Like Father, Like Son

Good afternoon, brethren. It's nice to see you all. I actually can't see you from here. But anyway, it's lovely to be with you all, and it was lovely to see Jenny singing. It really is such an honor and pleasure to parents to see that and a change in life. As a daughter, obeys God and changes the life, it really is a great joy. I want to thank also Mr. Valtchev, Chevy, for a very appropriate and encouraging sermonette. Very simple, but very meaningful. It's not the great elaborate words, but it's the depth of meaning and value that it was very, very valuable. We've got a lady in Lexington, in our congregation, who is our pastor. She just had a knee replacement. You probably know her or sent her cards. And she's just so grateful. She just mentioned to me last week or the week before how all the cards that she received, they really helped her. And Brethren, it does help people. It does help people. So it is very encouraging that. Also, as it was mentioned by Mr. Uzzer, I just came back from Brazil about two or three weeks ago. And I'm very pleased to see the growth there of the Brethren in the Northern Brazil. I only went to the area in the Northern Brazil, where Chevy was a couple of months back, around about Passover. We had 47 Brethren there, where it was only a few. They came from another congregation that had left from us about two or three years ago. They came back. They're now with us. They understood that they had been led astray. And there is peace there in the congregation, and there's great joy. And I admire the people who had the courage to come back and be together. They also spent a bit of time with them counseling and giving them advice for the feast this year. I left some video sermons with them. They have a big plasma-type TV there that they used to watch the videos that some of the Brethren are donated. And they use it every Sabbath. It's their lifeline, in a sense, to God's Word and the Church and to the people. They also counseled a few of the young people there. I baptized three people while I was there. The reason that's running a lot smoother that way is because I did record three pre-Baptism counseling sessions in the video format and the local deacons there have the responsibility. As people want to come to baptism, they have to sit with them and coach them through those three pre-Baptism counseling sessions about faith and baptism and repentance. And they basically, then, when I go there, it's just a lot smoother because they've gone through that and they prepared and therefore that was very encouraging to see. I also conducted a leadership seminar there. We had 23 people in the leadership seminar. We did that on Sunday. I went there this time with Mr. Shannon Lucas from Big Sandy, where you probably know him. And when you see him, you can ask him about how to go. And I believe that he was very encouraged to be there. And he enjoyed it. I'm sure he'll say that to you because I could see he did enjoy it. The other thing that we did, we did a kingdom of God seminar there. It's like our third kingdom of God seminar we did there. We had some 37 people or so at the kingdom of God seminar there, so that was very nice. So there is some growth there. But one of the things I did while I was there is I want to look for a feast site for next year, 2014. I have been trying to look for a feast site for a number of years in that area.

And about two years ago I thought God just was not opening a door or maybe that's all that God wanted and that didn't quite work out. But this time I went back to this one place which is about 20 miles outside of the town, all Tardereau there. It's a little... think about it, like a water park with a nice air-conditioned hole, nice little bungalows air-conditioned, very well kept. And I've got a big area also for the Ameridians to keep the feast and a whole kitchen which we could use. And when we went to speak to them, the son of the owner just basically only wanted to give us whatever we needed. And he kept saying, whatever you want will accommodate. They also have buses and means to get to fetch the brethren from the airport. So it really is a very pleasant looking option and we've already got the prices from them. And so we are pleased to announce that we will have a feast in northern Brazil in 2014 that brethren can feel comfortable to attend. We'll probably have of the local brethren there somewhere in the region of about 50 or 60 because I believe some of the brethren from Guyana will also come across. And so it will promise us to be very exciting. It's not a feast where you're going to be touring and visiting things. There's going to be a feast where you're going to stay there. They've got very nice, clean reservoir of water, things for children to play. They've got water volley with nice nets. They've got volleyball nets all laid up, all ready, balls, everything laid up there, soccer fields. And as I mentioned, a lovely hole about the size of this hole, maybe a little narrower and a little deeper, and air condition with all the facilities, baco, projector, Wi-Fi, everything. So it really, in that area, I think it really is a blessing to have that. So if you're interested in that, please feel free to come and talk to me a little later.

