James 1:19-27 A New Interpretation Pt 4

0:01 All right, Book of James, we have a lot to do today. I know we need to be in Isaiah forty. The goal this morning for Isaiah forty was I was going to step back a little bit, do an observational outline of the entire chapter, and then just kind of start going through the sections instead of I mean, I think we've dealt with all the controversy and the false comfort and all of that stuff. I think we've dealt with that, so I wanted to do that. Well. Also, desperately need to get back to Romans chapter four. But this week everything ended up in the Book of James. So I need to try to bring all of this week's focus to some kind of hopefully satisfying conclusion. Beneficial conclusion we will see. But go to James chapter two, verse twenty four. James chapter two, verse twenty four. This is not the key text for today, but James two twenty four is a good place to start.

1:00 James two twenty four. We read these words. Ye see then, how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only everybody see that. James two twenty four. We read it again. Ye see then, how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only. Now anyone who. Is not a Catholic, that raises some questions, right, because what's one of the key things we believe as a non Catholic Christian justified by faith alone? And what does this verse say? We're not justified by faith alone? So that creates problems. Now, throughout church history, there's a lot of people who did not necessarily like the Book of James. Right, Luther was obviously one of them, because it it poses lots of problems. Now, if you take probably most non Catholic Christian pastors and teachers, especially in certain evangelical and especially in Reformed traditions, they typically interpret James as presenting a framework to test the validity of one salvation through outward actions. That's almost every church, any Christian you know, if they go to church, that's how they hear the Book.

2:25 Of James taught. The Book of James is going to test the validity of someone's salvation, and that test is based off what not on Christ, but on your outward actions. This interpretation is often summarized in the idea that good works serve as evidence of genuine faith. This is the predominant non Catholic interpretation of James. All right, and so they'll quote like James two fourteen through twenty six, this entire section where basically it says faith without works as what dead and they understand dead to be what Now you're not saved? Right, That's the way they interpret it. This passage is commonly cited to argue that true faith must produce good works, implying that a lack of works calls one salvation into question.

3:16 And this view the commands and James controlling the tongue, caring for the poor, resisting worldliness are seen as a criteria for evaluating whether someone possesses saving faith. That's typically how it is viewed. Others that will go on to say things like many pastors interpret James as a way to distinguish between a true believer and a false professor. And then the proof comes through what your performance? This is the idea? Now, what would be a critique of this approach? Well, it has potential theological issues because it makes it confuses justification with what sanctification. It confuses it, it messes these up and so it and guess what else it does?

4:04 It undermines the imputed righteousness of Christ. So there's major theological imphasis. Problems when you look at this, and it possibly is a misreading of the entire Book of James. It could possibly be an entire misreading. So there's major problems when it comes to the Book of James. If you walk into any church and you do not go along with their teaching that James is a book that will prove and test someone salvation, you will find yourself what in conflict with it. If you stand behind a pulpit and say that reading and that interpretation of James is wrong, you will find yourself in conflict with whom most Christians, and you definitely won't have a job in most churches very long.

4:52 You're you're gonna be let go because. They demand that you understand it from a particular theological perspective. So what we're gonna be doing today is we're gonna be I'm gonna come up with a completely unique and new interpretation of a specific section in the Book of James. All Right, I'm gonna tell you how we got there, and I'm going to explain all of that in a minute, But let me stress this, all right. I wanted to have like I've got like five pages of notes. I could discuss this, but let me just state this. It's an emphatic, dogmatic assertion, and I believe I can prove it. Most of hermeneutics, most Bible interpretation, and most churches interpret the Bible based off a thiological system. They do not let the text speak for itself. They have a philological belief. They interpret the Bible that way, and so preaching is not about working on the text. Preaching is about simply reinforcing whatever one already believes.

6:02 Because if you step. Behind the pulpit and you actually deal with the text, what will be the end result. You will find yourself not in agreement with any philological system. If you stay true to the text, you will find yourself in conflict with every philological system. That's why the corporate church does not want this. They're liars. They don't want to study the Bible. They don't because if you really wanted to study the Bible, you're gonna be uncomfortable. Why because you're gonna be confronted with things like what apparent contradictions, things that make no sense, things that possibly I don't even know if we have good answers for nobody wants that.

