James 1:19-27 A New Interpretation Pt 3

0:02 Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. Do you have your pencils plural? Do you have your pencils? Remember, what's the minimum amount of pencils you should have on your person at all times? Three boxes? There's two, one, two and three. You should have three boxes of pencils on your person at all times, or you should be arrested, thrown in gel, lose your citizenship. I don't know what else should happen. You should just be banned from something significant. Right, But do you have your pencils? Plural? Do you have them sharpened? Do you have a sharpener? I look right here, have my pencil sharpener right here, a little handheld pencil sharpener right here, right, I have a pencil sharpener. I have three boxes of pencils, because that's the godly way.

0:57 And I have a completely empty notebook because ladies and gentlemen, it is time to use those pencils, use that pencil sharpener, and use that notebook. As we are going to formulate a new interpretation of James Chapter one versus nineteen through twenty seven. And we're going to do that right after I say good afternoon everyone. It is Thursday, November the twenty first, twenty twenty four. It is currently four fifty three pm Central time, and I'm coming to you live from the Theology Central Studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. And well, we're running a little late in some ways.

1:41 Like I wanted to do this broadcast like hours ago, it didn't really happen. But I'm hoping even though I didn't do this, maybe at the time I thought maybe I should have waited a little longer. But this is the time that is available. So we're not gonna worry whether it's the right time. We're not gonna worry whether it's the wrong time. We're gonna be worried about Can I formulate a new interpretation of James one nineteen through twenty seven that is accurate and true to the text. It is consistent with the language, with the context, with the history. It's it's consistent with the theology of the Bible. It's one that makes sense. It's not heretical, but it is truthful. Can I do that? Well, I'm hoping I can't.

2:28 Now the question may be, why do you feel the need to create a new interpretation of James one nineteen through twenty seven. I mean, the church has been around for two thousand years. There's been probably twenty three thousand different interpretation interpretations offered. Why do you feel that you need to come up with a new one. Well, simply put, now I'm really simplifying this is because I believe every interpretation of James one nineteen through twenty five typically ends with this, Hey, as a believer, you now have power. You now have been set free. You now can keep the law. You can say yes to God and no to sin. You can do it. You basically can be almost perfect. And if for some reason you're not keeping the law, you're not being obedient, and you're not doing this, and you're not doing this, and you're not doing this, well, it proves you were never saved. And that basically creates major problems. Right. The first problem that creates is obvious, it's inconsistent with reality. Telling everyone they have the power and they can keep the law. When Christians live in a perpetual state of sin is a denial of reality.

3:41 Number two. Inevitably, what you turn Christianity into is justification being proved by action that you are doing. When your justification should be proven by the finished work of Jesus Christ and the action he did for you. Well, because of the way James has been handled over and over and over and over, I feel like we have to come up with a new interpretation. Now here's how we're doing this, all right, Okay, We are focusing in on two really two important phrases, all right. The first one is found in James one twenty one, wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ungrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

4:34 The first thing we're worried about is that phrase in grafted word. The second is in verse twenty five. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continue it therein, he being not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work. This man shall be blessed in his deed. So we have two phrases in grafted word and Law of liberty. We are zooming in to those two phrases. We are going to try to identify what these things are and what that means for us, and what it means for the text at large. So we're gonna zoom in. Then we're gonna zoom out. With those interpretations in place, then go nineteen twenty twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, and see if my interpretation then works and the context of those verses. That's what we're going to attempt to do, all right, so that you understand that, Now, what have we done so far? Well, I've given you the text James one nineteen through twenty seven. You're supposed to be reading it and reading it and reading it. We examined and listened to a sermon on James one nineteen through twenty seven where it attempted to interpret the law of liberty and the ungrafted word, and well had some interesting things to say. Then looked at how these things have been interpreted throughout all of church history, and then we

6:04 looked at how AI attempted to interpret it. Then I challenged all of these interpretations on the basis of what number one. They tell everyone, Hey, you can do it, you can do it, you can keep the law, even though reality says the opposite. So I challenged it, and because I think basically it turns justification into a justification based off an infused righteousness, not an imputed righteousness, which is again a denial of everything as a non Catholic we supposedly believe. So because of that, I challenged it. AI offered us some alternative interpretations, which we worked through in the last broadcast. That brings us to right now.

6:48 I'm going to begin in this episode to start building a new interpretation. Now Here is what I did. I spent thirty minutes typing out basically my ideas, my perspective. I'm gonna call it my hypotheses, my theory. I gave it to AI. I said, examine this, okay, after we've already been talking. I mean, and AI and myself have been going back and forth on James one nineteenth twenty seven for like an hour. So then finally, based off all of that conversation, I'm like, well, here's what I think, and then we're gonna look at how AI breaks down my interpretation and then we can see what we think.