You know, brethren, I have, in fact, I should say, I had an older brother, and I enjoyed watching my older brother doing a number of things that I couldn't do because he was about eight years older than me. But also see how he treated, or not treated, my parents, our parents. And therefore, I knew quite a bit about him. And I think many of you can say the same thing. You may have brothers or sisters, and as they grow older, if they tell you how you should behave, you probably could tell them, what about what you did here? Now, I want you to please turn with me to John chapter 14, verse 10 and 11. John chapter 14, verse 10 and 11. This is Christ talking after the last meal, after the food washing ceremony, and he's talking to the disciples and he says, Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak of my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does the works. So he's basically saying, if you want to know what the Father is like, look at me because like Father, like Son, I am just like the Father. And he says, believe me that I am the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. And so he was saying to the disciples that walked with him for three and a half years, if you want to know the Father, look at me.

But you know, the disciples only knew him for three and a half years. But Jesus' younger brother, James, knew him through his young adulthood until he became an adult and he gave his life. James could tell you how Christ really was because, just like you can tell about your older brother what he did as a teenager and things like that, because you remember, so could James.

And James, therefore, as the physical brother of Jesus Christ, understood what true Christianity is all about.

Not just those three and a half years, but what it is to be a son that is just like the Father.

And so if you and I want to learn about how to be like Christ, who else can we turn to that can give us more solid, practical, meaningful, valid direction than James? And so if you turn with me to the book of James, in chapter 1, verse 1, it says, James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He even has the respect of not calling him my older brother, but he just says the Lord Jesus Christ.

To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. So yeah, is James writing a letter to the church of God, which is scattered through the nations of the twelve tribes of Israel that were scattered around the world.

And so his message was one that was pretty generic to the church.

And you know, his message is equally applicable to us today as the church of God scattered around the world.

One of the great critics against the book of James is a man called Moth and Luther, which you may have heard. And he strongly opposed the epistle of James by calling it an epistle of straw.

He says that because it doesn't really mention much about Christ. He concentrates that in the book of James, according to Martin Luther, that it's not by works, you know, that works alone, that you need works as well. So he's against that. And then he criticizes the layout or the organization of the book of James.

That's got no order or method and various other things around the book of James.

Brethren, James is not an epistle of straw. James is an epistle of strong meat about Christian living.

And so my purpose today, brethren, is to make it clear how the book of James teaches us true practical Christianity in a very balanced way between faith, works, law, use of tongue, and various other things, which are very basic to practical true Christianity.

And that with the intent for us to achieve our goal as Christians, which is to be like the Father. In other words, to be like Christ and he Christ, like Father, like Son, he was like the Father. And so that is the purpose of the book of James in a way to teach us what true Christianity is about.

But it is important to put it into a context of that time because James was writing it in those early New Testament times to a church which was being torn apart, let's put it this way, by two extremes.

Extreme on one side and extreme on the other side.

You see, one extreme on one side was that justification by Christ's sacrifice alone is not sufficient because you were required to do additional things.

You had to have and do little do's and little don'ts and therefore very tied to an extreme Judaism and obviously different degrees to this one side of extreme of things that you needed to do beyond Christ. And in fact, there are other scriptures of Paul that talk about don't go beyond Christ, which is what Paul was referring to.

So you have that extreme on one side. That's what's happening in the Church of God. People coming in and that you remember, that's why there was the Acts 15 conference. There was that whole poll on that side saying we need to do these things. And the apostles agreed under the inspiration of God's Spirit that some of those things were not required.

And particularly, they were not required to the Gentiles.

And then there's the other side, the other extreme that the Church was being pulled off with different ideas, which basically was a lot of Gentiles coming into the Church.

And these Gentiles were bringing in their own wrong practices and dressing them up as Christian.

And we still have that today, as you all know.

Pagan practices dressed up as Christian.

And therefore, we had people being affected by the world and the things of the world.

