(17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (18) Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (21) Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (22)But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (27) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
The letter was written by James, the half brother of Jesus and the head of the church in Jerusalem in those ancient days of the early church. James lines up with all of Scripture when he says that it is the doer of the Word that will be blessed in what he does – hearing the Word without doing it leads to self deception and is the default mode of our fallen hearts. This problem is of forgetting God – it is not a memory problem but a priority problem. If we hear the Word but do not put it into practice we delude ourselves. From God comes every good and perfect gift. The greatest gift from God is the gift of His only begotten Son and those who believe this are born again by the word of truth. Salvation springs from the God’s deliberate initiative.
Religion can be a matter of pride and outward and worthless performance but to live the Word leads to blessings. It takes time and care to apply the Word not just to outward behavior but to the heart – All sin stems from the heart. The blessed hearer however applies the Word so that it changes our conduct and character in the sight of God. Our focus is shifted from self to others. All emphasis throughout the Bible is NOT on human will in salvation but rather on God’s will in our salvation. God was/is the only reason we responded in faith. His will brought us from death in sin to life in faith in Christ. God saved us for His purpose. Since salvation is totally from God’s will and power He will care for us through every trial.
Since God saves us for His purpose, He will care for us through every trial. We are to be in this world but not of it. We are not to embrace the world’s goals, priorities and temporal values. We are to behave as we believe.