Bona Fide
A study of James
Part 8
“Stupid is as stupid does”
Many times in the movie Forrest Gump
Forest played by Tom Hanks
Is asked the question
Are you stupid or something?
And
Each and every time he is asked this question
His reply is Stupid is as stupid does
What this means is that a person’s actual IQ has little to do with common sense
And that a person’s actions, words and love will show them for what and who they really are
You see we are identified by how we act.
This brings us back to our study of James this morning
James has been laying out strong life principals for us
To show us good and smart guidelines for living a good and genuine Christian life
We have called that Bona Fide
In his book
James has drawn dots for us that when connected help us with our actions
Our words
Our thoughts
And help us spread the light of Jesus to the word by each of these methods
Let me recap last week’s teaching in order to tie this week’s right on in
The focus of last week’s message was controlling or taming our tongue
James 1: 26 was the basis for that teaching
James 1:26
“ If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.”
Last week should have been a real eye opener for all of us
We saw how James says
That our words
Our Actions
Our compassion and our love are the true indicators of being a Bona Fide Believer
We saw how words can and do hurt others and even discussed some ways that we have been hurt by words as well
Loving words should come from a growing relationship with Christ
Harmful words don’t come from him
----Pause-----
So we come full circle once again
In our Study of James
We keep back tracking and picking up pieces of the puzzle that were laid down in the prior weeks
Why?
Because it all ties together
Learning to overcome temptations and trials with joy
Learning to trust in God for everything and rely on him alone, unwavering in our love and dedication for him
Dealing with our own hearts and our own desires and temptations
Honestly
Using the mirror of scripture
And
Making changes where they are needed
And then putting feet to our faith
Doing what the word says
These are all steps to becoming more like Christ
These are all steps towards becoming Bona Fide
And they all connect to form a picture
And when connected properly
That
Should look like Christ’ picture
---Pause----
James picks up from his introduction to taming the tongue
With verse 27
James 1:27
“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”
Pure and genuine
Real
Bona Fide religion he says
Is putting feet to our faith
Action to our words
Look at verse 27b with me
“Caring for orphans and widows in their distress”
Acting on our faith
James was writing to believers in a time when there was no kind of aid for a family who lost their father or husband
The woman and kids would be left to fend for themselves
Often selling themselves into slavery or prostitution
Or simply living on the streets
Getting by ever how they could
The religious establishment had washed their hands of the whole deal
Thinking
What can they add to the church?
James says
If you want to be different
If you want to stand out
If you want to set yourself apart
From the old established religion
And focus on a relationship with God
--- Pause---
When you see something like that
---Pause---
Do something!
This verse has great application for us as well
As a church or personally as a believer
As a church we support missions and we should- I pray we can add even more missions to our list of support in the years to come
We support a local ministry that gives food and clothing to those in need and we should
We are always available for prayer and counseling
And when we are presented with a need- a real-- need we will act
In a way that best helps in the situation
But
We also have that responsibility as believers
To act
Pray about how you can help someone
Pray that God would put people in your path
And that you through his wisdom
Could help them find solutions to the problems
I can tell you this
The answers are in here we simply need to unlock the answers by applying the word to our lives
Or better to our actions
Verse 27c
“And refusing to let the world corrupt you.”
Listen
We all know many organizations that help the needy that are not Christian organizations
In no way will I minimize the importance of the work they do for humanity
But they are only reading half of James 1:27
James says
Bona Fide religion
Real religion
Is helping those in need
And
Refusing to let the world corrupt you
What does that mean?
Back to our earlier study of James
It means not being lured away by our own desires and temptations
It means not relying on our own strength to overcome
To means not being blown by the wind and going the way of the world
Not hurting people with our words
And not fooling ourselves by trying to rationalize our bad behavior or lack of action
It means simply
Striving to look like Christ
James moves almost effortlessly from his teaching on controlling our tongues
To acting on our faith
To standing firm in our faith
And he introduces a new teaching
This is where the stupid is as stupid does from Forrest Gump begins making real sense
James 2:1-13
My dear brothers and sisters,[a] how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting[b] dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name[c] you bear?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[d] 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”[e] So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
Let me give you the context of this teaching first
Then we can apply it to our lives
In the day of this writing
Money and people with money were given a place of honor
As a result
When a wealthy person came to church
Some
In a desire to win the favor of
And the pocket book of that person
Would give them special treatment
Places of honor
This happens in our day as well
But
When a poor person came in
They were snubbed
Treated differently
This also happens today as well
It is called prejudice
I looked up the word prejudice in the dictionary and several definitions came up
But
I like the first one best
1.
preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
A preconceived opinion that is not based on reason
Or actual experience
When we think of prejudice
We often see the images that are so common on TV today
Race riots
Marches
Outspoken politicians and civil leaders claiming some type of wrong doing or another
All the while promoting
Hate
And violence
We need to look at prejudice
Not from the lens of a TV camera
Not from the pages of a news paper
But instead we need to look at
The prejudice of ourselves
And of our Church
From the mirror of scripture
Look back at James 2:1 with me
“My dear brothers and sisters,[a] how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?”
Once again Notice James says
My dear brothers and sisters
He is talking to believers in Christ
He is addressing those who have placed their faith in Jesus for salvation
Those who are striving to become Bona Fide
But living Counterfeit
Stupid is as stupid does Forrest says
How can we say we have the love of Christ in us and show hate in the form of prejudice
Or racism?
The Apostle John Cuts right to the chase in 1 John 4:8
“8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
How can we say we love God?
How can we say we love our neighbors as God Commanded?
And then treat them differently because of skin color
Or nationality or the language they speak
Or the way they dress or look
Or even smell
When we favor some people over others
We are not
Listen to me
Not
Showing the love of Christ
Let me remind you about that love
The bible says
While we were still sinners
Christ died for us
This means while we were still an enemy of God
While we were still selfish and self centered
While we were still wallowing in unrighteousness
While we were still in darkness
Jesus loved us
Jesus loved us
You and I
Enough
To make a way out for us
He did not reject you
For how you thought
Or acted
Or looked
Or smelled
He did not reject you for any of the things that we and the world often reject others for
He did not see the color of your skin
Or your political affiliations
Or your economic status
He loved you
And he saved you
And the love he gave and the salvation he delivered
Prompted a change in you
And you became
A new creation
Freed
From your life of sin
Listen
There is no place in a Christian’s heart words or actions
For favoritism prejudice
Racism
It is wrong
Why is it wrong you may ask?
How is it wrong preacher?
It is inconsistent with the teaching of Jesus
Jesus accepted all who came
The sick and injured
The gentile and the Jew
Men women and kids from all walks of life
In all sorts of situations and circumstances
Let’s get real this morning
Prejudice does not come from Jesus
It does not come from the bible
It comes from our own evil thoughts and desires
It is selfish and self centered
It is wrong because
It insults the people who were created in the very image of God
God’s word says we were created in his image
Male and female he created us
In his image
No distinction is made to color or race
No mention of money or things
When we are prejudice against people we are prejudice against the God who created them in his image
It is wrong because
It goes against every teaching in God’s word about what love is
From 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
The chapter on love
Paul says
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Love is patient and kind – prejudice is not
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude- Prejudice is guilty of all of those
Love is does not demand its own way—one of the very roots of favoritism
Love is not irritable- Hatred identifies those who are prejudice
Love keeps no record of being wronged—Racism and prejudice is nearly always surrounded by feelings of being wronged
Love does not rejoice about injustice and rejoices when truth wins out—can we say the same for favoritism?
Love never gives up
Never loses faith
Is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance
Prejudice- favoritism- racism is the opposite of love
And
And it is Sin
Listen to me
On top of everything else I just listed
It is a sin
James 2:8-9
“ Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[d] 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.”
Verses 10-11
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”[e] So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
Verses 12-13
So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
James is teaching us
One dot at a time
How to be the believers that please God
How to live true Bona Fide believers
He is showing us ho to let the life of Jesus flow from our very beings
I pray
That we will pay attention
That we will listen and read
And apply God’s word top our lives
And that by doing so
We will begin going though the changes that please our Lord
I pray as we continue our Study of James
That God will use these words to
Produce
Bona Fide Believers
Those who think like Jesus
Act like Jesus
And most importantly love like Jesus
Close from the heart
Pray