And really, the concept that is today more sophisticated, but it's the same sort of concept, the same pull from this idea, which says it's faith only.

Or in other words, if you disobey, it's okay because Christ will forgive you.

It was a license to disobey.

And so in the Church, there were these two camps and various degrees in between pulling the brethren.

And that is equally valid today, brethren.

And it's going to be equally valid even the few days ahead, in the years ahead.

Those pressures are going to increase. You see, you have this one side of people getting caught up on tweaks, on different concepts and ideas, on thoughts and greater intellectual understanding that they have, of little do's and don'ts about the law, arguing about words, arguing about dates, arguing about new moons, and I don't know what else.

Arguing about when was Christ died or not, and which day, and different things like that.

In other words, a lot of them are interpretations, which are individual interpretations, and conclusions, which are not direct biblical statements or direct biblical implications.

So there's this one side pulling in with ideas and different things, whatever they are. And there's different degrees of it, of course.

I don't want to go into there, but I just want to leave you with one or two scriptures about that approach. And first is in Romans 10, in Romans 10, verse 3 and 4. In Romans 10, verse 3 and 4.

And it says, For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, in other words, their own self-righteousness, they have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

For Christ is the end of the law. Now, this is one side of the people saying, well, they've got their own thing, their own self-righteousness, not submitting to the righteousness of God. And they've got this other camp here saying, you see, it's the end of the law, you don't have to obey. But that's, again, missing the whole point.

You see, Christ is the ultimate example of how to obey the law. That's the end! You can't go beyond Christ and put more than what Christ is. And therefore, when Christ lives in us, and God's Holy Spirit is dwelling in us, that, as we practice and we live a Christian, true, practical Christian life, that is it.

Christ fulfilled the full example of law, obedience, and in the end, He is the judge, isn't it? He is the judge! And so is the end! He is going to be the ultimate judge! He is the end of the law, and He is the one that's going to say, that's it.

And so what we find is issues, as we really are in Romans 10, of self-righteousness, trying to establish their own righteousness. And a lot of them are based on issues of pride and lack of submission to the authority that God has established.

And God has established an authority.

I'm not going to turn there, but you'll remember in Colossians 2, 16, and 17, which it says, let no man judge you on these different matters, but the Church of God. And people today have a disdain for the authority that God has established in the Church of God.

I'm sad to say.

And beware, of course, there's been a lot of people that have misused that authority, but the point is, it doesn't do away with the authority that God has established through the apostles, from Christ, the Church that He established.

You see, so that is one extreme. The other extreme is the one about faith alone.

You see, you don't need the law. You see, the approach that Martin Luther had, you don't need the law.

And this, again, is also, let's look just a few scriptures in James himself, James 2, verse 8.

If you turn with me to James 2, verse 8, he addresses this very briefly. Where he says, if you really fulfill the royal law.

You know, the kingly law. The law of the kingdom of God, of the kingdom of the kingdom of God, according to the scripture, which basically says, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You do well.

And that's what we heard in the sermon here today. A simple, practical application of how to love your neighbor as yourself.

And then a little further, he says in verse 13, For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Can you see the sequence that James uses? Yeah? First, there is righteousness. You've got to obey the law. In other words, there's got to be justice.

Now, justice means law is first.

Then there is mercy applied afterwards.

You see, what the people that have the fight for the long thing, and while you can just do everything because Christ has forgiven you, they put the thing the way around. They put mercy first and then justice. You see, but Christ said, The weightier matters of the law is justice first, then mercy, and then faith.

And there is a sequence. First is justice, the law first. Then, upon repentance, which means you acknowledge and you change your life and now you're committed to obey, then there's mercy. And as it says here, mercy triumphs over judgment.

Brethren, you'll either receive mercy or judgment.

That's it. At the end of the way, it's either mercy or judgment.

Which one do you want?

And then, if you continue reading in verse 14, what does it prother my brethren? Somebody says he has faith but does not have words. You see, then he brings faith. Again, the weightier matters of the law that James' elder brother, Jesus Christ, said, the weightier matters of the law is justice, mercy, and faith. And you see how James brings them here in this section, in the same sequence. Justice, mercy, and faith.

