Shabbat Shalom, everyone. This ministry meeting today, we continue to speak from the letter that Yaakov, that is James, wrote to the early Hebrew believers of first century who were scattered abroad. We have covered so far, up to this point of time, the first twelve verses, where we concluded that those testings that God have allowed these brethren to go through would bring them into a promise of rewards. At the end of verse 12, Yaakov said to them, "Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive a crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love him." Today, the promise of that crown of life that had been promised to these Hebrew believers in Yeshua the Messiah.

Well now, we continue in James, Yaakov, chapter 1, verses 13 to verse 27, to deal with another need that these brethren needed to learn. And so we read, in verse 13 of James, Yaakov, chapter 1, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed, then when lust has conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of light, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Of his own will beget he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind or first fruit of his creature. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of men worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own self: 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. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he be not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work: this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles 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. I'm going to end here with the reading of James, Yaakov, chapter 1, verses 13 to 27.

This portion is an extremely important portion, because right now, what Yaakov is doing, he is really shifting from testing, temptation in a sense of testing that God allows us to experience in our life, to temptation that comes to the life of the believer, when he or she want to, in a sense, get out of the problem, or the test in which the Lord has allowed them to go through. So, for example, when one is under pressure of being tested, there is the inclination now to try to avoid the test, and try to find a way of escape. So, that is an opportunity now that the flesh, the old nature, which Satan, the one who is beguiling men, uses in order to cause us to seek to avoid the testing that God allows us to experience in our lives.

So, from here on, we find ourselves now hearing what Yaakov said to these Hebrew believers. Now, remember, brothers and sisters, again, I would like to remind you that here is Yaakov writing very early in the church age. Really, the first book, the first letter that was sent to early believers was sent by Yaakov to Jewish believers, Hebrew, the Jewish Jewish people, Meshechim, who were scattered abroad. They were part of all the twelve tribes of our people of Israel. Beginning from Reuven, the first tribe, the first son of Jacob, all the way to the last one, Binyamin, the youngest one. From all those twelve tribes, many became believers in Yeshua, the Messiah.

They were scattered abroad. Many of them were beyond Jerusalem, beyond Samaria, Judea and Samaria, all the way to the uttermost part of the earth, you might say. And they have experienced trials, tribulations, and difficulties in their life. So, James is writing to them in order to encourage them. And it's so beautiful here. Now we find out. I want you to notice in verses 13 to 27, teach us a very important lesson. And I want you to notice those few points that James is pointing out to these brethren. So, notice this now, what happened. From verses 13 to 15, really James pointing out where temptation come from. And then verses 16 and 17, James is pointing to where does good come from.

And then in verse 18, he's showing to them where God brought every one of the people whom he has chosen. To where God brought each and every believer in Yeshua, the Messiah. Then in verses 19 to 27, James here shows us that God is going to test his own people through his word, through God's word. And so verses 19, 20, and 21, what is the ministry of God's word? Verses 22 to 25, believers need to practice God's word. And then finally, verses 26 to 27, believers need to hear and to share with others God's word. And so let's look at those verses systematically, verse by verse. And so beginning with verses 13, 14, and 15 of Yaakov chapter 1, James chapter 1, where temptation comes from.

Notice verse 13. Notice verse 13. We read, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." It is very important to understand this. God never tempt men in order for men to fall. That word for tempted is the Greek, p-e-i-r-a-z-o, p-e-i-r-a-z-o, to solicit one to sin. Well, God never solicit anyone to sin. God actually tests us. In Hebrew, the word is nisa, or lenasot, is to test. Why? He tests in order to see if we have learned anything. Just like a school teacher would give an examination, a test to a student, in order to see whether this student have learned anything from all the year in which he or she have been under his schooling, his learning.