6:48 Everybody wants it to come to church and get a nice, little canned presentation that makes them feel like they did a little bit of spiritual something and they get to go home feeling better about themselves. But they don't want to. Actually study the text, because if you study the text, it's not going to be nice and neat. It's gonna be ugly. It's gonna be messy, and guess what we're gonna have to say. Many times we don't have the answers. We don't know because sometimes we don't know, all right, So let's just get that out of the way, right. So when I try to interpret the text, I've stated this pretty I've tried to state this my whole life. I don't know if people here. I think a lot of people have attended this church but never believed me. But I do not.

7:29 Care at all about philological allegiance. I have no allegiance to a philological system. I don't care if I offend the Amillennial, the pre millennial, the Covenant, theology dispensational. I don't care if it's the reform non reform. I don't steaking care who gets offended, because it's irrelevant that you are committed to your little philological team. I don't wear your jersey, I don't represent your team. Don't care, I don't care. And that's the way every Christian should be. We should Our allegiance should not be to a thiological system. Now, if we're Catholics, our allegiance should be to a theological system, right, But if we're not Catholics, what do we claim that our allegiance is to Scripture and to Christ? But nobody really believes that it's the same thing. When we say the Scriptures are the final authority? What is the final authority?

8:26 And every and all of Protestant Christianity, the individual right, the Bible is not the final authority. Anybody who says the Bibles of final authority is a liar. You're making that up right, You are the final authority based off what your interpretation of scripture. So look, we just have to be honest with that. Now. I say all of that because I'm about to offer an interpretation that goes against everyone. Everyone nobody agrees with me. And I've already spent on the podcast. I went from this second century all the way to modern times. Okay, and nobody agrees with me at all. But I've worked on it, and worked on it, and worked on this.

9:08 Are you ready all right? The section is James chapter one, starting in verse nineteen. James Chapter one, starting in verse nineteen. Everyone ready, okay? Someone say yes, okay, all right? James Chapter one, in verse nineteen. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to here, slow to speak, slow to wrath, For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers, only deceiving.

9:51 Your own selves. For if any man be a hero of the word and not a doer, he's like unto a man beholding his natural face and a glass, For he beholdeth himself, goeth his way and straightway, forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein him, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be. Blessed in his deed. If any man among. You seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain, pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father. Is this to visit the fatherless and widow in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

10:41 Right, that's the section. Now, when you read that section, what do you think the emphasis is in most Christians mind? What is the emphasis in that section in your own mind? How would most Christians approach this passage? Okay, separation from the world, focus on works. Most sermons are going to be about what right? I think most sermons are going to focus on don't be a hearer of the word, be a doer of the word. And if you if you are not a doer of the word, what are you going to walk away when you leave church? If you're not a doer of the word, you're not safe. That's going to be the focus in almost everything here. Okay, And there's major problems with this.

11:38 So here's what happened. I chose a random sermon to review for the podcast, and the sermon was entitled the Law of Liberty. Right, And so they attempted to define what the law of liberty was. And then look at verse James Chapter one. Look at verse twenty one. There's a phrase in verse twenty one that it's in the two words are ingrafted word? See that? All right? So dis Sermon tried to identify or define what the law of liberty was, which is in what verse.

12:22 No. Twenty five. They tried to define what the law of liberty was, which is in verse twenty five, and they tried to define what the ungrafted word was in verse twenty one. All right, so they. Put forth their idea, This is what the ungrafted word is, this is what the law of liberty is. Right, they put forth their idea. I then went through the entire history of Christendom from the second century to modern times to see how they define what the ungrafted word is and what the law of liberty is. And then I had Ai give me its definition of what the ungrafted word is and law of liberty was. And when I was done with all of it, I said, everyone is wrong, right, because none of it made any sense. So in your Christian life, how have you defined the ungrafted word?

13:11 What have you thought the ingrafted word was in your Christian life. I mean, you've read James A Brazilian Times, so you've had to do something with it. Okay, the Gospel, that's the that's almost everyone goes. Okay, the Gospel, all right, how about the law of liberty? Okay, all right, okay, So the gospel is what some people say. Now if you go back in church history, they kind of like know that it wouldn't be the Gospel would be the law because okay, right, well, I'm saying the ungrafted word they would say was the law.