7:34 All right, are you ready for that? Here we go. And I'm not gonna go back and review everything else. But if you take all of the other interpretations, they always basically end with you've now been set free. You can keep the law of God. And that's where the problems begin, all right. No matter how they interpret what the ingrafted word is or the law of liberty, it doesn't matter how they interpret it, they end up with the same thing. Somehow You've been given now supernatural. I know they wouldn't necessarily say it that way, but that's basically what it boils down to. So I gave Ai my interpretation. Here is AI's initial response, speaking of me and my hypotheses. It says this, your hypothesis is an intriguing alternative interpretation, and it aligns with certain Biblical themes while staying true to the text emphasis on receiving the ungrafted word with meekness. Then Ai said, let's explore the idea that the ingrafted word. Now here's where my interpretation comes in. Ai is going to explore my idea that in James one twenty one, receive with meekness the engrafted word.

9:01 My hypothesis is. My interpretation is that the ungrafted word refers to the law of God written on the heart in light of biblical theology and James context. So AI is going to interpret my hypothesis that when we see the ungrafted word that is talking about the law written on our hearts. That's that's the law of God written on your heart, my heart. And AI is going to examine this in light of biblical theology and the context of the Book of James. All right, so we're gonna look at its analysis. It's critique, it's perspective on my interpretation.

9:50 So just let me I'll just make it very clear. My interpretation is when we when we read in James one twenty one, wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and see with meekness. The ungrafted word, the ungrafted word that it's referring to is the law of God that is written on your heart. Everyone has it written on their heart. Everyone not everyone in a sense receives its message. Some pushes it down or blames the guilt on how they were raised or what. But the law of God is there, and it's constantly saying, you're guilty, You're guilty, You're guilty. You can't keep it, you can't do this, you can't. It's there. That's my interpretation, right, So let's look at how AI interpreted my interpretation right now, that's key. So my perspective on the ungrafted word is really different than on everyone's. I'm different than everyone at this point, all right, and especially the way I'm going to approach this is, this is what Ai said. Number one, the law written on the heart, biblical basic is what it says or biblical basis. I should say, the law written on the heart the biblical basis for my claim.

11:12 I made the claim. Now remember I typed out my interpretation. So all Ai is doing is taking my interpretation and it's going to outline it. Then it's going to it and now analyze it. Okay, So here's basically breaking it down. Romans chapter two, verses fourteen through fifteen speaks of the law being written on their hearts. Let's go to Romans chapter two. Romans Chapter two, verse fourteen. Romans Chapter two, verse fourteen. For when the gentiles which have not the law, that is, in a sense, the external law, the law of Moses, these gentiles would not have it. They don't have anything about it, do by nature the things contained in the law. These having not the law or a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts, the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.

12:21 Everyone has the law internally written on their hearts. Oh, there may be the external law of Moses, but that's not ingrafted right. See, the external law of Moses is outside of us, but there's a law inside of us. And even if someone has never been to church, they don't know God, they'd never read the Bible, there is this thing in grafted in them. And I believe the ungrafted word is that law. Ai said that Romans two fourteen through fifteen speaks of the law being written on their hearts, referring to the innate moral sense within all people, including gentiles. Everyone has this this natural law. Law reveals God's standard and condemns sin, leading to guilt and accountability before God. Every single person, deep down, they know they're guilty.

13:20 They know there's something not right. They may not be able to verbalize it, they may not be able to explain it, but they just know that they don't really live up to something they know. And again, they may disguise it, they may reject it. They may blame other people for it. They may blame their parents, they may blame religion. They may blame society. They may blame their teachers, but they and they may want to break free from it, they may want to reject it, right, But it's the receiving of the message it gives. And what is that message? You are a sinner. There is a standard. You do not keep that standard, you are condemned. Now, at this point, AI did something I was a little bit shocked by, because it's breaking down my interpretation. And this is where I got a little confused. AI then references two passages of scripture that I would never reference. AI quotes Jeremiah thirty one thirty three and Ezekiel thirty six twenty six through twenty seven, which promises a new covenant where God's law is written on the hearts of his people, enabling a deeper awareness of sin and a call to repentance. Now, let me say right here, I do not believe the ungrafted word has anything to do with Jeremiah thirty one or Ezequel thirty six, unless I'm going to interpret James

14:54 chapter one, Unless I'm going to interpret the ungrafted word as purely a reference to Israel. If I'm gonna say the ingrafted word is specifically referencing Israel, and not anybody else. Well, then I could bring in Jeremiah thirty one thirty three and Ezekiel thirty six, twenty six through twenty seven, which promises a new covenant and God's law written on their hearts. But this is God's law written on their hearts and Israel in a way that leads to perfect obedience. Ezekiel and Jeremiah. That's new covenant language, and it basically says they're gonna put away their idols and I'm gonna be They're God, They're gonna be my people, and they're basically they're gonna walk in my commendments. There you're going to obey me. It speaks of it as being a definitive thing.