You remember, in Genesis, we do read that God did test Abraham. He doesn't say that he tempted him, but he tested him. The Hebrew word there, and it came to pass, Genesis 22, verse 1, after these things, that God did, in the King James, he says, "tempt," but it's just supposed to say, "God detests Abraham," and he said unto him, "Abraham," and he said, "Behold, here I am." God said to Abraham, "Where are you?" And Abraham said, "Here I am." And you remember, God tested. The Hebrew word there is nisa. He says, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." This is Genesis 22, and verses 1 and 2.

Well, God did not want to tempt Abraham in order to fall, but God, Nisa, he tested Abraham to see whether Abraham's heart is trusting in him. That is exactly the opposite. Here we find out that Yaakov saying to these brethren, who were tested, and gone under a lot of trials and persecution and tribulation, but now he's saying to them, "When you are tempted, when you are being solicitated to do evil, don't blame God. God made me do it, or God caused me to do it," because he says here, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God." Don't say, "I have been solicited to do it by God." No.

Why? Because God cannot be tempted, first of all, with evil, neither tempteth he any man. Notice that word evil here. And I want you to see that really that takes us all the way to the Garden of Eden. We're going to read here about evil and good, good and evil. In Hebrew, evil is ra, and good is tov. And you remember the tree that God had planted in the Garden of Eden? And he placed Adam there. And then he told him, Adam, of all the trees of the field you may freely eat, but of the tree, of the fruit of the tree, of good and evil, you may not eat of it.

For in the day that you shall eat of it, you shall surely die. In Hebrew, mot tamut. Dying, you shall die. So, you can see, because when Adam had eaten, after Eve had been beguiled by Satan, Adam then ate of it, he plunged the whole human race into sin. That's why you and I today actually are sinners. Chotim in Hebrew. We are sinners. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And so he is saying to these brethren. Yaakov is telling them, let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither tempteth he any man.

God does not tempt. God may test, but he does not tempt. That word for tempt, and the thought of tempting, have happened, if you remember, in Genesis chapter 3 this time, where the serpent, Satan, entered into the serpent. And as we read in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 1, "Now the serpent was more subtle than all the beasts of the field which the Lord God had made." And he said unto the woman, "Yeh has God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden." And the woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God had said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." You see, she didn't say it quite the way God had meant it when he said this to Adam.

Well, what did the serpent, what did Satan do? The serpent said unto her, to the woman, "Yeh shall not surely die, for God does know." This is verse 5 of Genesis 3. "That in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." And you see, beloved brothers and sisters, here we learn this fact that Satan beguiled, tempted Eve in order for her to fall and lead her, and of course Adam, her husband, into evil. And that's what we learn here, that God in his goodness commanded Adam not to eat of that tree, simply to obey him and to submit to his authority.

And he called, he named that tree, the fruit of the tree of good and evil. Tov Vara, good and evil. Well, look, knowing what happened when men will disobey, that he will be plunging himself into sin, and all humanity into sin. Which show us that men now love evil and cannot do good. That's why we read in John chapter 3, that men love darkness rather than light. And you remember what we read in Romans chapter 5 and verse 12. This is a very famous verse that we often quote from the word of God, that we find out how that sin came into the world. Look, wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for all have sin.

In Romans 6 verse 23, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Yeshua, the Messiah, our Lord. And so death came because of disobedience and sin. And so, even now, Yaakov is showing to the brothers and sisters who were scattered abroad, and to you and I, as well today as we are studying this passage. He says, "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." And then he continues in verse 14 and 15. He shows us that temptation comes from man and not from God. And notice the process, beloved brothers and sisters. This is extremely important. Notice it says in verse 14 and 15.

"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed, then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, it brings forth death." You notice that? Look at the process. Number one, as it says here, every man is tempted, it is of his own lust. Number two, he is drawn away. Number three, he is enticed. Number four, it's conceived. And number five, it is finished and brings forth death. And here we learn that the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23. By one man's sin, death came into this world, and death passed upon all men, for all have sinned.