14:13 Okay, right. So but the bottom line is this is how almost everybody does in church history, whatever the raft. And I'm just summarizing. I don't because if I review it all, I mean I spent probably six hours already doing all of this. The ungrafted word, the law of liberty. The bottom line is, when it's all said and done, these things will transform you, change you. And the way you know you've received the ungrafted word, the way you know you've looked into the law liberty is because you do the right things, you've been transformed, you've been changed. You can keep the law, you can obey God, you can do it. That's basically what it all turns into, which I emphatically would deny because reality says it's not true. Right. So even when I got into a discussion when AI, I'm like, well, if you claim that all these changes are true, do Christians keep the law? Well no, A, I has to admit, well, does it that that interpretation does not fit reality? I'm like, okay, Well, if the interpretation doesn't fit reality, either I've got to change reality or I got to say this interpretation is wrong. So I'm like, boom, I'm going to work on it. So I spent I don't know an hour writing my own interpretation, and then I gave it to AI and the mean A.

15:23 Me and A and I had a back and forth argument forever on my interpretation, and so it gave me an analysis, a critique, and it gave all of my ideas. So my job here because on the on the podcast, I've already kind of given a basic understanding of what it is. But now I need to take my interpretation and make it work from verse nineteen to twenty seven, and then I have to try to determine if my interpretation of nineteen through twenty seven fits with the totality of the book. So are you ready to work on it? Here is my core framework. Are you ready? Here's the core framework for my interpretation. My interpretation number one starts with verse twenty one, which is the ungrafted word.

16:11 I interpret the a grafted word differently than everyone else did. I believe the ingrafted word refers to something that is mentioned in Romans chapter two, verses fourteen through fifteen. If you want to look. Romans chapter two, verses fourteen through fifteen, Romans two, fourteen through fifteen, tell me if you find it. Okay, what how do I interpret it? Then? Okay? Verse fifteen would show the work of the law written in their hearts. I believe that the ungrafted word refers to something that is implanted in every single person, whether Jew are gentile, and that is the law of God written on our hearts. Why do I believe it's that, Well, it says it's the ungrafted word, right if it's ingrafted, meaning what.

17:13 It's implanted inside of us? Okay? So I believe that this refers to the law written on the heart. I believe this is the thing that condemns us and it brings guilt. Okay. Does everybody see that? And what does it say we're supposed to do with this ingrafted word? And James two twenty one we must receive it with meekness. Now, when we receive it with meekness, then this law will fulfill its purpose. And what is the purpose of the law written in our hearts? To lead us to what will save us? The law does not save us? Need us to Christ for salvation? For salvation?

18:03 Right? Correct? So what what is my How do I interpret the law, the ingrafted word, the law that is written inside of us? What is our responsibility then, per se to receive it with magnus? And when we say receive it with magnus, what are we simply doing accepting and acknowledging that we are guilty? And what it says it is true? And then it does, then we allow it to fulfill its purpose, which to lead us to the to Christ. Right. That's that's foundational point number one. Everybody got that all right? Number two? The law of liberty James one twenty five.

18:45 What are we supposed to do with the law of liberty? To look into it continuously? Right? Does everybody see that we are to continue to look into the law liberty? How do you think I define the law liberty. I believe the law of liberty refers to the moral law fulfilled in Christ, which frees us from condemnation. From sin. All right. When we look into the law liberty, it shows us that the law that condemns us has been filled.

19:28 So then it sets us free. What does it set us free from? No, it does not set us free from the power of sin. So that's where I completely disagree with all of christiandoms what. Guilt? Guilt? It frees us from guilt from condemnation. Right, because when. We look into the law of liberty, what do we see? Christ has fulfilled that law? So we're no longer condemned by it does not free us from the power power of it, or then we could be perfect? All right? This perfect law is that not referred to perfect, reflects both Christ's perfect fulfillment of the law and his example of love. So again, here are these are my foundational points, my core framework. What's number one, the ingrafted word is what the law right in our hearts? The law of liberty is what that law fulfilled in Christ? And then number three, this is a third key point, living positionally and true love Practically, this command the commands in this passage.

20:38 All the commands in this passage are calls to live out practically what is already positionally true in Christ with a humble awareness of human inability. This necessitates a constant reflection on and dependence upon the law of liberty. When we see, we're supposed to try to live out what is true positionally, but we have to cont you to look to the law of liberty. Why because when we try to do these things, what are we going to find? When we try to do these things, what are we going to find that we don't do it? So we have to go back and continually look into the law of liberty for us. To have any hope. Right? Does everybody got that? So?

21:19 What are my three key points? Basically, the a grafted word is the moral law. The law of liberty is the law fulfilled in Christ. And then number three, we have to understand the idea of living positionally versus practical living. That's kind of a best way to describe that. I still could work on number three a little bit more. I think I would change that now, but that's okay. For now, we'll just go along with what I originally stated. We'll leave it there. Those are the key that's the key found that's the foundation. Everybody got the foundation, that's the key. Framework, the core framework. Now, let's start with a detailed interpretation of verse nineteen all the way.