15:41 So unless I reference James one, it's only referring to Israel. Well, then I got problems If I'm going to say that this has any application to us, then there is a law written on our hearts. And the law that's written on our hearts condemned, it convicts, it's not it doesn't produce righteousness. It just produces guilt. Now it may produce, now, to be fair, it may cause us to try to think that there's right and wrong and try to. That's why. That's why everyone, whether atheist agnostic, everyone has a sense of right and wrong, fair not fair, bad, good, evil.

16:24 Everyone has a sense of it. But that sense of right and wrong is corrupted because of our sinful nature. So so I don't know why AI quoted Jeremiah thirty one thirty three and is Sequl thirty six, because that's a completely separate thing. That's a completely different context. So then AI said this about my interpretation, The ungrafted word in this view, speaking of my view, could be the universal moral law implanted by God into all humanity, functioning as a witness to God's holiness and our sinful all. Right now, I like that, Okay, I like the way it states that. So, according to my view, the ungrafted word is the universal moral law that is implanted by God into all of humanity, and it functions as a witness to God's holiness and our sinfulness. Or I would state this, it's a witness that there is a there's a morality, there's some standard. We don't know where this morality comes from. That's why even an atheist will be like, that's wrong, and they will judge this and look, what are you judging where is your morality coming from? There is an innate sense of morality. That's because God's law has been written on our hearts. It's engrafted. Some people reject it, some people don't understand it. James talks about receiving it all right. So number one, the law is

17:58 written on the hearts, and the basis for that is Romans two fourteen through fifteen. I would not quote Jeremiah thirty one or Ezekuel thirty six, completely different situation, completely different context. It's for Israel, and it's for something they've not yet experienced, because once this law is written on their hearts, they get the land. So yeah, we could go take those passages apart. We've talked about them so many times, so I don't know why Ai quoted them, but ill here in a minute, you're going to see that I told Ai, I don't know why you're doing that. I think that that's wrong. And you can you'll read, you'll hear what Ai had to say. So Ai summarizes my view at this point that the ungrafted word is the view in this view is the universal moral law implanted by God into all of humanity, functioning as a witness to God's holiness and our sinfulness. I would say, serving as a witness of a universal standard of morality, that there's some sense of right and wrong coming from somewhere.

18:58 Number two condemnation leading to the cross. The law's role in guilt and not Please know what it says here, this ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. There is something very critical that leads to salvation, and that is guilt. That is condemnation. You've got to be broken, You've got to see your guilt before we're going to move towards salvation. So what is the law's role in guilt? Well, the ungrafted word, as the law written on the heart, would naturally condemn, expose in, and produce guilt Romans three twenty Galatians three twenty four. This guilt, when received with makeness humility, could lead a person to seek forgiveness and salvation in Christ. Makeness here implies an acknowledgment of sin, surrender to God's judgment, and an openness to his grace.

20:05 That's why you have to receive it with meekness. Please note the text Romans one again twenty one. Lay apart all filthiness superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word. In other word, you know you're a sinner. Now you can just accept that sin, hold on to that sin, and justify that sin. Or you can say, you know what, I'm going to turn from this sin. And again this is kind of a mental thing in your mind. I'm kinda and a turning from this sin at least the way I think, And you know what I'm going to do. I'm gonna receive this word that says this stuff is wrong. I know I'm doing something wrong, and that's in the word that's been ingrafted into God's law.

20:49 Meekness here implies an acknowledgment of sin. It's a surrender to God's judgment and an openness to his grace. See the meekness here. Of receiving the word with meekness, you're acknowledging your sin. You're acknowledging that guilt. Now, how does this lead to salvation? If the ungrafted word is the internalized law, then receiving it with meekness would mean responding to the conviction of sin by turning to Christ for redemption. The word's ability to save your soul lies not in the law itself, but in its role as a tutor that leads to Christ. Now this corresponds with Galatians chapter three, Galatians chapter three. Everyone knows this verse Galatians chapter three, verse twenty four. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us under Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

21:47 See when I am broken, humbled, receive this word of judgment and condemnation, I receive it, Then the word will that word, that law will then take me, bring me and drive me to Christ, because that's where salvation is found. Now, while the word often refers to the Gospel and the New Oh, hang on. So that's so number one, I was already ready to jump ahead. Here. Number one the law written on the heart. So my basic premise of my entire argument is that the ingrafted word is the law written on the heart, the moral law written on the heart, and that comes from Romans two fourteen through fifteen.