Romans 5:12. And it all began right in the Garden of Eden, in Gan Eden, where Adam, the federal head of the human race, disobeyed God, ate of that fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and plunged the whole human race into sin. And every one have inherited now a sinful nature. So from that time on, when Adam and Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel, they have inherited a sin nature. And Cain murdered his brother. And Adam and Eve had more sons and daughters. So what we find out that every individual have inherited a sin nature. And from here on, we learn that temptation comes, first of all, out of our own lust.

Whoever we are, it's coming from within. You think of the verse that is found in Exodus chapter 20, when God gave our people the law in Exodus chapter 20, the last of the Ten Commandments. God said to Israel, our people just by Mount Sinai, by Har Sinai. He said in verse 17, "Thou shalt not covet." Well, that word for coveting comes from within, from the heart. And if we are not coveting, then we will not do anything wrong. We will not sin. The problem is that we have a sinful nature and covetousness and lusts come out from the heart. And Shaul Paul had to learn this for himself as well when he wrote in Romans chapter 7, verse 7.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except the law had said, "Thou shalt not covet." You see, beloved brothers and sisters, Romans 7, verse 7. And Apostle Paul, Shaul, who sought as a Jewish man to live righteously. And he did. He says, "I was blameless, but," he says, "I had learned one thing, that sin is not only something that I do outwardly, but sin comes from within, because we have a sin nature." James is showing to us that temptation does really come from within man, not from God, but from man.

Evil comes from man. Good comes from God. So every man that is tempted, he is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust is conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. So, number one, it's coming from within us. Male or female, man or woman, all of us, it comes from within us. We have a sin nature. Then we are being drawn away because of desire that comes out of the heart. And then being enticed is just exactly what Satan did when he enticed him. As God said, "Look at the tree. You'll be like God.

You can eat from him." He enticed her, and she was beguiled. And then finally, when lust is conceived, give birth. Then it ultimately brings forth sin, and sin ultimately leads us, when it's finished, when it's done, it brings death. This is what we learn here from these verses that are found in verses 13, 14, and 15. Don't you say that God tempts you, but realize that it comes from within your heart because you are the one that needs to judge your own heart. You and I, we need to judge our own heart. And if we don't, as believers, we find ourselves ultimately dead. Now, this is not dead spiritually.

That does not mean that we are no longer, or these brethren were no longer children of God. No. But it brings deadness, spiritual cloudness, lack of joy when we allow sin to come into our life, and He does at times, unfortunately, because we are failing people. But that's why, praise God, when we read in various other passages in the Bible, if we confess our sins, 1 John chapter 1 and verse 9, He is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is faithful to Yeshua, the Messiah, who lived a godly life, who lived a life, a perfect life. And His life led Him ultimately to die for the sin of this world.

You know, the Bible tells us about Yeshua. It's a beautiful verse. He is the only one that though He was tempted, He did not sin. We read in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 15. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. But He was in all point tempted, like as we are, yet without sin. Here is the Mashiach, the Messiah, who was tempted. Satan tempted Him. Satan sought Him in the wilderness, in the desert, to tempt Him. He tempted Him throughout His own life as He lived here for 33 years. And yet Yeshua, our beloved Mashiach, the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of this world, sin not without sin.

That's why He is so precious to the Father. And the Bible says clearly about Yeshua, the Messiah, in Hebrews 7. In verse 26 it says this: "For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." God had exalted our Mashiach Yeshua and placed Him at His right hand, because He is the one, the holy, harmless, undefiled one. You and I, even as believers today, we still have this sin nature, which often causes us to stumble and to sin. And many times, if we don't judge it, confess it, and repent, we have this deadness, spiritual cloud that is right above us.