You see, James knew very well the teaching of his elder brother.

And he knew it because he saw Christ living it while he was a teenager and while he was a young adult.

And therefore, he could tell us, and he can tell us, and he does tell us in James, through practical Christianity.

You see, brethren, within the contextual situation of what was happening in the early New Testament church, we had these two little issues. They were not little. And various degrees between them, one on one side and the other one on the other side, pulling things apart.

And then, what ends? What is the outcome of that? The outcome of that, as you all know, is arguments, is the vision. It's little infighting.

It's little issues which become big issues.

There's nothing new about that, is there? The tricks of Satan are the same when you narrow it down to the basic core issues.

They haven't changed. And that's why, then he talks about in chapter 4 of James, he says, where do wars and fights come from among you?

Now, remember who's the audience of this letter? This letter is not to the world. This letter is to the church of God in the early New Testament. That's the audience. And he's saying, there are fights and wars among you, brethren!

And that is an instruction to all of us, brethren.

And he basically says, why are these problems?

Because you've got your own little issues. You want things your way. You want things your way.

In the end, as he says, it's lack of humility.

And look at it in verse 7. Therefore, submit to God. Therefore, submit to God. Submit to God's authority. And authority is established in the church.

Resist the devil and he'll draw from you. And he'll flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleans your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts. You're double-minded. In the end, it gets down to an issue of getting closer to God, resisting Satan, and be clean. Cleanse your hands. Clean your hearts. Purify your hearts. Purity in the hearts. The matter is the issue of the heart and of personal purity, personal cleanliness before God, being just before God.

You see, brethren, keep always in mind the context of the letter. There were problems in the church. There were trials in the church. There were little wars in the church that were brought by people inside, looking beyond Christ, self-righteousness, and brought by people inside, which were now inside the church, by saying, faith only, and bringing worldly behavior into the church, forgetting that justice must be first.

And so, when problems arise, what is our reaction?

So, Syphonys says, you're in the church, and you see these things. What is our reaction?

Look at Romans chapter 14. Romans chapter 14.

In Romans chapter 14, verse 10 through 13, it basically says what we naturally do and what we've got to be careful.

And it says, why do you judge your brother?

In other words, why do you pass judgment? It's not talking about discernment. It's not talking about you discerning what's right and wrong. We all have to discern what's right and wrong and do what's right.

But we are not judging the brethren. We're not passing judgment. We're not passing condemnation. We're not saying, well, that person is condemned to hell, fire, or whatever it is. I'm not the judge. Christ is the judge. Thank God.

I don't want that responsibility.

I know later on, as spirit beings, God will give us certain responsibilities of judging. And we need to learn to discern things now so we can judge correctly. But today, you and I are not in that position with physical flesh. And it's not our role today.

So why do you show contempt for your brother?

For we shall all stand before judgment's seat of Christ. For it is written, as I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow down to me.

Brethren, when we're going to see Christ, and we realize what He has done for us, you and I will want to bow down to Him.

We'll want to say, yes, Lord, thank You for what You've done for us and for me.

We will want to. We'll be so grateful that we'll just want to.

But it says, every knee will bow down to me. Those that will not want to, they'll still do it. You'll just break their knees, and they'll still bow down.

And every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Therefore, let us not judge one another. In other words, let us not condemn one another.

But rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in your brother's way.

In other words, in whatever you say or do, don't cause offense and don't cause your brother to fall. And to miss on the great reward.

You see, brethren, when we cause division, we judge.

But it says, let no man judge you but the church of God.

And this is the problem. We become our self-appointed authority, and we start doing things that we should not do.

And so back to James 4. James 4, let's now go to verse 11.

James 4, verse 11.

James 4, verse 11. You see, there are wars, there were infighting, people judge, and then what do we do?

Chapter 4, verse 11. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren.

He speaks evil of a brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law.

And judges the law. Now, how is that possible? Now, if you say, well, this is right, and that person is doing wrong, how is it that I'm judging the law?