22:31 Number two, This law brings condemnation leading to the cross. And so if you humbly that means broken, fill the guilt, receive the word. It will save yourself. But please, now it's in grafted. So whatever review you say, this is something that's inside of us, and I will emphasize that more and as we move forward. Number three, the support of this view from the context of the Book of James. All right, So now so AI, So this is again it's just taking my interpretation and trying to break it into an outline. So we have to look at how James uses the word word because it says ingrafted word.

23:15 Because some would say, well, the way the New Testament uses the word word, it wouldn't refer to the law. It would refer to the Gospel. That's how many would argue. So do I have any basis for saying the ungrafted word is the law? Well, the ingrafted word being the Gospel. Now wait a minute, is that ingrafted in us? Like? Okay, So that's where we could possibly we could probably make arguments for both sides of this. There is no dispute that the moral law is ingrafted in our hearts because the Bible says that, and it's true for jew and gentile. So what about how would this all fit in the context of James. The word often refers to the Gospel, and the New Testament James may be expanding its meaning to include God's moral law. Or broader revelation. In this case, the ungrafted word could be God's moral witness within us that convicts us and directs us to salvation. Right now, that doesn't prove my point, it says, because it acknowledges that typically in the New Testament the word word refers to the Gospel. So you could make an argument against me here, but it says receiving with meekness James one twenty one connects the ingrafted word with repentance lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. Right, So, if receiving the ungrafted word is connected to repentance, that tends to

24:46 me to be more law gospel is I believe law says I must, I must turn, and I am condemned. So the fact that it's connected with repentance, I think may may help me out. I'm not seeing it proves everything. This process aligns with well with responding to conviction by the law. So it seems that what they're saying is that, well, the word it could have an expanded meaning now typically would mean gospel, but if you look at the context, it's really about well, it's about sin, it's about you need salvation. It's about guilt, so that would seem to be putting it more in connection with law. It's just let's see if I can prove this as we move forward.

25:33 So the support from James context basically is, if you look at the passage, you've got laying apart filthiness, superfluity of naughtiness, receive the word which is able to save yourself. That it's all about leaving sin and running to God. And the law is what makes you see your sin and drives you to God. Does that work? I don't know what We'll see. Number four the law and the law of liberty. Now, remember we're trying to understand the ungrafted word. I interpret the ungrafted word as being what the moral law written on our hearts. So then how does this fit with in verse twenty five. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continue if therein then how does that fit with the law of liberty? Well, if the ingrafted So now we're going to look at the law and the law of liberty. If the ungrafted word is the law written on the heart, then the law of liberty in James one twenty five could represent the Gospel as the fulfillment of that law. The transition from condemnation to freedom comes through recognizing our guilt, receiving grace and responding and faith. So my belief is it's showing you the entire process. I'm guilty, I'm a sinner.

27:03 What do I do? I receive that message, I receive that word. I don't deny it. I receive that word. I say yes, I'm a sinner, and I allow it to be my schoolmaster and take me right to Christ. Then it is able to save my soul. So I don't need to be so. Then guess what? But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own self. Hey, don't just hear the message that you're guilty, allow it to take you to Christ. Don't just be a hearer, be a doer in the sense of what does that law do? It condemns me and it says you need Just think if you think about Moses law, the Mosaic law. You've got the moral law, which what does what? You're a sinner, you're a sinner, you're condemned. What does the ceremonial law point to? You need a substitute, You need a sacrifice. You need a substitute, you need a sacrifice. So then what do you do?

28:00 What do I do? What is the work that we are to do? We are The work that God calls us to do is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Is that not a scripture? Is that not a scripture? What is the work that we are to do? The work and a sense is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. So we are not to just be a hearer of that message. Side, Hey, that message inside is like you're guilty, You're guilty. Well what do I do with that? What do I do? Is I go to Christ. I follow the law as it takes me directly to Christ, and then I believe on him. Don't just be a hero of her of it.

28:42 Do something. Let it take you to where you need to go. Run to the cross. Now, if we go with my view that the ingrafted word is the law written on my heart that condemns and the law of liberty is the message of Christ fulfilling that law for me, well, then this creates a progression. The ungrafted word exposes sin and guilt. Humility leads us to Christ and salvation. The law of liberty becomes the Gospel standard by which we now live freed from the condemnation of the law. See it's a progression. It's a progression. See. So what do we do. We receive with meekness, the ungrafted word, that's the moral law that's written on my heart. I'm condemned, not condemned, and I receive it with meekness, which is able to save my soul. Be a doer of the word and not hear only deceiving my own self. Don't just hear it. Just allow it to take me where it's supposed to take me Verse twenty three. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's likened to a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightway, getteth what manner of man he was. So No, if you really look at that law written into it, if you really allow yourself to receive it and look at it, then you're going to don't be like a man that just says, Oh, the law says, I'm a guilt,

