What Is The Difference Between being Religious And Having Faith?

Today I continue with the last entry in Jame’s first chapter.  Where he writes of looking at ourselves in the mirror; but not truly seeing what, and who, we actually are.

22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. ²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; ²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.

I don’t know about you,but it seems interesting to me that the subject of looking in the mirror is thrown into a conversation about doing — being faithful — to God’s word.  

Whenever I find an unlikely point, being made, in the middle of a passage; it is my clue to ask why.  Why this point is being made. What is the reason? 

It is something like telling a parable in the middle of a conversation.  And no one gets it.

I am tempted to say, without any exegesis, that is James is aiming our misguided opinion of ourselves.  

That is, thinking of ourselves as good, and nice, and a “religious” person.  By patting ourselves on the back for following all the rules and expectations of “the church.” 

            Not following God.  

                                         But he Institutional Church!

26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.(James 1) 

I think we could compare it to the proud Pharisees of Jesus’ day.  Who followed all of the ancient rules and traditions of the Jewish faith; and yet were not very nice/good people according to God's will. 

Jesus told this parable about such things: 

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” ¹³But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’ (Lk. 18)

Maybe James is making the same point, as Jesus, in this conversation about  what we see in the mirror; and then not living faithful to God’s Word.  

That is, we can look good to ourselves and others on the outside.  But its not  who we truly are on the inside where no one else can see.

This is where I put the idea of being “religious” into any discussion about how we live as God’s people in an ungodly world.

Because, being “religious” can be, and often is, quite different from living by, and in, faith.

That is living, doing, speaking and praying to God; for God's will to be done through us.  

God, is our only true north when it comes to walking through our days trying to live as God would have us live. 

Jesus called those who just follow all the rules hypocrites.  

Again, just my humble opinion!

What Is It We Are Suppose To Do?

22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. ²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; ²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.

26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.(James 1)

James ends chapter one with three of interesting issues that catch my mind this morning.

One is the doing of faith.  That is living one’s faith by caring for others and the environment.  Or some as some would say, loving others and the creation God created us to live live in.

Another is the mirror analogy —  what we see in our own reflection.  

Another is the issue of “religion.”  Did you notice he didn’t use faith?  

“Doing,” personal image, and “religion” get all mushed up together in these two short paragraphs.  

Hum!  

For today I will think about the “doing” of the word.  Which is: 

care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

At the very beginning of creation God gives us charge over all that has been made.  Often people interpret that as control/authority over.  

The word used in Genesis is “dominion over.”

Dominion is defined as “supreme power or authority.”  In the Greek and Hebrew it, in many ways, supports the idea of power and control over humans, creatures and the earth.

However if we take the invitation to "have dominion" to its depths, what I believe was, God’s original invitation; we would have to remember that since we are made in God’s image; we are then being asked to take care of all that God made.  As God would.

To push a bit further.  Since God made everything “very good,” then we also should respond in kind.  And live, and do, in very good ways.  Treating nature with great care.  And treating others with respect, kindness and compassion.

One problem with that direction is that then we need to define what God meant by “very good.”

And so I will take on the challenge.  

The Old Testament Commandments are fairly clear on this subject, even for our  human logic to digest.  Ten rules easily understood.  

The first one being love God.  Believe in God first of all., Honor God with our hearts and our mouths and our actions..

Then:

Respect our parents.

             Don’t murder/harm others.

                 Be faithful to God and others.

            Don’t covet or steal what is not yours.

All fairly clear, and to the point, requests.

Jesus makes all of those rules a bit more simple:  Love God.  Love your neighbor as you would love yourself.

  22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

It would be wise to live our lives attending to other’s needs as we would our own

As far as keeping oneself  unstained by the world.  I will leave that one for you to figure out(;

I will leave you with this:  A very wise teacher once said that sometimes it is not what we do but what we need to stop doing.

Just something to think about as you move through the day.

"Be Slow To Anger?"

19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to anger; slow to anger; ²⁰for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. ²¹Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

Lets all be perfectly honest with ourselves.  What James is suggesting is probably fairly impossible for the human ego to even consider digesting.  

Right?   

And, as a matter of fact, it has been proven to be emotionally and physically unhealthy — dangerous — to stuff our anger.  

What I would rather James had said, is that we must find better ways to express feelings of frustration, disappointment and/or outrage.  By finding ways that are not hurtful and damaging to the one the anger is aimed at.

The truth is, we all, at least most of us, get pretty ticked off at someone, or something, from time to time.  Right?

And if we stuff that anger -- never express it.  It often leads to unkind behavior later down the road.  Behavior that  shows-up in of belated anger.  Anger which  often seems to be an over reaction that doesn’t fit the present circumstance.

What I am so clumsily trying to say is that anger is real feeling which needs an outlet. And the best way to get anger out is by talking about it in a calm and honest way.

Easier said than done.

I do this talking later.  After a period of calming of myself; when I can be more  reasonable and less reactive. Usually the next day, or so, when I will not be so hateful and disrespectful (sordidness and rank growth of wickedness,) to the person I need to talk to.  

Most always this conversation is possible only after a lot — al lot — of communication with God.  

God does an amazing job of giving my mind perspective. 

He helps me to arrange my words, and thoughts, in a manner that is more gentle and graceful.

…the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.   I call that the work of the Holy Spirit. 

James is correct in saying: 

²⁰for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.

Anger that is reacted to is what does not honor God’s request for us to love one another as we would love ourselves.

And I do not think there is anyone on this earth that enjoys being reacted to an angry ways.

Just my opinion of course.