Weekly Sermon

This message is a companion to a previous message:  If Ye Fulfill the Royal Law (Part 1) - James 2:8
 
James 2:8 reads, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well.” 
 
In James 2:8 we find the commendation of the Lord our God Himself in His Holy Word unto all who fulfill His royal law.  Herein the law of the Lord our God is described as His royal law because He is the divine Lord and King of our lives.  Indeed, this reveals that we believers in this time of the New Testament do have the responsibility to serve under our Lord’s authority and to submit ourselves in obedience under the authority of law for our lives.  Furthermore, we have the responsibility to fulfill our Lord’s royal law, that is – to obey it completely and consistently.  Finally, we are brought to understand that we must fulfill our Lord’s royal law over our lives in accord with the Old Testament Scripture from Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  If we do this, then the Lord our God through His Holy Word by the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit commends us with the declaration, “Ye do well.”  If we do this, then in our Lord’s sight we are walking in the way of righteousness.
 
So then, what does it mean to love our neighbor as ourselves?  In Leviticus 19:17-18 this instruction was first given, wherein God’s word declares, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”  Then throughout the New Testament, this instruction of our God’s law was quoted by our Lord Jesus Christ on two occasion in Matthew 19:19 & 22:39 (with Mark 12:31 being a parallel passage to Matthew 22:39), by the apostle Paul on two further occasions in Romans 13:9 & Galatians 5:14, and by James in James 2:8.  Even so, through a study of these and of some supporting passages, we may develop a greater understanding concerning what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Already in the first part of the study, we considered two truths concerning this matter, as follows:

1.  To love our neighbor as ourselves is the foundational principle of God’s law in relation to others.  
2.  To love our neighbor as ourselves is a debt that we constantly owe unto those around us.  

Now, in this second part of the study, let us consider four additional truths.

Weekly Sermon

James 1:19 reads, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

As we have previously noted, the word “wherefore” with which James 1:19 begins indicates that the instructions of this verse are connected to and flow out from some truth in the previous paragraph (verses 12-18).  Even so, we have concluded that this connection is with the truth of verse 14.  This connection is with the truth that the cause of sinful temptation in our lives is the selfish desires of our own corrupt hearts.  The principle of selfishness is a natural characteristic of our hearts; and that principle of selfishness often corrupts our thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions.  This is especially true in our relationships with others.  For this very reason, the three-fold exhortation of verse 19 is delivered in quick succession in order to reveal our need to deny our selves and our selfishness in our relationship with others.  In our selfishness, it is natural for us to be slow to hear the opinions and concerns of others.  In our selfishness, it is natural for us to be swift to speak our own opinions and concerns to others.  In our selfishness, it is natural for us to be swift to wrath when things do not go our way.  Thus we are exhorted to deny our selfishness by being “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” 

Grammatically, James 1:19 begins with a loving address from a pastor’s heart -- “Wherefore, my beloved brethren.”  James employed this loving address both to obtain the attention of his readers for his exhortation and to open the hearts of his readers unto his exhortation.  Thereby he expressed his pastoral love for them as brethren in Christ and his pastoral burden for them concerning their growth in righteousness.  Then verse 19 continues with a three-fold exhortation for right relations -- “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”  Finally, verse 20 concludes with a Biblical explanation concerning selfish wrath -- “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”  In this message we shall focus our attention upon the three-fold exhortation for right relations.

 Weekly Sermon

Psalm 119:9-16 reads, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed thereto according to thy word.  With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.  With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.  I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.  I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.”

In the opening portion of verse 9, the psalmist expressed the spiritual concern and burden of his heart with the question, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?” He desired to know how he himself, as a young man of God, might have his way cleansed and might continue in the cleansed way.  In the closing portion of verse 9, the answer of God’s Word is delivered – “By taking heed thereto according to thy [God’s] word.”  Through this principle we lean that we may have our way cleansed and may continue in the cleansed way by taking heed to conform our way in accord with the standard of God’s Word.  We must give our attention and our obedience to the Word of God.  Certainly this will require commitment on our part.  It will not just happen.  We must specifically prepare ourselves and commit ourselves every day to the task.  