22:00 To twenty seven. Everybody ready sounds good? All right? What do we have in verse nineteen to twenty? Look nineteen to twenty. What do we have? We do have a wherefore, and we'll have to get to that when we connect this to the rest of the book. But 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. Everybody see that? What do we have in verse twenty? Okay, I already got that for the wrath? Okay, I was already jumping to twenty one. But nineteen to twenty. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swifty here, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Now, this seems to be dealing with practical way of living, practical something.

22:57 Like what do we do with this? Well, we could handle this way right, We could possibly see this is kind of dealing with the problem that we're going to have to find a solution for right. So this maybe we could Some may. Try to refer to this as the preparing of the heart. I think maybe this is more of a revealing of the heart, but it's revealing something about us, right, so it deals with Could we agree that this kind of deals with anger, possibly pride, maybe self justification? These days would hinder the ability to receive the ungrafted word with meekness.

23:38 To allow the law to do its work, believers must approach it with humility, acknowledging its authority and their sinfulness. I think what we can say this. Is demonstrating the wrong kinds of attitude. In fact, if you go nineteen twenty even the first part of twenty one, look at all the things we have here. Right, so we need to be what swift to hear, slow. To speak, and slow to wrath? Everybody hear that? Right? For why? Because the wrath of God worketh not the right. The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. I think wrath anger is something every person is experienced to some level. Yes, okay, wherefore lay. Apart all filthiness, superfluity of naughtiness, right, these are all these This is kind of revealing the heart that we've got this problem. Can everybody see that the righteousness of God that anger cannot produce is only found in Christ.

24:31 So I think this is all demonstrating or revealing the heart. Here's some of the issues we deal with, right, we've got look at all the things that are listed here. Do we have a tendency not to do we have a tendency not to listen? Can we agree that we have a tendency not to listen? So it says we need to be swift to hear. Right. Do we have a tendency to be fast to speak? Yes? We do have a tendency to be fast to get upset? Yes? And all of that really indicates what a self centered attitude. I want to be heard, I don't want to listen. To you, and I have a tendency to get ticked off when things don't go my way. Right, I think we can all agree that. And the next what do we have lay apart all filthiness? That filthiness is translated in different ways, in different translations, how.

25:22 Is it in the NIV. All moral filth Okay, now where everyone's getting involved in this, right? What else? And the evil that is so prevalent, right is this is? Now? What is this outlining in this first section? I'm gonna say it's revealing the condition of the heart. Some some may AI wanted me to call this preparing of the heart, but I don't like calling it the preparing of the heart. I think it's revealing the problem. Yes, that describes us. We are self centered, we will get agree when things don't go our way, and we're morally corrupt.

26:04 That is who we are. I think it's revealing that. Does that make sense? So then what are we to do in regards to all of this? Well, it says we got to put this aside, right, but then what does it tell us to do Verse twenty one, Receive with meekness the ingrafted word. Receive with meekness the ingrafted word. Everybody see that. So I don't necessarily like saying that this prepares the heart. What I would like to show you is that this reveals the condition of the heart, and the heart's messed up, and we need to receive with meekness something that's different from the condition of our heart. Right, what are we to receive the ungrafted word? And how are we to receive it? Humbly, meekly? Now, what is that giving you the idea of it's the opposite of pride and self centered?

27:13 Right? In other words, if you receive it meekly, what are you going to do? You're going to accept what it says? And what does the ingrafted word say? The ingrafted word is going to show you all the things that was just stated in the text, right, that you are a self centered person who only wants to be heard, You don't want to listen to anyone, you get ticked off, and you're morally corrupt. You have to receive the truth of the condition of your heart humbly. Not because what do we have a tendency to do when we hear all of those bad things about us? Do we tend to justify ourselves, defend ourselves, or excuse ourselves?

27:54 They say, we must humbly receive it. So I think what we have here is at the beginning of here we have the condition of her heart that should should that should that speaks to the truth of the ingrafted word that's inside of us. It's the ingrafted word that speaks to this. Does that everyone follow that? All? Right? So the ungrafted word, if it's understood as the moral law as I interpret it. Then it's written on the heart. That's where it is. It exposes sin and it leads to guilt. When it is received humbly, it fulfills its purpose and it points us to Christ for salvation. Because what does it say, receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls. How does the ingrafted word save your soul? Because it points to you to Christ.

