpreting the Sermon on the Mount, overreacting to Pharisaical hypocrisy by presuming that Christ fulfilled the law for them so that they now stood righteous in Him and no longer needed to worry about living out Christ’s ethic (even Paul had to refute this in Galatians 2:17-20).
The message of James is needed in our day when it is all-too-common to define the gospel in a minimalistic way as if the gospel equals justification alone (the legal realities) while neglecting regeneration (new life) and sanctification (the necessary outflow of that new life—the experiential transformation). The truths of justification must be rightly harmonized with the truths of regeneration leading to sanctification (see here). It is not sufficient to theoretically have a correct theology of sanctification; that theology must be harmonized, emphasized, and brought to bear on those who wrongly presume upon the truths of justification while their works testify of a dead faith. We have an obligation to seek to rescue souls from the error of their way (James 5:19-20). The church is in desperate need of this revival. Rather than responding to calls to obedient living with quick retorts and angry retorts against biblical exhortations—as if obedience to God applied in concrete ways is legalism—we need believers who are quick to hear God’s Word and then from that mirror make changes so that they become doers of the Word, evidencing a living faith.
Kevin Collins has served as a junior high youth leader in Michigan, a missionary in Singapore, a Christian School teacher in Utah, and a Bible writer for the BJU Press. He currently works for American Church Group of South Carolina.