Last time, James talked about being tempted and tested in our faith, and that these challenges come not from God but rather from our own desire for something greater than the gifts God has already given us. James proceeds now to what constitutes proper hearing and doing the Word of God, in which we should be completely comfortable and satisfied:
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (Jam 1:19-21).
This jumps off the page at me! A moment ago we were being told that God brought us forward to him through his own will through the word of truth, and that we are intended to be a kind of firstfruits of all his creatures. Suddenly, it appears that we must be good listeners more than speakers, and most importantly slow to anger. But when he says “slow” he means glacially slow, as in imperceptible, appearing almost invisible. Our anger is totally contrary to the righteousness we seek from God.
If we want salvation, we must be meek as lambs. Our anger, which we perceive as our right, is the prelude to what James calls filthiness and rampant wickedness. I don’t know about you, but I am often “righteously” angry. What can I do get right with God?
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (Jam 1:22-25).
Keep in mind that James was likely the head of the church of Jesus in Jerusalem, so he was surrounded both by new believers in Christ and orthodox Jewish unbelievers in Jesus, all of whom struggled with being told there is something better than the Law of Moses. When he refers to the “perfect law, the law of liberty," James is likely referring to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, or more broadly, every word Jesus uttered on earth.
If we look into the law of liberty in Christ, persevere no matter what, and act faithfully in our doing, we are blessed. Anger has no place in our believing and doing:
“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (Jam 1:26-27).
To keep unstained is to be refrained – from anger and all the “filthiness” anger produces!