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Printer Friendly Version “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, James 1:26 The passage above is taken from the New Testament book of James. The New Testament book of James is written to the Christian church, and therefore this passage is addressed to Christians. If you consider yourself to be a Christian then this passage is addressed to you. But more specifically, this passage of James is addressed to those who claim to be Christians but cannot “bridle” (control) their tongues. It is written to those who curse, use foul language, tell dirty jokes, gossip, slander and do other such things with their mouths in a consistent manner and yet claim to be the children of God. But the scriptures are explicit; those who undergo the New Birth (John 3:1-21), those who become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:2-4), undergo a moral transformation that radically alters the very way that they think, what they do and even the things that they say. First, you have deceived your “own heart” and second, your “religion is useless”! But rather than being offended by these words I would beg you to humble yourself, pause before your maker and consider these things for just a moment. First of all, how do such people deceive their own hearts? In two ways according to the text; First, they think they are religious. Secondly, they think their religion is useful. Such a person’s “religion” is not true religion and neither can it accomplish any good. They deceive their hearts by commending themselves for their practice of “religion” and then convince themselves that these “religious” things they have done (such as going to church, being baptized, taking communion, giving of their finances, etc.) are able to do them some good and even save their souls! But James says that such religion is merely an illusion with no substance to it. Secondly, James says that their religion is “useless”. But what does he mean by “useless”? This word was used of idolatry and false religion. It literally means vain, empty, unprofitable, corrupt, perverted and ineffectual. Such religion is impotent, it cannot produce any good effect, it is powerless to save the practitioner and the only effect it really has is to bind those that practice it tighter in their deception. Such religion is like a house built on the sand. It looks like it will shelter them from the storm of God’s judgment but it will only fall upon them, and thus add to their misery. If you are telling yourself that your religion is useful even though you can’t bridle your tongue, then in effect you are saying that this verse is not true and God is mistaken. You are contradicting and quarreling with God and that is a foolish endeavor indeed! “woe to the one who quarrels with his maker..” (Isaiah 45:9). Others have said, “But they are only words, words that men have made up, words are not sinful”. But what did Jesus say? “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36, 37) Could it be said any clearer? Many will be damned forever based upon the words they used! Will you glibly contradict such a clear statement of scripture and say “they are only words, no big deal”? “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can understand it?”(Jeremiah 17:9). Has your heart told you that your “religion” is good and useful, even though you cannot “bridle” your tongue? Then do not listen to it “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool....” (Proverbs 28:26) You are in desperate need of a new heart and only the Lord can create such a thing. “Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7) “....And I will put a new spirit within them, and take away the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 11:19) You must have a new heart! Your old heart of stone must be removed and you must be born again (John 3:1-8), this time with a heart of flesh. Only Almighty God could perform such a surgery. Cry out to Him, call upon His name! Repent of the wickedness of your heart, repent of trusting in lies, repent of blaspheming God with your mouth, repent of not using it for its created purpose and turn to Jesus Christ as the only one able to save you from your sins. Turn to Jesus Christ for there is no “salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Psalm 50 tells us about a mistake of long ago that many in our own day continue to make. It speaks of people who claim to be God’s children (they take God’s covenant in their mouths verse 16) but at the same time they live in disobedience to Him, love sin and misuse their mouths (verses 17-20). And because God keeps silent and graciously does not judge them immediately they mistakenly think that God is just like them and winks at their sin (verse 21). Dear reader, please do not make this same grave mistake; God threatens terrible things against such people (verse 22)! Do not think that God accepts you and your foul mouth simply because your conscience does not bother you. You cannot willfully break God’s law with your mouth and expect to escape God’s punishment of lawbreakers! Your mouth is filthy because your heart is yet filthy, they both need to cleansed from sin and only Jesus Christ can clean them. He alone can wash you from your sins, “in His own blood.” (Revelation 1:5) He alone can give you the new heart that will change the very words of your mouth. And He alone can make you into a new creation with a new mouth. (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jonathan Bunnett Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
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