The Heart Attitude

James 1:16-25

When the Bible was written, there were no chapter or verse divisions. Those were added to make it easier to find our place. Without them, finding a particular verse is like finding a home in an area which has no system of addressing homes. One just hunts until he stumbles on it. Unfortunately, we tend to overemphasize the divisions, and isolate verses and chapters, forgetting that scripture was given as a story, each part building on and supported by what has gone before. Like a block wall, removing the mortar that binds the blocks together weakens the wall, and leaving out or removing blocks makes it even weaker. Only when the mortar binds them firmly in place does the wall attain maximum strength.

The same is true in the study of scripture. Separating a verse from it’s context weakens our scriptural stance, and ultimately, our doctrine. Words like wherefore and therefore highlight the dependence of what follows on what has been said before. The preceding statements are the basis for what is about to be stated. James 1:16-18 emphasizes the goodness of God. He will never act solely in his own interest, nor will he be cruel or vindictive. His goodness to us is purely a result of his decision, not of some action by us.

“Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:16-18)

A child who understands how much his parents love him will go through painful and frightening events, and do jobs he doesn’t see the value of because he knows they wouldn’t deliberately hurt him. If we have a similar understanding and faith in God, it will change our attitude and behavior. We will be more ready to heed what God says, rather than losing our temper because something didn’t turn out the way we expected or someone did something we didn’t like. Our anger and quick response doesn’t result in Godly behavior, or results. Other people are hurt, and the work is hampered .

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20)

The quick anger indicates an unspiritual state, and leads to anger on the part of others as well as sin in the life of the angry person, according to Proverbs 29:22. "An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.” Realizing God’s goodness and love removes any justification for anger if we believe in him. It also precludes deliberate disobedience(iniquity). While we will occasionally sin, sin will not typify our lifestyle. It is this sense of commit that I John 3:9 refers to, saying, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” The Holy Spirit will not permit an attitude of ongoing and deliberate sin.

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)

Recognizing God’s holiness and his intent for our good, we can surrender our will to his, trusting him. That does not mean we passively wait for him to produce results. We must actively obey what he has directed.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (James 1:22-24)

As James tells us in James 2:17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Just knowing your hair is messed up doesn’t accomplish anything, You have to comb or brush it to change anything. Reading the Bible doesn’t do much until action is taken. God will bless the person who obeys him, because he has acted on what he heard.

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:25)
Based on this and similar statements it is easy to judge people based on their actions. Jesus used trees to help us understand the concept better in Matthew 7:18-20. “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” All trees produce leaves, provide shade, and produce wood and break carbon dioxide down to release oxygen. These are the works the tree does. The fruit is what it produces because it is a particular type of tree. The works and the fruit are not the same.

A person can do a lot of religious activity, but the whether he knows the Lord or not will show up in the attitude behind his works. If it is just what he has to do, for example, and he resents it, he is just going through the motions.

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:26-27)
There should be a real concern for others, and a sincere desire to do right, not merely a mechanical avoidance of certain wrongs. The attitude is the key to identifying the reality. The Jews, like many people today, placed most of their emphasis on the actions, and neglected the heart attitude, yet the heart attitude is more important than the actions. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” In Luke 6:45, Jesus stated, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”