How is it that I'm speaking evil of the law?

But if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

You see, Jesus Christ is the end of the law. He's the judge. He's got the authority to judge, not you and I. So if we take that authority upon ourselves, and we become our self-appointed authority of judging, we're taking that authority away from where it should be, according to the law, which is what Christ appointed.

And therefore, we then are speaking against the authority of God, and therefore we are speaking evil of the law, of that judgment seat, instead of being a doer.

You see, in this context, brethren, understanding that there were these problems, and James is now saying, brethren, be careful.

He gives some very good, let's call it, advice of true Christianity, of true, practical Christianity, to be like the Father.

And at first, when we go through these trials, there's one thing we need. We need a lot of faith and patience. We need to have faith in God, that He'll sort it out in due time, and we need to be patient. A lot of patience, like our Father, is patient to us, as we heard in the special music.

And brethren, God is patient to us. We have to be patient as well.

And God has a lot of faith. The mere fact that Christ was prepared to die, He had the absolute faith in the Father that He would resurrect Him, that's a lot of faith.

And because of that faith, big part of it, we are justified. If Christ did not have that faith, we would not be justified. So it requires faith and patience, which are Godly characteristics. And that's exactly how James starts his letter. Start looking in James chapter 1, verse 2 through 5.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Yes, we have difficulties, we have trials. What are these trials? Issues that happen in the church, and trials that we have around in the world because of things that are happening, knowing that the testing of faith produces patience. You know, when faith is tested, it's basically proven. It's put under fire. It's put under stress. And that produces patience. Patience.

But let patience have its perfect work that you may become perfect.

The word, therefore, perfect, you have in a margin, which is mature. So that patience, which is patiently enduring, you could also be translated as perseverance, as stick to ittiveness. It's just being patient in sticking to it.

And that you may be perfect, in other words, be mature like God is perfect. He's mature to be like the Father and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives all liberty without reproach. Why does he bring you our wisdom? Because when there are these issues in the church, people pulling on this side, people pulling on that side, you need wisdom. And you need to ask God for wisdom, and God will give it to you liberally, without reproach. You see, that is the starting point. There is Practical Christianity 101, faith, which is basically absolutely faith, based on trials through patience, as it says, yeah, patience, and then letting him ask in faith.

And then, what do you mean by ask?

What do you mean by ask?

Pray.

And so patience and prayer are cornerstones in this Practical Christianity. You need to have patience, you need to be praying, and need to be asking for wisdom, and persevere through it.

See, that's the starting point. And then through his letter, he adds one extra key component.

In the letter of James, he adds one extra key component to patience and prayer. In other words, this whole act of developing, persevering with patience and praying, and asking for wisdom, and asking for how to handle all these things, and to handle it correctly in a godly way, he then adds one key component, which he uses back to, ties it back into conclusion. So let's look at James, chapter 5, into his conclusion, which basically starts in verse 7.

James, chapter 5, verse 7, it says, Therefore be patient, brethren. And in verse 8, you also be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. So it's a matter of the heart. Get your hearts right. Be right in the heart, in the intents of the heart. And then look at verse 13, Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. And so he brings this point of patience and prayer again, ties it in, and then again goes in about the principle that we need to pray for the sick and pray for those that have needs.

And then he concludes in verse 19 and 20. And watch what he concludes with. Therefore, brethren, if any among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. You see, if you are wise in these little issues that are happening in the church, and you have people pulling to this side, you have people pulling to that side at various degrees, going the wrong way, and through the wisdom that God gives to you, and you saying it the right way and keeping the right balance, you bring these people back to the right, well-balanced road of true, practical Christianity, it says you will save therefore a soul alive from their death, you will cover a multitude of your own sins.

What he's saying, yeah, brethren, is that there is one extra key component besides patience and prayer and the wisdom that comes through that, and that key component there is care for the brethren. Care for the brethren. Care that these people are going in different ways, may all come together, but you are doing it in a loving way. You're not judging them, you're not condemning them, but you are a helper of their faith in how you're doing it in a right way by practicing true Christianity. So the theme of the book of James here is care for others, which, after all, isn't it love as Jesus Christ practiced, like Father, like Son.