28:49 It takes you to Christ. But you've got to be able to receive it, all right, And look at Galatians three twenty four. Galatians three twenty four. Tell me what you find when you get to Glatians three twenty four. Oh, DC, that it's our schoolmaster which brings us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. The law saving.

29:29 Power is not in obedience to it, but its role as a tutor to drive us to Christ. It's continual. It's continual conviction sustains dependence on Christ even after salvation. The law's power is not in our obeying it. The law's power is in driving us to Christ. Because we cannot obey it, and I cannot. I want I want you to hear this again, it's continual conviction, the continual conviction. Of the law. It sustains your dependence on grace even after salvation. Somehow, as Christians were no longer convicted by the law because we look at the law as something that we can do. No, the law inside of you should make you constantly dependent upon grace because it's a constant reminder that you want cannot do it.

30:28 So all of these things, it's kind of a circle. Right, Hey, we get a we all of these things that it mentions our pride are not listening, wrath, moral corruption, All of these things are the are the the The ingrafted word points to all of those things, and all of those things point to our need to listen to the ungrafted word. Right If I look at my life and I see selfishness, self centered, pride, moral corruption, what should it do. Well, I've got to listen to someone, Right, Well, I should listen to the thing inside of me saying. You're guilty, You're guilty, You're guilty, You're guilty. If I will receive the truth of that ingrafted word, which points out all of those things that are listed, then what will I be driven to to.

31:16 Christ, which is salvation? Do. So everybody see how that kind of all works together on one sense. I've got to be able to put that aside. But I put it aside in what way I put it aside? Simply to listen. To the word? Does that make sense? I am turning from it to turn to the word which says you are guilty of these things. Now follow me to Christ? Does that make sense there? All? Right? So then with that, so that. Gets us from nineteen to twenty one, right, It kind of reveals the condition of the heart, and it points us that we have to listen to the word that's inside of us. However, we would like to break that down. Okay, Now that brings us then to what twenty two to twenty four, which is where most pastors run to you.

32:06 But they run to twenty two to twenty four and separate it from the part that comes before. Right, So this is how most pastors handle it. Hey, you need to stop doing bad stuff. You need to receive the word that's inside of you, which they'll quote is the Gospel. That's how they'll handle it. And then how do you know you've received the Gospel that's inside of you? What is verse twenty two to twenty four. Say, all right. So the way that way they would interpret that is, how do you know you've received the ingrafted word because of what you do? And the ungrafted word is the gospel? The ungrafted word is not the gospel. The ingrafted word is the moral law written on a right Is the gospel just written in everyone's heart?

32:51 No, it's all. There's all kinds of problems with this interpretation. So then how should we handle verse twenty two to twenty four in light of what how I interpret the grafted word? What do you think according to what I have given you? How would you interpret? Now? Being a doer of the word, Christ does not enable us. If he enables us, we could be perfect.

33:35 Okay, Well, when we receive the word with meekness, what does it tell us to do? Go to Christ? We just looked at Galatians three, right, So to be a doer of the word is to do what. To listen to the word that's inside of us, and do what let him fulfill its purpose, which is to. Take us where. Don't anybody can hear that you're guilty? Right? Will? Everyone'll agree with that? Can anyone hear that they are guilty? Yes? But it's different to hear that you're guilty versus doing what allowing that guilt to drive you to Christ for salvation? Anyone can hear it, Is it of any value if you just hear that you're guilty, not for salvation? Right, It's got to do more than just hear it. You've got to do it in a sense of what is the law? What is that internal law telling you to do?

34:29 You gotta flee to what to something that can save you? Does that make sense? So being a doer means responding to the condemnation of the law, not by ignoring it, but by allowing it to drive one to Christ. Does everyone see that? But be doers of the word and not hearers? Only deceiving your own selves. If all you do is hear it and you don't do anything about it, you're just you. It's not doing you any value. It's not doing you any good to do it. We are so programmed to immediately interpret that versus what about obedia about I gotta do this and don't listen to rock and roll and don't watch Netflix, and don't do this, and don't do this, And that's not what the.

35:17 Verse is talking about. It's talking about doing what the ungrafted word tells you. What is the ingrafted word? It is the law written on your heart. What does that law tell you? You are guilty? You're guilty, You're guilty. We want to interpret that. Well, then I'll just do better. You can't do better, so then you have to be driven to Christ. Now what it goes from the hearing and doing? What happens in verse twenty three and twenty four. Yeah, the mirror, right, So the mirror of the ingrafted word reveals in perfections.

