The Right Response to Pressure

2. The Right Response to Pressure James 1:19-27

3. James 1:19 - 27 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

4. Have and Attitude of Teachability & Humility (1:19-20) James 1:19-20 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. • Quick to Listen • Slow to Speak • Slow to Become Angry

5. Seek Purity in Your Life (1:21) James 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. • Moral Filth • The Evil that is So Prevalent

6. Do What God’s Word Says (1:22-25) James 1:22-25 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does.

8. The Perfect Law

9. The Law • Exodus 20 (Ten Commandments given to Moses) • Leviticus (Levitical Law for common living)

10. What the Law did… • Romans 5:20 (Trespass might increase) • Romans 3:20 (We might become conscious of sin)

11. What was wrong… • Hebrews 8:7-8 (God found fault with the people) • We could not attain what God desired of us

12. What Jesus did • Matthew 5:17-20 (Jesus does not abolish the law, but fulfills it) • Jesus lived the life we could not live…sinless

13. The Perfected Law… • James 1:25 (Perfect law that gives freedom) • Freedom refers to freedom from sin…and to choose righteousness.

14. The Difference… • Romans 10:5-10 (Living by the law versus living IN grace… rules v. relationship) • This does not mean that we do not follow….however it is not rules we follow, but a person…

15. Practice True Religion (1:26-27) James 1:26-27 26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. • Self Control • Selflessness • Personal Holiness

17. Application Are you growing in “doing” the Word or are you merely hearing it?