But we can change it when we confess before the Lord, repent, and turn back to the Lord, and being restored to Him. Well, beloved brothers and sisters, let me move on, because in the next verses, 16 and 17, now we find out where does all good come from? If evil come from within the human heart, good comes from God. And so in verse 16, look how Yaakov is saying, "Do not err, my beloved brethren." He loved his brethren, the Achim. He called them Achim Ahuvim, beloved brethren. Do not err, don't make a mistake, brethren. And then He says in verse 17, "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." And so He tells them three things here, beloved brothers and sisters, in these verses.

Look what He is telling to them. Three things. First of all, in verse 17, that the originator of light is God the Father. Every good gift, and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights. And whatever you're going to look at it, lights, plural, or light, you know, God is light. First John chapter 1, and in Him there is no darkness at all. Yeshua said in John 8, "I am the light of the world." In other words, light comes from God. And then we read in verse 17, the second thing, it says the Father is not only the Father of light, but He is the Father who changes not.

As we read in verse 17, "With whom there is no variableness, or no variation." Hebrews 13:8 says Yeshua, the Messiah, the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not change. We change, but He never changed. Beloved brothers and sisters, we read the last book of the Tanakh, the last prophet who wrote to our people of all, the people of Israel, Malachi. He wrote to our people just before those 400 years of silence, before the Messiah was born. We read in Malachi, in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 6, "For I am the Lord, I am Jehovah, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." You see, God does not change.

As it says here, "With whom is no variation, no variableness." You know, we change, I change, you change, but God never changes. His promises to Israel will remain. His promises to His own, to the church, to the assembly, to the congregation will never change. Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thirdly, we read in verse 18, that it says, "With Him there is neither shadow of turning." You see, not only that He is the Father of lights, not only that He is the Father that changes not, He is also the Father who turns not. He doesn't change His mind. He made a decision.

He made a choice. He doesn't change His mind. There is a nice verse that is found in Numbers chapter 23. When Bil'am sought to curse our people of all, the people of Israel, God had to change His seeking to curse Israel into blessing. And He said in Numbers 23, in verse 19, "God is not a man that He should lie, neither the Son of man that He should repent. Hath He said, and shall not do it? Or, hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" You see, God will make it good. All what He had promised, all what He had said, He will surely make it good.

We have to be very thankful to know that God will make good all His promises. And so we are back. In Yaakov, James, Yaakov, chapter 1, verse 17, Every good and gift and every perfect gift is from above. So realize, beloved brothers and sisters, Evil comes from man. Good comes from God. Evil, Ra, came from within the heart of man. Good comes from within the heart of God. God is a lover. And He said again in 1 John 4, God is love. And God is good. And He loves us and He cares for His own people very dearly. So, He told us so far, in those verses, verse 13, 14, and 15, that temptation comes from inside man, not from God.

Verse 16 and 17, good comes from God. And now notice that, brothers and sisters, that in verse 18, we find out that to where God had brought each and every one of us whom He had chosen. It says in verse 18, "Of His own will beget He us with the word of truth, that we should be the kind of first fruits of His creatures." So God have His own will. It was not our will, not their will. But it is out of the abundant love and grace of God. Of His own will, He has begotten us. And He is telling them, "Of His own will, God." "Of His own will, God." "Of His own will, God." Verse 18, begot us with his own word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creature.

So God have his own will. It was not our will, not their will, but it is out of the abundant love and grace of God, of his own will, he had begotten us. You notice this expression of his own will remind me of various verses in scripture that we are being reminded that when we came to be in a relationship with God, it was totally of him and not of man. Now I know that people oftentimes have a problem with it and often think that we came to God. We said, oh God, I choose you out of the abundant of my heart. Well, man loves darkness rather than light.

Unless God had drawn us, we would have never come to him. You remember we read in John 6, no man can come to the father except the father draws him. This is what Yeshua said in his life when he was here, before he went to the tree, before he went to the cross. He said it to the people of Israel when he was speaking to our own nation. He said in verse 44, no man can come to me except the father which has sent me draws him and I will raise him up in the last day. John 6, verse 44. Notice in verse 65. And he said, therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my father.

