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James 1:26-27 BC 1/95 26a Whoever/If anyone thinks/seems/determines to be religious among you 26b not bridling his tongue, 26c but (alla) deceiving his heart, 26d this one's religion [is] vain/worthless. 27a Religion (which is [profitable]) 27b pure/[clean] and undefiled 27c before the [our] God and Father is this, 27d To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, 27e to keep himself unspotted from the world. I. vv1-4 The Reason James tells persecuted believers to rejoice in the midsts of trials to their faith is because (they know that) successfully enduring the refining of their faith results in reward. II. vv5-8 The Means of successfully enduring the refining of one's faith is to exercise faith in asking God for wisdom in the trial. III. vv9-12 The Manner in which believers should endure trials is with the perspective that the only thing worth getting excited about is their future reward. IV. vv13-18 The Manner in which believers should endure trials is by not blaming God for the difficulty but by refusing to give in to their desires, because not only is God infinitely good, but His purpose is for us to endure and get rewards (so He wouldn't tempt us to miss them) V. vv19-21 The Result of God's purpose to bless believers is that we should not demonstrate unrighteous behavior, (being angry at God and blaming Him in trials), but rather righteous behavior (hear & obey the word) since that's what saves us (it's the righteous behavior that God blesses = delivers/rewards/glorifies). VI. vv22-27 The Manner of being a righteous doer (obeying the Law of Liberty) in such a way as to be blessed is to both limit ourselves for the benefit of others while maintaining inner control over our desires. A. v22a-b Do what you hear = MVP B. vv22c-25e The Reason beleivers should do what they hear is because the result of just being a hearer is deceived unprofitability while the result of being a doer is blessedness. C. vv26-27 The Manner of obeying the Law of Liberty in such a way as to be blessed is to both limit yourself for the benefit of others while maintaining the inner discipline of righteousness. C1. v26 The Result of someone without inward control performing religious acts is lack of blessing. C1a. v26a-c The one whose religious acts don't result in blessing is one whose has outward appearance without inner reality. C1a-1a. v26a One can seem [only appear] to be religious (externally) C1a-1b. v26b-c The reason one can seem to (rather than actually) be religious is because they don't control their speech but delude themselves C1a-1b-1. v26b The reason/[or = manner in which] one can be only externally religious is because they don't control their (heart out of which flows their) speech C1a-1b-2. v26c The reason/[manner] one can be only externally religious is because he is deceiving himself (into thinking that ritual is more important that reality). C1b. v26d Some religious practice doesn't result in blessing = MVP C2. v27 The Result of someone with inward control performing selfsacrificial acts is blessing. or C2. v 27 The Manner of profitable religion is that one limits and guards oneself for the benefit of others. C2a. v27a-c The Reason some religious practices are profitable is because they are pleasing to God C2a-1. v27a Some religious practices are profitable (MVP=This is religion) C2a-2. v27b-c The Reason some religious practices are profitable is because they are pleasing in God's sight C2a-2a. v27b The manner of (profitable) religion is that it is pure and undefiled C2a-2b. v27c The One before whom it is undefiled is our God and Father (who sees inside) C2b. v27d-e The Content of profitable religion is to limit and protect yourself for the profit/benefit of others. C2b-1. v27d The Content/[Manner] of profitable religion is to limit yourself for the profit/benefit of others. C2b-2. v27e The Content/[Manner] of profitable religion is to guard yourself from the world's values. or C2b-2. v27e The Purpose of limiting oneself to benefit others is in order to keep one's values distinct from the world's. (cf. Z. Hodges) NB 26c there has to be a connection between tongue and heart, since they're joined by the coordinating conjunction alla. It seems plausible to see the connection being Jesus' teaching in Mt 12:34 "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." In Semitic thought, the heart is the seat of the decisionmaking process. It is the volitional component of man, the will. Someone who is deceiving or deluding their heart (present active participle rather than the passive "is deceived") is deceiving their will. To deceive is to promise one thing, but deliver another. To portray reality as something that it isn't, frequently the opposite of what it is. One who deceives their heart represents to their internal value and standards committee a picture of reality contrary to the facts. Their will is untouched by the truth. A decision-making heart deprived of the facts will not decide to filter their speech through the grid of what exalts God and edifies others, but will rather use the filter of what makes one look or feel good. The deception is an active process, perpetrated by an appetite still in the dark, untrained and unrestrained by the light of the Law of Liberty. The tongue is just the errand boy, carrying out the decisions of the heart, which in turn more manipulated by the belly than the mind. A person who has external ritual without internal reality controlled by the Spirit of God, is not profited by his ritual. It is worthless, unproductive, unfruitful, and it should go without saying, not lining up someone for God's blessing. NB v26d Vain, worthless, empty, non-productive religious practices don't produce anything. What should it produce? Glory to God, benefit to others and blessing to oneself. When someone doesn't demonstrate the righteous life that God desires, they can't reap the blessings which God has promised to the righteous. They've disqualified themselves from their reward by failing to meet the requirements.