30:13 I'm a guilt, I'm a sinner. I'm guilty, and don't and don't do anything. No, let it take you to the cross. Hey, don't be a person who looks in the mirror and goes man alive. I am messed up today. My hair is messed up, my face is messed up. And don't and just walk away. No, no, no, When you look, when you receive the law that's written inside of you, look at that mirror and go, what do I do? What do I do? You run to Christ. But whosoever looketh into the perfect law of liberty. That's what you need to do. You look in, you look in the mirror, and then what do you do? You run to the law of liberty. What is the law of liberty? The law of liberty is the Gospel which said, yes, you're messed up, Yes you're a sinner, Yes you deserve hell.

31:05 But guess what Christ kept the law for you. That's the law of liberty. It creates a progression. The ungrafted word is the law on the heart, which exposes sin and guilt. Humility leads me to Christ and salvation. And the law of liberty becomes the Gospel standard by which we are freed from the condemnation of the law. The law and the law of liberty, if we understand them as being the one is the moral law written on my heart. The law of liberty is the news and the proof that God has fulfilled the law on my behalf. Then there's a progression through the text. So what is the strength of my hypothesis? According to AI, here's the number one strength with my view, it is consistent with reality.

31:57 This interpretation avoids the the idea of claiming freedom from sin and a practical sense. I see, it's the my view acknowledges reality. My view, Hang on, here we go. My view acknowledges, Hey, we are sinners and we're not set free in a practical way. We are going to continue to sin. But what's our hope? The law of liberty? What does it tell me? I got to continue in that law of liberty, which says Christ has kept it off for me. So now I've been set free from the condemnation of sin. And it highlights that that that the law of God still continually exposes my sin and drives me to the law of liberty. The law of God continually condemns me, and it's the law of liberty that content continues to tell tells me what what's that Christ has taken care of it for me, So it's consistent with reality. Number two, it honors linguistic context. The word and grafted suggests something already present. The law written on the heart fits this description as an innate moral witness implanted by God. So it says that my view honors the linguistic context. It's the ungrafted word. It's inside of you. It was put there, you were born with it.

33:25 That's why a kid before you gave it, they even know anything else that's not fair, that's not right. They have this innate sense of fair, right, justice. Where does it come from. It's the moral law written on their hearts. So my view, according to AI, is consistent with reality. That's a big one to me. Whatever view we come up with, I can't create this view that ladies and gentlemen, you're now free and you can keep the law when nobody does that immediately, Anyone who gives me that kind of interpretation, I know it's fraudulent because reality says so I'm being I'm honoring the linguistic context. It's the ungrafted word, it's implanted, it's there. It's not teaching I hear, it's something put inside of me. Well, what was put inside of me? The ingrafted word was inside all of us, and that is the law of God's moral law. That's inside everyone. Number three, Another strength of my hypotheses is it preserves the tension. James calls for action but never implies perfection. If the ungrafted word is the condemning law that drives us to grace, then living according to the law of liberty becomes a striving response to God's mercy, not a claim of sinless freedom. So I can preserve the tension. The text says do this, do this. I know I'm never going to do it, but I think

34:56 if we follow, and I'll have to do some more work on this. Think if you follow it. Ai admitted that I'm creating just a natural progression of thought. I'm a sinner. Receive the word that says I'm a sinner, acknowledge it. Turn to that word, accept its message. It's able to save my soul. And then what be a doer of it? Look into the mirror of it, and what is the if I'm doing And if I'm looking into the mirror, what is that going to do? It's going to drive me to the law of liberty. And what do I see when I look into the law of liberty? Hey, you're a sinner. You can't keep the law Christ did so for you. See, it creates that progression.

35:43 We just go to this text and say, hey, if you don't do this, you don't do this, You're not saved. No, if I reject the law, that's telling me I'm a sinner, and I will not accept the fact that I'm a sinner, and if I will not go to the cross, yeah, then I'm not saved. Number six. What are some of the potential challenges to my view? Well, does James equate the Word with the law? Now this is where my view is a little weak. AI says, it's plausible. James often refers to the Word as God's revealed truth, particularly the Gospel. However, he does not exclude the broader understanding of God's revelation. So it's plausible, but it's a little hard. Now, what I'm going to put forth is my argument. And here in a minute I give AI. My argument is this, James is written or what mid forty a D forty four forty five forty six a D. It's the one of the earth, it's the I think the earliest New Testament writing meaning it's very much in the context of the Old Testament mindset, and it's written to Jews. So the real question should be when you see the word word, if we look in the Old Testament, is the word word ever used to refer to the law and as