Do you know that you and I would have never come to Yeshua the Messiah except it was given unto us to come? Except God had been drawing us to himself? This truth of election is not often taught by teachers, but it's clearly taught in the scripture. It's clearly taught in the Bible. Look at Ephesians chapter 1, verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in Mashiach, in Christ. And listen to verse 4. According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the word that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

Ephesians 1, verse 3 and 4. So, it is out of his own will that he begotten us. It's not of our own will. It is his own will. So, he reminded those Hebrew believers that God was the one that had chosen them, that had brought them to himself. And notice again, John chapter 1, verse 11, he came unto his own and his own received him not. Verse 12, but as many as received him, to them he gave the authority to become the sons of God. And now he adds, even to them that believed on his name, verse 13, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of the will of God.

That is an amazing truth to understand. And so, he is telling us all that it is of his own will that he beget us. Now, notice this expression that he says here in verse 18 of Yaakov, James chapter 1. Of his own will beget he us with the word of truth. Well, the word beget us comes from this expression, brought forth life. He gave us life. He gave us the new birth. We were born except a man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3, Yeshua said this to Nakedimon, to Nicodemus, you must be born again. He begat us, he caused us to be born again, born from above.

Very, very important passage. In 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 23 and 24 and 25, Peter said, Shimon Petros, he also wrote to Hebrew believers and he said, Brothers and sisters, listen to this. It is by the word of God that God had brought us to life. The seed had been placed in our hearts and we became born again. We have two natures. The old nature is the sin nature, the Adamic nature. The new nature is the divine nature. That as we read in 1 Peter chapter 1, Born again, born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God. Now, notice that thirdly in verse 18, why he said that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creation.

And this is also very beautiful. You can see that the church, the assembly, the congregation was born by entirely Jewish people. Everyone that was the first believers here in this world after Yeshua's death, burial, resurrection were Jewish, were Hebrew, were Israelis. And so they were the first fruits. And those that had been scattered out from Jerusalem, out from the land, they were those early believers. That's why it is interesting to notice again and again that Yaakov was the first one to write his epistle about 45 to 50 A.D. And he wrote to those first fruits because there are much more fruit to come. And you and I today have benefited from these first fruits, those Hebrew believers of first century, that they preached the gospel to many others and others have shared with others.

And that's why you and I, even today, became believers in Yeshua the Messiah. By the way, in the tribulation period, Revelation chapter 14 and verse 4, the 144,000 of Hebrew believers during the tribulation period, doing Jacob's trouble, doing Tzarat Yaakov, they will also be the first fruits because there are more Hebrew believers will come, believers in Yeshua will accept Yeshua the Messiah during the tribulation period, in preparation for the final restoration of the whole nation of Israel. And in addition to them, they will preach it to the nations of the world, and many more from among the nations of the world will become believers. But they were the first fruits.

And just the same, like those Hebrews were the first fruits to whom Yaakov wrote, in the tribulation there will be those 144,000 Hebrews, which will be the first fruits of the tribulation period. And others will come to the knowledge of Yeshua later on. And so, brothers and sisters, now look at this. So, if God begotten them with the word of God, in order that they will be first fruits of His creations, or His creatures, now in verses 19 to 27, the last verses of James chapter 1, Now, we're learning of what is the ministry of God's word in the lives of the believers. If God, of His own will, begot us, and if God is the one that used His word to convict us, He's saying to these Hebrew believers, and He's saying to you and I, well, does the word of God have an effect on our lives, on the life of His own people?

So, first of all, they are saved. God used the word of God. If you remember Romans 10, Paul said, Shaul said, Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. So, God used His word to save us, but He also uses His word in our life, in the life of every believer in Yeshua the Messiah. So, those last verses, 19, 20, 21, and 22, all the way to verse 27, there are three things that now Yaakov is pointing to these brothers and sisters. Three things. The first thing about the word of God is in verse 19, notice he used the word wherefore. In other words, in light of what I've just told you.