So then, what is involved in the commitment to take heed unto our way in accord with God’s Word? Throughout Psalm 119:10-16 the psalmist, this young man of God, presented eight points of commitment that he had made in this matter.  Through his example we learn what is involved in the commitment to take heed according to God’s Word.  Now, the eight points of commitment that the psalmist made may be divided grammatically into two parts.  The psalmist’s first four commitments he presented in the past tense as those commitments that he had already done.  In them we find our responsibility to apply ourselves unto God’s Word.  We must apply ourselves to make our Lord and His Word the governing priority and principle of our hearts.  The psalmist’s second four commitments he presented in the future tense as those commitments that he intended to do.  In them we find our responsibility to apply God’s Word unto ourselves.  We must apply the truth of God’s Word to our daily living so that our daily purposes and pursuits are conformed thereto.

In this first part of the message, let us consider the first four commitments of the psalmist and our responsibility to apply ourselves unto God’s Word.

Proverbs for Life

Proverbs 21:1 – “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

The Wisdom or Foolishness of the Ruler
The Success or Destruction of the Ruler
The Favor or Wrath of the Ruler

Weekly Sermon

Proverbs 31:28-31 – “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.  Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

Thought for Meditation

You may have an outward form of godliness,
whereby you think yourself to be righteous before the Lord;
yet your selfishly unbridled and biting communication gives you away,
outwardly revealing that you are carnal and ungodly in character.
Indeed, to be truly righteous before the Lord,
you must repent with a broken and contrite heart 
of that selfishly unbridled and biting communication.

Proverbs for Life

This is a companion post to a previous post:  The Proverbs & Our Love (Part 1)    

The book of the Proverbs presents a number of truths concerning that upon which we should or should not set our love, and concerning the manner in which we are to love.  In this second part of the study, let us consider the manner in which we should demonstrate our love.

Proverbs for Life

The book of the Proverbs presents a number of truths concerning that upon which we should or should not set our love, and concerning the manner in which we are to love.  In this first part of the study, let us consider that upon which we should, or should not, set our love.

Proverbs for Life

Proverbs 25:8 – “Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.”

A proverbial statement might be defined as a short, meaningful saying that expresses a significant, substantial truth for life.  In the book of the Proverbs, a proverb is often constructed with two lines, presenting a comparison or contrast.  However, Proverbs 25:8 is not contrasted in this fashion.  Rather, Proverbs 25:8 presents a state-ment of warning concerning hastiness to engage in conflict.  This warning is constructed with three consecutive lines.

Proverbs for Life

Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

A proverbial statement might be defined as a short, meaningful saying that expresses a significant, substantial truth for life.  In the book of the Proverbs, a proverb is often constructed with two lines, presenting a comparison or contrast.  Proverbs 25:11 presents a truth of comparison.  Indeed, an appropriate word is as beautiful and blessed as golden apples displayed in adornments of silver.

Proverbs for Life

Proverbs 11:11 – “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”

A proverbial statement might be defined as a short, meaningful saying that expresses a significant, substantial truth for life.  In the book of the Proverbs, a proverb is often constructed with two lines, presenting a comparison or contrast.  Proverbs 11:11 presents a truth of contrast.  Whereas the blessed communication of the upright cause a city to be exalted, the grievous communication of the wicked cause a city to be overthrown.

Proverbs for Life

Proverbs 28:4 – “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.”

In the book of the Proverbs, a proverb is often presented in two lines, presenting a comparison or contrast.  Proverbs 28:4 presents a truth of contrast.  Whereas those who forsake the righteousness law of God’s Holy Word will endorse the wicked, those who keep the righteous law of God’s Holy Word will contend with the wicked.

Proverbs for Life

Proverbs 15:28 – “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.”

In the book of the Proverbs, a proverb is often presented in two lines, presenting a comparison or contrast.  Proverbs 15:28 presents a truth of contrast.  Whereas the righteous will study a matter carefully before answering, the wicked will spew out evil words carelessly in abundance.