37:17 the law referred to as the word in other words, as word and law interchangeable. If it's interchangeable in the Old Testament, then law could very much be the meaning implied here, considering the historical timeline in which the book was written. That's an argument that I will make. AI says that my view could be too negative. Some might argue that my interpretation emphasizes condemnation at the expense of joy and hope. Yet the text focus on humility and repentance fits my framework. Well, so it says a lot of people may say it's too negative, it's all about sin, condemnation, you can't keep the law. But it says that if you actually look at the text, humility and repentance fits the framework. And guess what else mind fits reality? Now I think mine actually leads to hope. You can't do it Christ did. What Christians always want is they want the hope of now that you're a Christian, you basically have superpowers and now you can do it. Well, guess what, that's a fraudulent hope and it's a false comfort. Have we not talked about that a lot lately? So what is AI's conclusion? Ai concludes it this way, that my interpretation offers a nuanced view that aligns with the reality

38:52 of ongoing sin and the philological role of the law. All right, so let me read this again. According to Ai, my interpretation offers a nuanced view, a nuanced view that aligns with the reality of ongoing sin and the philological role of the law. So my view is nuanced, but it aligns with reality of ongoing sin. Ongoing sin is a reality. You can create an interpretation that denies it, but my interpretation acknowledges it, and my interpretation is aligns with the philological role of the law. What the law is supposed to do, It reveals, it condemns, and it drives me to Christ if I will meekly and humbly receive it and then do what it's supposed to do.

39:41 Do I'm supposed to do what it tells me to do. Run to a substitute, run to someone to save me a sacrifice. The ungrafted word as the law written on the heart, emphasizes guilt and condemnation, but it leads to the cross and salvation when received with meetness. It is not a promise of practical perfection, but a call to humility, repentance, and faith in Christ finished work. This hypothesis fits james emphasis on practical faith while respecting the broader biblical narrative. So AI did not have a lot of criticism on my view. Now, the main weakness that points out is, well, the word word, that's the Greek word lagos. Can we make that law everybody wants to make a gospel? I don't think that works, especially considering James has written in forty something AD. There's not even a New Testament, right, there's no New Testament canon at this point. So what I did at this point is I challenged Ai because remember it quoted Jeremiah thirty one, thirty three and Ezekiel thirty six, and I'm like, what are you doing? Just stop that? Right? So AI responded with, you're absolutely correct that the promises in Jeremiah thirty one and Ezekiel thirty

41:11 six were given specifically to Israel, referring to the New Covenant and its future fulfillment for the nation of Israel. Excluding those references allows for a sharper focus on universal human experience the Law written on the Heart from Romans chapter two, while staying consistent with a contextual and philological distinction between Israel and the Church. Here's a refine, here's a refined interpretation based on that perspective. So then what Ai did is like, hey, you're right, Ezekiel and Jeremiah, if we put them in their proper context, we should not use this, and making a reference to the ingrafted word, we should not, right. So It's says, I'm going to give you now a refined interpretation, and so this is what it does. Now. It tries to refine it. The ungrafted word as the law written on the heart Romans two, fourteen through fifteen. It's an innate moral witness. The ungrafted word refers to God's moral law, which is universally written on the hearts of all people, not the New Covenant promises to Israel. The law reveals God's standard and convicts all of sin, condemnation and guilt. When people recognize their inability to meet the standard. It produces guilt and points them towards their need for salvation. So the ungrafted word is the law written on the heart. Number two, Receiving

42:41 with meekness leads to salvation. Conviction of sin. The ungrafted word exposes sin and drives individuals to acknowledge their inability to meet God's demands, a response with humility. Receiving it with meekness implies a repentant and humble acknowledgment of sinfulness and a willing to turn to God's solution. God's solution faith in Christ. So the ingrafted word the receiving with meekness fits perfectly together The focus in James practical faith, not just intellectual agreement. While James emphasizes action, this does not imply perfection. Instead, it shows that true faith flows from an awareness of sin, repentance, and a desire to align one's life with God's revealed will. Now what I would say, it shows a desire to run to the solution, which is Christ. The ungrafted word as universal as universal and individual. This interpretation highlights how all people are confronted with God's standard, but believers respond uniquely by embracing Christ through that confrontation. Now, what is the role of the Law of liberty in this framework transition from condemnation to freedom?

43:54 The Law of liberty represents the Gospel which liberates from the condemnation of the ungrafted world. It doesn't negate God's standard, but fulfills it in Christ. James describes it as perfect because it reflects the completed work of God and Christ Jesus, freeing us from laws the law's penalty. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The Law of liberty does not suggest believers are now practically free from sin, but rather that they are free from its condemnation. Believers strive to live in alignment with this law even as they fall short. So this shows a transition from condemnation to freedom, and it shows an ongoing struggle. So why should we exclude Jeremiah and Ezekiel?