36:03 Right when you look in the mirror. When you look at the mirror, what do you typically do? Okay, this is not a true question. When you look in a mirror, what do you typically do? You? You know, just look in the mirror. Go okay, never mind, everything's perfect. Now you look at a mirror and typically do well, oh, let me fix this, let me fix this, let me do this. You do something correct. And it says if all you do is look into the mirror and just walk away and forget it, then there's of no practical value. Right, Well, what do we to do when we look to the law, the ungrafted word inside of us, what do we see are imperfections. Right now, What most preachers will do is say, well, then this means you have to try to do better.

36:45 But that's not what it's talking. The mirror reveals the imperfection and calls us to go to Christ. It does not call for self self righteous action. We interpret that that means, oh, I got to fix myself. I can't fix myself. Everything about the ingrafted word tells me to go where to Christ? So if I'm gonna do it and I'm going to look in the mirror, I can either look in the mirror and go, well, give man, you're right, I'm guilty, all right, see you later. Or I can be like, man, I'm guilty. What do I do here? Well, I gotta go to the one who can fix it. Correct. That's the whole point. Yes, right, So ignoring the law's conviction is self deceptive.

37:29 A true response involves recognizing one sin, turning to Christ. That's what we are called to do. Now. There may be a call here to some practical action, but in this immediate context, I think the practical action comes later. This is all about what hey, guys, do you see this in yourself? Is our heart revealed in all of those things that's described. It reveals it. How is it revealed by the ingrafted word inside of you? What should you do? Receive the ungrafted word inside of you so it will take you to Christ. So, then, guys, don't just be a. Hearer of it, be a doer of it. Look into the mirror and allow it to do what it's purpose.

38:15 The ungrafted word's purpose is to do what bring you to Christ. You can either just hear it and not do it, or you can just look into it and not do anything about it. And the doing is not about our ability. To keep it. It's about us going to Christ for forgiveness from it. Does that make sense? It's the only way this passage will work, all right? So then then what does that bring us to? All of that brings us to then what but whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty? Now we're to the law of liberty. Now what is the law of liberty? The law of liberty is the moral law fulfilled in Christ provides freedom from condemnation. To look into it is to see Christ's perfect fulfillment and to live in continual dependence on His grace.

39:15 Now this, if you follow my. Interpretation from nineteen to twenty seven is a progression. It flows perfectly. What are we confronted with at the beginning of nineteen twenty verses nineteen twenty and twenty one A. What are we confronted with in those first that first section the reality of our heart right, the reality of our sin. We're morally corrupt, we're self seeking, we get angry, we don't listen right, and then we are But then we're given a kind of a solution. What is that solution? Hey, listen to the very thing that points out all of that moral corruption, which is the and grafted way. Now what are you to do with the grafted word? You to do what it says, which is to take you to Christ.

40:05 Look into it. Do what it says, go to Christ. Once I get to Christ, then what am I to do? You see the progression? Now we're up to look into the law of liberty? Because when I look into the law of liberty? What do I see? I see that Christ has fulfilled the law. All that stuff that condemns me, Christ has fulfilled it. So it provides me freedom from condemnation. To look into is to see Christ's perfect fulfillment and to live continually independence of grace, blessing and doing. Blessing comes not from achieving perfection, but from preserving and humble.

40:48 Dependence upon what Christ has done. I am relying on his completed work. Does everybody see that? For whosoever looketh into the law of liberty and continue with there in him being not a forgetful here. Don't be a forgetful hearer of what There's two things we cannot forget. We cannot forget that the moral law, that the law written on our hearts condemns us. And we cannot forget that Christ has fulfilled it for us. Do you hear that? Don't be just a hear be a doer? Right? You got to get to Christ. When I get there? What do I have to do? I look into the law of liberty? How long do I look into it? Forever? Continually?

41:29 And I don't forget what it says, which says what your sins are forgiven? You have been said free. What does it say? Don't be a forgetful here? Do you see that? But be a doer of the work. This man shall be blessed in his deed. Now it says, be a doer of the work. Now that can confuse. A lot of people, wait, wait, what work? What work? What work are we called to do? Us a work? Look to the Gospel of John. I believe it's chapter six. I believe it's John chapter six. Everyone should know this verse?

