Am I willingly and humbly receiving the implanted Word?
Yesterday
We LOOKED at ‘what’ we must do to receive the Word of God.
Today
We want to continue LOOKING at receiving the Word of God.
Open GODcha to the Book of James.
NOTE:
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Or, you can use your hardbound Bibles and follow along.
You can print off this post and put in a Notebook!
Let’s Go to the Lord in Prayer
Lord, we come today needing eyes to see and ears to hear. So may You, Holy Spirit, illuminate our thinking today. Meet each one of us where we are at. Grand us the understanding we need. Move deeply within us to change us. Thank you!
LOOK at What God Says
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How will you begin?
READ God’s Word
Read James 1:19-27 again, asking the 5W’s and H.
We are reading to know, to learn.
Zero in on James 1:21.
What have we put off?
We have put off all filthiness [in a moral sense] and wickedness [sense of malice].
LISTEN…
Have I put off all filthiness, in a moral sense?
Or, am I deaf to God because I am an immoral person?
Have I put off all that remains of wickedness?
Or, do I have malice in my heart, wanting to do evil to others?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
Let’s Pick Up Where We Left Off Yesterday
Let Truth Explain Truth About
‘Putting Off’
CR-Cross References-Word Search Tutorial >
1. What does God tell us we have ‘put off’?
a. Lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light
Behaving properly. . .
not in carousing and drunkenness,
not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality,
not in strife and jealousy. (Rom 13:12-14)
Understand:
Darkness is symbolic of evil and sin;
Armor perhaps speaks to being a soldier, entering into a battle; and
Light represents Jesus, purity and holiness!
LISTEN…
Have I laid aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light?
How have I changed?
What is my lifestyle? How am I behaving?
Is the habit of my life purity and holiness?
Or, is the habit of my life:
Carousing and getting drunk?
Sexually promiscuous?
Struggling with strife and jealousy?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
b. Lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit. (Eph 4:22)
LISTEN…
Have I laid aside my corrupted old self?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
c. Put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. (Col 3:8)
LISTEN…
Have I consciously put aside these things above?
Or, do I struggle with anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from my mouth?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
d. Lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Heb 12:1)
LISTEN…
How am I running the race?
Have I laid aside every encumbrance and sin that entangles me?
If not, what baggage from the past am I still carrying around?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
e. Putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander… (1Pe 2:1-2)
Understand: These sins hinder us from receiving Truth.
Do you see: a progression?
If we are wicked,
we want to deceive others.
Deceit leads to hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy to envy, and
Envy to slander.
LISTEN…
Have I confessed and repented of these sins?
Do I need to get rid of:
any and all malice (wickedness)?
any deceit, dishonesty, falsehood in my life?
any hypocrisy?
Do I envy and want what others have?
Am I guilty of slander? Do I talk about others behind their back?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
2. In Contrast, according to Romans, what have we ‘put on’?
We have put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. (Rom 13:14)
LISTEN…
Have I put on the Lord Jesus?
How do I refuse to give in to my flesh and its desires?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
We ‘Put Off’ in order to Receive the Implanted Word of God.
Let’s Look at the Cross References about ‘Receiving The Word’.
1. What does God say about ‘the Word’?
a. Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. (Deut 8:3)
Understand: We can’t survive without the Word of God that is the true Bread. (Joh 6:51)
LISTEN…
Do I desire to live by every Word of the LORD? Why? Why not?
What am I doing to accomplish this?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
b. Long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. (1Pe 2:2)
LISTEN…
Do I truly long for, crave, the pure milk of the Word of God? Why? Why not?
Am I pursuing my growth?
How is the Word of God growing me?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
c. The scared writings which give wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2Ti 3:15-17)
LISTEN…
Do I underestimate the power of the sacred writing’s (Old Testament) ability to give wisdom and lead to salvation?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
2. In contrast to anger in verses 19 and 20, how does James say we receive the Word of God?
Receive in humility [meekness, submission to God]. (Jam 1:21)
LISTEN…
In my trials and temptations, am I listening for God’s Word, and receiving it willingly, submissively, and humbly?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
What Did We LEARN
Let’s Sum It Up!
We LEARN:
The Word was implanted in our hearts when it mixed with faith leading to our salvation and growth.
But
We can’t hear God’s Word when there is filthiness and wickedness. (Isa 59:2)
We LEARN:
To Receive God’s Word
We must put all the sin, the garbage, out of our lives.
We receive the Word in humility as opposed to anger, willing to submit and obey.
We Understand:
Those with true faith in the middle of trials, in the middle of temptations,
are LISTENING for God’s Word, and
RECEIVING IT willingly, submissively, and humbly.
We Understand:
If we DON’T receive the implanted Word,
we are deceived. (Jam 1:16)
Let’s Call It a Day!
Reflect – Meditate on the implanted Word that God just spoke to you about putting all the sin, the garbage out of your lives.
What stirred your heart today?
Is there anything you need to do?
Remember your soap and scrub brush is (1Jo 1:9).
“Blessed are those who hear the Word of God, and observe it,” (Luk 11:28).
Journal Your Discovery 
Try to take a minute to put what you have LEARNED from the Cross References not only in your Notes but also in your hardbound Bibles next to Jam 1:21-22.
Video Tutorial> Notes Tutorial >
Let’s Bow in Prayer
Perhaps. . .
OH FATHER, I so pray we were quick to hear You speak today as we see what should have been put off, laid aside, and then put on. May Your Word lead us to repentance! May we acknowledge any impurity, any sin that is blocking us from hearing You clearly. May we get rid of any evil and/or intent to do evil. May we lay aside every encumbrance and sin. May we confess and be cleansed of our sins today! Oh Father, we do realize we need Your constant forgiveness as we do stumble and fall daily. Let Your Word dominate our thinking, cleanse us and control how we live. In humility may we receive Your Word to us today and obey what You are telling each one of us to do. And Father, if there is anyone who has joined us in this discovery who has not had ears to hear the gospel of Christ, I pray You open their ears today, move upon their hearts, to receive the Word that is able to save their souls. May they bow the knee to Jesus and receive forgiveness of their sins. And may we all walk away with a new awareness and devotion to Your Word, honoring You in all we say and do. May we cling to Christ in whose name we pray. Amen!
Next: we will unfold James 1:22-25.
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