Sometimes he used the word therefore, sometimes wherefore. Well, wherefore is coming before what He's going to tell us, but it comes in light of what He has already said to them. God tests you. Then, because from your own sin nature, you are being tempted. God is good, and God of His own will has delivered you and saved you and made you part of His redeemed people. Now, verses 19, 20, and 21. Here is the part that the word has to play in your life and in our life. And look what he's saying. First of all, in verse 19, 20, and 21, we need to receive God's word, to pay attention to what God is saying.

Because He says in verse 19, wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to heal, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Notice that he used that word word again. He means God's word. So, wherefore, in light of what I told you, my beloved brethren, I love you, Jacob is saying to them. But now, I want you to understand, let every man be swift to heal, slow to speak, and slow to wrath, or to get angry. Now, this is something, isn't it? Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Well, this is something that is really challenging for us. The thought of swift to heal.

He wanted that the word of God will have such an effect upon the life of the believer that they will, listening and hearing God's word will change our life. So, be swift, listen, submit to the word of God. And if you submit to the word of God, it will help us in our life. I think of a verse, for example, in Psalm 119, verse 9, Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee, or let me not wonder from thy commandment. This is David, Melech Israel. David, the king of Israel, wrote this. Look at verse 11.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. You know, when we sin, and we do, unfortunately, is when the word of God is not hid in our heart. We never listened to it. We were not swift to hear God's word. Then he says also, and this next point, in verse 19, slow to speak. It's so easy for us to say things, to make promises, to speak. We are very quickly criticizing and cutting people down and having our own opinion instead of being slow in speaking. We make promises and so on. It was Shlomo, Solomon, the king of Israel, who said many years ago, he says, Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God.

For God is in heaven and thou upon earth. Therefore, let thy words be few. This is Ecclesiastes, Kohelet, chapter 5, and verse 2. So we are to be slow in our speaking. It's very easy to say things, very hasty, to say some negative things about other people. And you know how we are so good in these things. And it's better for us if we will be hasty in listening to the word of God and slow in saying things, especially when those things are not honoring to the Lord and not a blessing to our brothers and sisters. You see what Yaakov wants to happen in the lives of the believer?

The word of God not only saves them, not only beget them to be sons and daughters of the Father, a redeemed people, but also practically that God's word will change their life, change our life. Notice thirdly in verse 19 to be slow to wrath. The word for wrath is ka'as or cheyma in Hebrew, to be angry. And you know how these true brothers and sisters also, it's so sad when we are so quickly can get angry and get upset with others and sometimes we allow wrath to stay with us and we are angry and bitter and it's not good, it's not healthy, it does not help spiritually, not to us and not to others and it is so important for us not angry or slow to anger.

In the same book of Ecclesiastes in chapter 7 there is another verse that is interesting, it says here in verse 9 be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry for anger rests in the bosom of fools. That's what Shlomo, Solomon have said, anger rests in the bosom of fools. And so God using Yaakov to challenge these believers from among the twelve tribes of Israel who were scattered abroad to be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Notice it says in verse 20 of James 1 for the wrath of men worketh not the righteousness of God. In other words, if we are angry it doesn't really justify it ourselves, it doesn't work righteousness of God, the wrath of men.

When we are angry and mad and rebellious and not judging ourselves, that does not make things right before God, that does not help anyone. And then in verse 21 he says, listen, put away all filthiness, all wickedness and receive God's word into your heart. And I'm reading verse 21, wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity, this is really abundance, superfluity of naughtiness, abundance of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word of God, listen, which is able to save your souls. Beloved brothers and sisters, God's words speak to our hearts. The more we allow the word of God to affect our hearts, it will save us. Now, we are not talking here to save our souls eternally, but to save our souls practically.