42:17 Uh see here? I mean, oh, I don't know if. I I should have written the reference down. Oh? Yeah, which verse? Okay? I thought, see it's a number, So my mind said it's thirty nine. Okay, all right, all right, here we go, uh twenty nine, Yeah, here we go. Everybody ready, look at first twenty eight John six twenty eight then said, they unto him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? Oh it's a work. Oh, everybody loves to talk about work. Well, what is the work we are to do? Jesus answered and said it to him, this is the work of God that you believe.

42:59 On him whom he hath sent. You want to talk about work, that's the work. Believe. So when we look into the law of liberty, what's the work that I'm to do? Believe in that law that says Christ has fulfilled it. That's the only thing that works. Because if I have to work, well, it's not going to work all right, does that make sense? Okay, now that brings us where go back to James one, and then it says this man should be blessed in his deed see the end of verse twenty five. Well, we are blessed in Christ with what all spiritual blessings according to Ephesians chapter one. Right when we look at Matthew five and it says blessed is to him blessed? Who's this blessed? Is this the beatitudes? Most every church you go to will tell you how do you get those beatitudes blessings of those beatitudes?

44:02 By what you do? It's this dumbest thing, oh man, that. Drives me crazy. You can't do the beatitudes? How do I receive the blessings from the beattitudes? Because the entire Sermon on the Mount is law that shows me I cannot, but Christ did, and in Christ I have all spiritual It's not that complicated. But we want to make it all about what we do, and then we want to believe that we can do it. We can't do it. Christ did. So then from so we have the ingrafted word, which is the law that reveals all of this problem. We are to receive it. We are to do it. We are to look into it, we are to follow it, right, and that is to lead us to Christ. Then when once we get there, we look into the law of liberty, and what do we see? It's all been done for us.

44:48 So then what do we do with verse twenty six and twenty seven? What do we do with twenty six and twenty seven? Then? Well, remember everything is progressive here, right? Where did everything start with the condition of us as sinners?

45:28 Right? Where does that? Where do we get that information from the word that's inside of us? It shows us our sin that's the ingrafted word. What are we to do? Humbly receive that message and be condemned by it? Then we are to do what it says and look into it and follow it, which will drive us to Christ, which is the law of liberty. When I look into the law liberty, what do I discover? Christ has fulfilled it all for me? Right, and so that I'm blessing him. So then there's a progression. Right, we go from basically the guilt, the condemnation the law Christ Christ fulfilled it. Now we have verse twenty six and twenty seven. What is verse twenty six and twenty seven and that progression of thought. Okay, how can I put this all?

46:27 Right? What should flow from guilt the law inside of us, driving us to Christ? And then seeing that Christ has fulfilled the law for us? What should flow from that? Okay? It should? We should respond to that in a way that's different because of gratitude for what has been done for us. True religion, isn't that The whole point that he describes here is true religion? Yes? Right, if any of you seem to be religious, right, A man's religion is named pure religion.

47:13 It's all about. A legitimate religion, a true religion. A true religion should flow from what a heart of gratitude for what Christ has done for us, practical love for others, and pursuit of purity should be a response to the law of liberty reflecting Christ's character. What do we always say? What is the Christian What is the goal of the Christian life? To live out practically? What is true? Positionally? When I look into the law of liberty? What do I see my positional standing? I'm pure, I'm perfect, I'm holy. Now what should flow from that?

47:57 A desire to live it out? This is where. Somehow people get confused whenever I preach you. About this life, you're just saying you can do whatever you want. I have never said that. Anyone who says that is a liar. They don't bother to listen. These actions, now this is important, are undertaken with a constant acknowledgement of what when we attempt to do the things mentioned in twenty six and twenty seven, what do we have to constantly acknowledge we are never going to do these anywhere close to the right way. Has anybody here figured out how to bridle his tongue?

48:38 I'm not the only one who has right. Okay, right, what does she know? Okay? Right? All right, keep ourselves unspoted from ladies and gentlemen. We're still guilty of this. We pursue it, but with a constant awareness of what we can't do it and what constantly tells us that we're not doing it perfectly. The ungrafted word constantly says, hey, you're guilty, you're guilty, you're guilty, you're guilty, you're guilty, you're guilty, and which then constantly, then what are we to do with that guilt? We are to be not hearers of it, but doers of it.

49:19 We're to look in the mirror and be taken right back to the law of liberty. So we have to continually look into the law of liberty, which then hopefully will continually to motivate us to pursue this, even though we know we cannot do this all right, as so, I asked AI to explain. This is what AI says. These commands are calls to live out love positionally. These commands are calls to live out love positionally true in Christ. They require humility as believers recognize our inability to perfectly fulfill them and continually return to the law of liberty.