44:42 While the audience in context, both passages explicitly address Israel and their future restoration tied to the fulfillment of the New Covenant, Applying them directly to the Church would risk conflating God's specific promises to Israel with his broader work in humanity, avoiding misapplication. Excluding these references maintain a clear distinction between God's program for Israel and the universal application of truths like those found in Romans Chapter two, verses fourteen through fifteen. So what is the conclusion? According to Ai, the ungrafted word is best understood as the universal, innate moral law written on the hearts of all people, which convicts of sin and drives them to the cross when received with humility. The law of liberty reflects the Gospel that frees from condemnation while calling believers to live in response to God's grace. This interpretation avoids fraudulent promises, false claims of victory, and it aligns with the reality that we all experience. And it maintains a clear distinction between Israel and the universal and universal truths. So how does that all work? I think it works perfectly. The ungrafted

46:16 word is the law written on our hearts. It condemns, it condemns, It condemns, it condemns. It will tell you that you're filthy, and that you are struggling with the superfluity of naughtiness, and all of those things. It will condemn you. Now, you can either just accept that and not do anything about it. You can deny it, you can project it. You can then condemn other people while excusing yourself. You can play all of these games, or you can humbly, with meekness receive it and it will be able to save your soul. But how's it going to save your soul? Well, you have to take it and not just be a ear of it, but a doer of it. And that doer will say, run to Christ, run to the cross, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that will be saved. You can't just look at it and say, man, I'm messed up and then just leave the house. You gotta be like, man, I'm messed up?

47:14 What do I do? What do you do? Who's whoever looketh into the perfect law of liberty? You run to the law of liberty? And what do you see when you look into the law of liberty? Christ has kept it all for you. He's fulfilled all the law. Therefore you're free. You're free, indeed from condemnation. You're free indeed from the condemnation of the law. Again, remember the weakness that's typically that AI said, my view can the only weakness that pointed out, well, that it could be too negative, but I don't care if people think it's too negative because it's in life with reality, and I think it actually leads to hope personally. But the biggest weakness was and grafted Why the word word doesn't refer to the law.

48:12 So I said, well, wait a minute, AI, When was James written? So AI said this, you're right to point out that James like likely one of the earliest New Testament books, dated around forty four to forty nine AD. It was written in context where the New Testament canon did not yet exist, and the Jewish scriptures the Old Testament or the primary source of divine revelation. This historical proximity to the Old Testament provides strong justification for exploring whether the word in James one twenty one could refer to the Law of God or other aspects of God's Old Testament revelation. So it says, let's examine some Old Testament support for interpreting the ungrafted word the way that I have right. So number one Old Testament usage of word and its relation to the law. In the Old Testament, the term word is often used broadly to refer to God's revelation, including his commands, statutes, and moral law. All right, now, I'm going to bring some of these over Psal one nineteen.

49:31 This Psalm, a meditation on God's Law, often uses word interchangeably with law, statute, commands, and precepts. Did you hear that? Some one nineteen often uses the word word interchangeably with law, statutes, and commandments and precepts. So that's that's one of the longest. That's the longest, I think the longest chapter in the entire Bible. That is the longest, and it constantly uses it that way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path some one nineteen, one oh five. Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against THEE. In this context, word refers specifically to God's revealed law and moral instruction.

50:22 So when the word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path, the word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against THEE. The word is referring to God's revealed law moral instructions. That's what it's referring to. Deuteronomy, chapter thirty, verse fourteen. But the word is very near you in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. Here, Moses speaks of God's law described as being near and internalized. This language closely parallels James's imagery of the ungrafted word being implanted and received. The law of God. It's inside of you. Now, meekly receive it. And what do you do when you receive it? You do what it tells you to do. Run to Christ. It's your schoolmaster, it's your teacher. It's your tutor taking you to the answer. Hey, you've got a problem. You need help, Well, let me get you to the answer. It's the cross, it's his blood, it's imputed righteousness. The idea of God's law being implanted or internalized is not foreign to the Old Testament. Deuteronomy chapter six, verse six says these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. The law is to be internalized, shaping the inner life of the believer.

51:44 Psalm chapter forty, verse eight. I'd delight to do your will, Oh my God, your law is within my heart. This statement directly links that the law with an that links the law with an internal, heart based reality. While these passages do not use the term and grafted explicitly, they convey the idea of God's law being deeply rooted in the individual, influencing behavior and thought. Next, in the Old Testament, God's law or word has a dual role conviction of sin.

