Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
March 17, 2002 PM
Responding To God's Love Through The Word
Reading - James 1.19-27
This morning, we examined the LOVE of God as demonstrated at the CROSS. Tonight, we want to see how we should respond to His love... mercy... and grace through the WORD.
James says... Looking into the Word of God is like looking into a mirror. We see ourselves as we are. And we see ourselves as God would have us be. The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, the perfect law of liberty, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
Note with me three things in introduction.
First... God's Word is law. Big argument in the church today--Is the New Testament a book of law... Or a love letter from God. I believe the answer is... It is both. No one in his right mind would deny that the Word of God is a love letter... Good news for mankind. But, make no mistake about it, His will contains rules and regulations on how we ought to live in order to be the people and person He would have us be.
- We noted this morning that Jesus said... If you love Me, you will keep My (WHAT?) Commandments... Laws... Rules.
-James says... The word of God is both law and grace.
-Galatians 6.2 reads...Bear each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
-Paul writes in Romans 8.2...Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free, from the law of sin and death.
Indeed... God's Word contains both love... and law.
Secondly... Not only is God's Word law... It is the perfect law. The Greek word translated perfect here is telos (TEL' EIOS). It means MATURE... COMPLETE... FINAL... PERFECT. The Bible is God's PERFECT... TOTAL... and FINAL revelation to mankind. Satisfying our every spiritual need... All Scripture is inspired of God, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Thirdly... God's word is not only perfect... It is the law of liberty... of freedom. The words LAW and LIBERTY... LAW and FREEDOM may appear to be contradictory, but real liberty...genuine freedom comes only when there are laws that give and protect that freedom. Jesus said... You shall know the truth... and the truth shall set you free.
The question becomes then... Has God's word... His perfect law of liberty... set us free? That depends upon how we respond as we gaze into the mirror... into the Word. OK - How are we to respond to the love of God expressed in His Word?
First... It's possible to say... FORGET HIS LOVE AND WORD... I'LL LIVE AS I WANT. You see... It's possible to come here every Sunday saying... I believe in Jesus... I love Jesus... and still not have our lives changed by the Word of God... RIGHT?
- We can sing the songs...
- Partake of the communion...
- Give generously...
- Listen attentively to the lesson...
And still go home and live like we want to live... Just forget about what we have heard. We never allow the Word of God to penetrate... to impacts our lives. This happens every Sunday to thousands of church goers.
Folk... Do we recognize what's going on at this time in our worship?... DO WE? Some come to church to judge the sermon. Did he do good, did he do bad, or just mediocre? What is being judged here is not my sermon... not our clothes... or how we behave in services. What is being judged here is your heart... and mine... as we look into the mirror of His Word. Is it possible that some of us are Hearers of the Word... but never become doers.
Secondly... We can allow His Word and love to just make us RELIGIOUS. These people look into the Word of God... Make a few superficial changes... But never really live a cruciformed life... Never have a genuine relationship with Him. They never really give their heart to God. They never become His instrument... His living sacrifice.
Do you know what seemed to be the greatest enemy of Jesus during His personal ministry?
- It was religious folk...
- Those who knew all the rules...
- Those who understood the Law of Moses perfectly...
- Those who understood all the parameters...
But they didn't know God.
- In fact, God walked down their street... and they didn't recognize Him.
- God called them and they rejected Him.
- God challenged them and they killed Him.
Allow me to read a couple of scriptures about this kind of individual. First from Matthew seven...
Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Then from Matthew 23...
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees... Hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.... You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel... You clean the outside of the cup... But inside it are full of greed and self-indulgence.... First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.... You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones... In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
The problem here is religion without obedience. Church... It is not enough to know the truth... We must allow it to set us free by loving God enough to obey Him... COMPLETELY!!... COMPLETELY!!
It's not enough to just make some superficial changes...
- We must surrender our hearts to God.
- We must crucify the old man of sin and be raised to LIVE A NEW LIFE.
- We must become INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS... LIVING SACRIFICES.
- We must become DOERS OF THE WORD NOT HEARERS ONLY.
You see... These who Jesus is describing have gotten good at looking good.
- People see how they pray...
- How they give...
- How they fast...
And say... My... YOU are religious. Jesus said... Really they just appear to be righteous... But on the inside are full of hypocrisy.
What we should do is cultivate a relationship with God through the word.
James says... We must look into the perfect law of freedom. Not forgetting what we have heard... But doing it... And we will be blessed in what we do.
James appears to be echoing David in Psalms one... Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Church... What are we going to see if we keep our focus in this book?
- Are we going to see the dos and don'ts of this book?... You bet!
- Are we going to see the laws... The rules and regulations to live by?... Absolutely!
But what we will see in the long term is the face of God.
Scripture is more than JUST a revelation of the will of God. It is a revelation of the character of God. Looking into the Word of God should help us see and develop the heart of Jesus.
- We'll begin to think like Jesus.
- We'll begin to talk like Jesus.
- We'll begin to act like Jesus.
When it came to the Word of God... How did Jesus think?... Father, not my will but Thine be done.
How should we talk?... Look at verse 26 of our text... If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
How should we act?... That's in verse 27... Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
As we close the lesson, let's try to determine just where we are tonight by asking some thought- provoking questions. ARE YOU READY??
Does God's word make any real difference in our lives? Or will we go home, forget the lesson... and live like we want to? The choice is ours. In fact it is our choice very Sunday.
Is our religion more rules than relationship? Yes there are rules... God's Word is law. But the purpose of this law is to bring us into a relationship with Him. We must not get so caught up in rules that we forget that salvation is in a genuine relationship with God and with one another... Not just in rule keeping. You see, we can keep all the rules and still not have a relationship with God... RIGHT?
What motivates us most? Are we motivated by...
- The fear of punishment?
- God's promise of reward?
- Or because we love Him?
Fear of punishment... and the promise of reward are proper motivations. But in the long run they will not sustain us... Love will. Paul says... The love of God compels us... constrains us. My prayer is that God's love is compelling and constraining you.
What is our attitude toward sin... How do we deal with sin? Are we willing to acknowledge and confess our sins to God? Are we willing to repent of our sins? Are we genuinely trying to eliminate sin from our life?... Or are we just interested in hiding them from others? You see, a relationship with God is determined by what we are when nobody else is around.
Then finally... Is our religion more got to or get to?
- Do I have to come to church on Sunday night?
- Do I have to love my neighbor?
- Do I have to find a ministry... A place in the church to work?
- Do I have to teach a Bible class?... Serve as an Elder?... Deacon?... etc... etc?...
- Just tell me preacher... Tell me what I MUST do to be saved... and I'll do it.
Wow... What a terrible way to live.
Here is the way it ought to be...
Have Thine own way Lord... Have Thine own way
Thou art the potter... I am the clay.
Mold me and make me... After They will.
While I am waiting... Yielded and still.
The Word of God is like a mirror. It gives us a picture of what we are, and what God wants us to be. God is calling some in this audience to become His child by faith, repentance and baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins. He is calling some of us to let go of superficial hypocritical religion and have a genuine Father-son relationship with Him.
What will we do?...
- Forget it... Go home and live as we want?
- Just make a few superficial changes in order to look good before others.
- Or say, HAVE THINE OWN WAY LORD... MAKE ME YOUR CHILD.
The invitation is yours as we stand and sing... WILL YOU COME!!
