It Has Always Been A Matter Of The Heart

Today I was hanging out with James. I think he would have been an interesting man to hang out with in real time. The brother of Jesus, the head of the Church council in Jerusalem and a man who worked hard to balance the gospel of grace with the observance of the Law of Moses. As I hung out with him today I discovered something new, or I should say, I re-discovered something I may have set aside for a time.-

As I read through his letter I was struck with the same thing we are all struck with, how simple he put forward the need to live the scriptures daily in all our coming and going. But just like the Law he wrote about, it is easy to boil his writing down to a bunch of does and don’ts that end up producing nothing of any value. But take note, from James we discover that there is a wealth of very simple and practical living that comes from one single correct position from which we live outwards.

Let’s start with his very famous statements on the tongue. I am sure you and I both have heard many sermons expounding on the need for us to tame our tongue. The fact is, James said the exact opposite. He stated that it was impossible to tame the tongue. It cannot be done, was his argument. He did not write about the dangers of the tongue if we don’t get it under control, but instead that the nature of the untamable tongue is destructive if the source is bitter water. His focus was the source, not our effort.

Take a look at it again and you will realize that everything he wrote about focused on the source. He stated that it was not possible for a spring to produce fresh and bitter water; it is either one or the other. In relation to the Royal Law of “love your neighbour as you love yourself”, he was stating that the tongue cannot both praise God and curse a person because, as we know, if we say we love God and hate a neighbour we are a liar. Bitter and pure water cannot come from the same source. So look deeper.

The real focus of James’ letter is about the purity of the source of all our words and actions. In a portion where he is calling people back to faithfulness, he states that Father longs for our faithfulness and then he tells us how to correct the source of our words and actions:

“Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Cry out in sorrow, mourn, and weep! Let your laughter become mourning and your joy become sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:8-10)

The letter is not about trying harder to be righteous. It is not about our effort at all. It is about relationships. Basically, hang out with Jesus and he will rub off on you. The things of which James writes is as powerless as the Law if the source is not found in our humble relationship with Jesus. Come near to God and he will come near to you. The fact is he is always near but we are not aware of him unless we are looking for him.

Motivation is not the key. You might have the right motive, to do good, but using the methods of the world and not the methods of the Kingdom found in our relationship with Jesus, and all that it will produce is bitter water. Motivation does not change the source. Only an intimate daily relationship with Jesus will make sure that it is pure water that flows from our words and actions. The only one who can do anything about you is you. And the thing you must do is draw near to God.