It will be saving us from not enjoying the life that we have through Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. And so he's saying in order for you to be delivered from weakness, delivered from spiritual deadness, God's word has to have an effect upon your life. therefore lay apart, verse 21, all filthiness, all abundance of naughtiness, troublemaking, and receive with humility, with meekness, the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. I think it's so beautiful. And you know, this is really, when you think about meekness, Yeshua was such an example when he says come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, you remember? Matthew chapter 11 verse 28, and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest to your souls.

You see, so in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 28, come unto me, this is come unto me for salvation. And then the second one, and take my yoke upon you and learn of me. Now this is to already believers, learn from me. Why? Because I am meek and lowly in heart and ye will find rest to your souls. Here it says the word of God is able to save your souls, rest to your souls. What's the difference? Well, it's basically, really it is the same thing. Our souls can rest when we receive the engrafted word of God. Our souls can be rested and saved or delivered from ourselves, from our own sinful practices and we can live in such a way that is pleasing to the Lord, to Yeshua Hamashiach.

Well, we read in verses 19, 20 and 21 that we are to receive the word. Now notice in verse 22, 23, 24 and 25, well, the believers also need to practice God's word. To receive it, to get it from God in the power of the Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh into our conscience and our hearts and once we receive it then we are also to practice this. And so we read, first of all, James compare the word of God to a mirror where he said in verse 22 and 23, if any man be a hearer of the word and not doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. Now, I want you to notice what he does.

He's comparing here the word of God to a mirror or you might say a glass. And so, he says, don't be only a hearer of the word, verse 22, but also a doer of the word. To be a doer. of the word. You know, it's one thing to hear the word of God speaking to us. We can hear a message from the scripture. We can hear, we can read a text from the Bible. Somebody is exhorting us, speaking to us and sharing with us God's word where we take it, we hear it from one ear and then in a sense it goes out from the other ear and it doesn't have any effect upon our lives.

Because if the word of God is being spoken, the spirit of God won't to see fruit for God in the life of his people. So to be a doer of the word it is important. Not only hearer because a hearer is like a person it doesn't affect, it doesn't change the life of a person. So the word of God is a mirror to examine us, to check us out. And you know, sometimes we have to admit we are not allowing the word of God to affect our life. We only listen to it, hear it, and it doesn't change our lives. So it ought to examine us.

There are various verses that we can read from scripture. For example, in Job 42, verse 6, there we read, wherefore I abhor myself and I repent in dust and ashes. Well, Job said in verse 5, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eyes have seen me. Wherefore I abhor myself and I repent in dust and ashes. Well, the word of God affected Iov, Job, that he recognized how sinful he was and he sought to change his life. Well, in James chapter 1, now in verse 24, and he behold himself and he goes away and straightway forget what manner of men he was. Now, if only, you know, just imagine, we get up in the morning, we look at ourselves in the mirror, we brush our teeth, we wash our face, we comb our hair, we look, we see ourselves, we need to fix, to have some correction in order to look better when we look at ourselves at the mirror and then we go out and we forget how he looks like.

Well, this is exactly what happened if we listen to the word of God and it convicts us and it shows the wrong that needs to be corrected. Maybe we were too swift to rest. Maybe we were too slow to hear. Maybe we were too fast to speak and we need to correct ourselves. Well, that's what Yaakov is challenging those Hebrew brethren where he's saying to them, listen, you don't be only hear of the word but be a doer of it and don't be like that man that look at himself in a glass and then he forgot how he looks after he left the mirror, after he left the word of God.

And then verse 25 he says, whosoever looketh into the perfect law of liberty and he continues therein he is being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work. Notice he used the word not only the word doer of the word but the doer of the work. That means that if I and you and I if we do listen to God's word and it affects our life it produces works for the glory of our God and our Father here in this world. And you notice brothers and sisters use this expression the perfect law of liberty.

