Opening Prayer
Lord, teach me and I will keep Your Law and keep it with my whole heart. Amen.
Text: James 1:22–27
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Devotion
God’s Word is powerful to save your soul, but it must enter your heart, and this happens when you not only hear it, but do it. It is completely certain: desire and power to “do” must come from the Word itself, – hearing should always go before. But when you “hear,” you thereby receive the ability to “do,” and then it is up to you to do it. If you obey the Word then as far as you can by grace, then it works in you knowledge of sin, faith, regeneration, and sanctification. But if you neglect the obedience, then you become simply a forgetful hearer and neither learn to know yourself or God, nor come to freedom or peace, but remain in sin and deceive yourself. You have an impression of the truth, but it disappears again. Therefore obey God’s Word. Live it, follow it, do it – for Jesus’ sake! You understand, of course, that we are not talking about just an outward “doing,” but about the heart’s obedience to God’s Word. Conduct yourselves inwardly and outwardly in desire and in deed according to God’s Word. You can surely do it, for the Word will never lead you wrong. The Lord shall thereby give you wisdom which is worth having. You shall learn to know yourself, your sin and need, and you shall find the cure for it in the Gospel. You shall be able to look into the “perfect law of liberty,” into the eternal sure counsel of God’s grace, that whoever believes shall be saved. This law of the Spirit which gives life in Christ Jesus shall free you from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). The life of love gives you freedom and makes you blessed in your work – not blessed because of your work, but blesses you in your work.
Our text closes with a two-part lesson: 1) You who live life in God, guard your tongue, and never speak evil words! Isn’t it a devilish trick that even the child of God is slow to guard his tongue, although this is of greatest importance? 2) You doers of God’s Word, don’t forget that He wants you to serve Him by serving His own poor forsaken and suffering children, widows and the fatherless. It is good that you worship God and edify yourselves by hearing His Word. But – read the last verse of our Epistle again in connection with the first.
Closing Prayer
Lord, You work in us both to will and to do according to Your good pleasure. Prompt us to do what You say. Let it be our endeavor to live according to Your Word and always to do what pleases You. Give us love in our heart, and let holiness adorn us in our every word and deed. Amen.
Hymn
Continue in God’s good command,
In works of love e’er growing,
Send forth God’s peace throughout the land,
Your joyous faith forth-showing.
Repent your sin, and fear your God,
Your tongue from ill restraining,
And lift your voice in hymns aloud,
His name due honor gaining.
Endure till ev’ry trial and pain
To comfort is relenting;
Let not the world dominion gain,
Your life of love preventing.
Kingo: Min Sjæl om du vil nogen tid L 408:6-8 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Jeg ved et evigt Himmerig (LHy 523); alternate hymn: Come, my soul ELH 381:4.6