52:26 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The law reveals God's standard and brings awareness of sin. Similar to Romans Chapter three, verse twenty. For by them your Servant has warned, and in keeping them there is great rewards Psalm nineteen eleven, a preparation for repentance. The law is meant to lead God's people to a humble dependence on His mercy. This aligns with james call to receive with meekness theft word. How James reflects these Old Testament themes. James audience was likely Jewish Christians are those familiar with Jewish scripture. They would naturally associate the word word with the law of God as revealed in the Old Testament. Did you hear that the original context? The original recipients, when they heard the word word, they wouldn't be the Gospel. They would immediately connect it to the law of God that supports my view. Ladies and gentlemen.

53:36 James focus on practical righteousness, caring for the poor, controlling the tongue, showing no partiality, Mirror's Old Testament teaching on living according to God's law. The connection between looking into the perfect law of liberty and the ungrafted word makes sense if both refer to the divine standard found in the Law, which convicts of sins and drives people to humility. If James uses the word with an Old Testament framework, the ungrafted word could refer number one to the law of God's to the law of God, God's moral revelation written on the heart. Number two a condemning reality. Like Paul's use of the law in Roman seven, the ungrafted word may primarily function to expose sin. Number three, a call to grace. Receiving the law with meekness leads to recognition of guilt and ultimately to a salvation through God's provision.

54:33 In Christ, the Old Testament provides strong support for interpreting the ungrafted word in James one twenty one as the Law of God. The law written on the heart and internalized it reveals sin, brings conviction and leads to repentance and salvation. When received with humility. This interpretation fits james historical context, the audience's familiarity with the Jewish scriptures, and the broader biblical theology of the law's role in convicting and driving sinners to grace. It also preserves the tension between God's perfect standard and human inability to achieve It emphasizes the necessity of God's provision for salvation. So once Ai has said, well, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, don't just listen to what Christians say.

55:22 Let's put it in its historical context. This is Old Testament, and it was like, well, be readers would have understood the ungrafted word to mean law, that would not have understood it to mean gospel. So then it makes sense. We've got to be confronted with this law. This law exposes our sin. So what do we need to do. We need to receive with meekness the ungrafted word. Why it's able to save your soul without condemnation. There can be no salvation unless you're going to be saved from something other than sin. Salvation is about saving you from sin.

56:09 What shows you your sin when you receive the ungrafted word, which says you're a center you're a center. You're a center. You're a center. You're a center, You're a center. And you're like, man, I'm a sinner. What do I do? Well, this word is going to save your soul. How don't just be a hear of it? Be a doer of it? The law says you are guilty. But what does the law do? According to Paul, it takes you to christ go with it, follow it, do what it tells you to do. It tells you to run. And if you'll think about the Law of Moses, that's why there was two parts. You had the moral law, do this, don't do this, do this, don't do this. At the same time you had all of these ceremonial laws. Why did you need ceremonial laws because you're never keeping the moral law.

56:51 So you need an animal sacrifice, you need blood, you need to kill another animal, you need to shed more blood. Why because you're constantly felling the moral law. So what does the law inside of us? Do? It condemns us, It condemns us. So what do we do with it? Well, we got to run to a sacrifice, to a substitute, to a righteousness which we do not have. And so then where do we look. We look into the perfect law of liberty, and what is that The law has been fulfilled. Christ has done it for me. Christ has done it for me. And whoever looketh into the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein him, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man should be blessed in his deed. When you look to the fact that Christ has done it all for you, you are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. You are blessed because you are in Christ. Fifty eight minutes. Now, is my interpretation perfect? I'm not saying it is. Am I saying that it's dogmatically right, not even coming close to asserting that. What I've tried to do is give you an interpretation that is true to the language, true

58:23 to the context, true to the historical setting, and one that actually corresponds to reality and does not create this fraudulent reality and does not destroy a justification by an imputed righteousness by basically claiming you prove your salvation by what you do or don't do. No, my salvation is proven by what Christ did. Period. Now, I'm not saying it's perfect. But I think we're onto something and you'll see that. My view is. I don't think you're going to find anybody else presenting my view. I could be wrong.

59:13 Now you're free to go check you've got the sermon's two point oh apps, start working on listening to sermons on the ingrafted word and the law of liberty. Go to town. I think you're not going to hear anything like I have presented. I could be wrong, but I don't think you will. Now that doesn't mean I'm right, and make it very clear. In fact, when you kind of leave the majority and you're way over here by yourself, there's a high probability I'm wrong. But I just know this. I know all of these other views clearly aren't right either, because they almost constantly put forth this idea of what we can do that does not correspond to reality and almost inevitably turns proof of salvation not into what Christ did, but what you do, which destroys the whole concept of salvation by an imputed righteousness. All right, I wish I could say something rather profound. That was a lot of work.

1:00:13 My head actually hurts pretty bad right now, So I think I'm just gonna stop, all right. You may need to sharpen another pencil. Now you can write your critique and your reasons why I'm all wrong, or you can start typing everyone. Have a great night, God bless