This is an interesting expression because God's word the law of liberty is really has to do with the law of Christ or the law of Messiah which we have in Galatians which Paul pointed out in Galatians chapter 6 verse 1 and 2 Brethren if a man be overtaken with a fault ye which are spiritual restores such as one in the spirit of meekness considering thyself lest thou also be tempted bear ye one another burden and so fulfill the law of Christ the law of Messiah Torah Mashiach and he is not speaking about now the Mount Sinai law but he is talking about the law of the Messiah the law of the Mashiach is what he

desired to see in the life of every one of us he calls it in James chapter 2 in verse 8 the royal law and here is called the law of liberty the law that gives us freedom to live for the Lord that's so precious not to say that the ten commandments that God's law that he gave to our people of Israel is no good no of course it's good it's holy it's pure it's undefiled the problem is not with the law but the problem is with us with men with sin nature that we have but now that we receive new nature those that are in the Mashiach Yeshua in Christ Jesus are new creation all

things have passed away all become new now that we have this new nature after the death burial and resurrection of the Messiah the spirit of God indwelt every believer now we are under what is called the law of liberty the royal law the law of Mashiach and this law is for us now this present day dispensation to follow Yeshua the Messiah in the power of the Holy Spirit of God and this is wonderful to understand beloved brothers and sisters now let's conclude here with the last verses and I think the last verses verse 26 and 27 this is where he conclude chapter one in those last two verses here Yaakov says that believers need to

share the word of God well they are to receive it they are to practice it now they are to share this with others and so look at this they are to share it as it says in verse 26 if if if any man among you seems to be religious and bridgeth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's religion is vain now notice this is interesting the word religious or religion that we have here in verse 26 we often use the word religion or religious we say that many people in the world have a religion religion is man way with God man way of approach God so there is a way in which

we are to approach God but we are to approach God on a basis of his ways and we are to live life on a basis of his instruction so what we learn here if someone says if any man among you you believers in Yeshua the Messiah you brethren from among the 12 tribes that have been scattered abroad if anyone among you say that you are religious you think that you are living right with God and you don't bridle your tongue you deceive in your own heart this man's religion is in vain you know if you use your mouth in a wrong way and your heart is not right with the Lord this religion as it

says here this is the ways that you think it is God's way it is vain you deceive your own heart this man's religion is vain that word in Greek T-H-R-E-S-K-O-S Treskos fearing God meaning in Greek it's not a fear of God if you don't bridle your own mouth if you are not swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath as Yaakov pointed out in the previous verses he says this is man-made religion it's not right God is not pleased with that then he tells us what is pure religion pure religion is really two things first of all to serve God and secondly it is to separate from this world look at this it's in

relation to other people pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction so true relationship with God will produce care for others visiting the fatherless visiting the widows in their affliction this is pure religion this is what God is pleased with this is service for other people Yeshua the Messiah said this in Matthew chapter 25 when he was speaking about the tribulation period if if if anyone gave a glass of water to the least of my brethren in that context the brethren are the Jewish people during the tribulation period our very own people who will be persecuted by the nations of the world by

the Antichrist the counterfeit Messiah those who would take care of these Jewish people who will be persecuted and the least of the brethren of Yeshua the Messiah that will take care of them and help them and assist them they will do it unto him this is a pure religion undefined before God and the father is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and we need to do so here as well in encouraging helping and supporting and meeting needs we cannot obviously meet every need but nevertheless we help we need to be stirred up in this as well today and finally to keep oneself unspotted from the world and that's now the world

system cosmos headed up by Satan which want to draw us and to have its own way and not to be separated unto our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and so here is where the apostle Yaakov the writer who wrote to these brethren saying this is a pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father what is it number one service to others number two separation from the world one to keep himself unspotted from this world well brothers and sisters may the Lord help us in all this we need much much grace from him to follow after him and to be encouraged to continue to serve him and to be devoted unto him may the Lord bless

his word to each and every one of our hearts and we pray for this because the Lord is able to help us to do so