50:00 Circle we try to live it out. But when we live it out, the ingrafted word says, what you can't? What do we do? Were either going to be hearers or doers? The doers will then we'll go right back to Christ. We look into the mirror, What does it lead us back to Christ? Does everybody see that we look into the law of liberty and then we should move forward to try to do more? Does that make any sense? All right? Now? I want to do an analysis of this. There's a lot more I want to do here, but I want to make sure we just have this down right? Is anybody confused by any part of that? Please ask the question, because if you'll ask the question, will save people from emailing me asking the questions. Now, just please note that may make it very clear. Whenever I give a new interpretation, I always refer to it as a hypothesis because I know there's no one on earth that's going to agree with us. Right. Every church will say we are wrong. They would say we're heretical. We'd probably be accused of being an anti nomian, we'd be called cheap grace, we'd be thrown into the eighteenth level of hell and say we're all gonna burn because we're not truly saved. Okay, I don't really care what anybody else thinks, but I just want you to know that if you share that interpretation with anybody else, you're gonna be condemned as being a heretic.

51:25 All right, but why what do you think? Is my guiding reason we're trying to reinterpret this because every interpretation says, oh, the ungrafted word, it gives us power. The law of liberty gives us power. We can go do all of these things. Well, guess what nobody who says we can do these things can do those things, so then it's a lie and I cannot have an interpretation that denies reality. Let's see. I Well, if you. Go with their interpretation, it makes perfect sense. Right, Hey, do it or you're not saved. Do it, or you're not saved. Do it or you're not that's all they're gonna say.

52:05 Do it. They can't tell you how much you have to do to be saved, but you've got to do a certain amount in order to be saved. Right now, I think there's I think they misinterpret James two twenty six, and I don't even know how to read it because they're misinterpreting it completely. All right, But now why would I go with the the engrafted word is the law and not the Gospel. Well, I'll just throw this out. James is the earliest New Testament writing we have. It's like forty four a d. There's not even a New Testament canon at the time he's writing. He's writing to Jews right to twelve scattered tribes in verse one? Is it verse one that says that I think it's James one one?

52:45 You can verify if I'm right. Okay, then he's writing to Jews how are they gonna understand it? They're gonna understand it. As law, right, because over and over and over, guess what is used interchange Like in some one nineteen the word and law are interchangeable. Right, So they're going to understand the ungrafted word as law to some level. Right, to some level, they're going to understand it. Now, law of liberty may be confusing to them because they would not have ever understood the law bringing too much liberty. So that's a new concept. So I think, I think it holds.

53:27 Water, but it's it's you've basically got two options. Well, let's do this. Can we agree that the way it's written is somewhat complicated to try to understand the way James one nineteen through twenty seven. The way it's written its somewhat complicated to understand. That's why most preachers focus on why be doers of the word? Not here is only? And it turns into an entire sermon and how we hear the Bible preach, but we don't do what the Bible says, And this proves that some people aren't safe. That's that's just because that's like, come on, anybody. Can write that sermon that's not even difficult. You don't even need to go to Bible College to write that sermon. And it turns into moralism, and it turns into works.

54:09 It destroys the Gospel of grace, and everything is about. Do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this. That is a problem. But what is the implied concept? And the first sermon that I reviewed to start all of this, the implied concept of that entire sermon was what you can keep the law? Well, any preacher that implies that I can keep the law is a complete liar. You know what I'm gonna say. The Bible says be holy as God is holy. If you don't do that, you cannot keep the law. If you don't follow that one scripture, be holy as God is holy? What does that make you a perpetual sinner? Because every day, every hour you're not as holy as God as holy.

55:04 You are in what. You are a sinner because you're not obeying that one command. That's one command. Then I could go to Matthew five, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect? Are you perfect as God is perfect? So those are two commands that you don't do. I can add to it, So we're in a perpetual state to understand James. The way everyone understands it is flawed and completely wrong. So this is the best interpretation we can come up with as of right now. We'll analyze it in the next hour and see what we can do with it. All right, does that make some sense? All right, we'll stop right there. Well, God, we come before you this morning or we thank you for an opportunity to be in a place where we can try to work on interpreting your word, even if it goes against everyone else. We pray that you will help us continue to think about this passage, give it much attention, and see if we can come to even better understanding. We asked this in Jesus name, and God's people said Amen. M