The theme of care for others is central to the book of James, and that is what true Christian love for the brethren is all about. And that, in a way, we heard in our sermon as well today, with simple things, like writing a card, a get-well card, that shows love for the brethren.

Now, Christ expanded this commandment, love one another's other as you love yourselves. Turn with me to John 13, verse 34 and 35. This is immediately after the foot washing ceremony, a very meaningful ceremony, in many ways, with many analogies, obviously of humility, of service, but of genuine love and care for others.

Look at what he says in verse 34 and 35 of John 13. It says, A new commandment I give to you. Indeed, it is a new commandment, brethren, because it says that you love one another as I have loved you.

You see, the old commandment was, love one another as you love yourself. It's kind of this standard that how I love myself, and how I love myself might be different than how you love yourself or how a very depressed person, very near suicide, loves himself. And that person that is very depressed, that love that person has for self, might be pretty low. And therefore, that would mean they only have to love others to the same degree.

But what Jesus Christ is doing now is a new commandment. He is raising up the bar to a new standard. And the standard is, as I have loved you. And that means he died for us. That is the standard of love. We are to love the brethren by dying for one another. Or by giving our lives in sacrifices, in gifts of doing things, giving of our time, writing thank you cards, or get well cards, and things like that. That's part of loving others more than ourselves. Because maybe we wouldn't write a card to ourselves.

See, that is the standard of Christ. In fact, that is the standard of the Father. And that is the real things about caring for the brethren. And that's what James' letter is all about. You see, brethren, what is the end goal? It says we saw maturity, so that you may be perfect, but it may be mature, as we saw in James 1.

In other words, the end goal is to be like the Father. Think about it. The end goal is to be like God the Father. Obviously, it will be far inferior than that. But what I'm saying is to be of that divine nature, changing from the human nature to the divine nature like the Father. Turn with me to James 1.18. James 1.18. James 1.18. It says, Of his own will he brought us forth by the war of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. It's for us to be a type of first fruits.

In other words, that's the end goal, is to be, quote-unquote, from a nature, an attitudinal, a heart matter, to be a photocopy of the Father. That is the end goal. And for that, that's why the Father wants us to be like Christ, because the Son Christ was like the Father. And who is better to tell us about that than James? And so the Father, and if you are a father, you know very well, you care for your children from the birth process, through the growth and the development of your children.

And again, he brings that up here. It starts, for instance, in verse 17. He says, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes from the Father. So every good thing comes from the Father. But look then, that brings to the birth, and you can see that in verse 17 and 18. He says, Which whom there is no shadow of turning, of his own will he brought us forth. What do you mean, brought us forth? He gave birth to us. It's the birthing process. He brought us forth by the word that we might be a kind of firstfruits, brought forth by the word.

And then look at in verse 19. And so then, my beloved brethren, let every man be slow to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. And so what are we doing here? We're going through a growth process. A growth process, that we grow by hearing.

Let every man be swift to hear. And so as we hear God's word, as we study God's word, we grow. And then look in verse 21. Therefore lay aside all fullfiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save our souls. Which is basically, we are receiving with meekness God's word, and then it tells us to be doers.

Look at it, verse 22. But be doers of the word. To be doers. To do. To apply. By obeying. So that's how we grow. And then, let me ask a question. So what? So what? How do I put this into practice?

How do I put this into practice? And you know what? James gives us three development stages or steps to put this into true, practical Christianity. In other words, the how-to, to put it to practice in our daily lives. And he highlights that in verses 26 and 27. If anyone among you thinks he's religious, and you know what? As we go through this war, and in the Christian life, we've got these people on this side thinking they're very religious.

We've got people on this side thinking they're very religious. And he says, If anyone thinks he's religious, but does not, bridal his tongue. If we don't control our tongues, but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Is useless. Our religious you may look, or I may look, if you and I cannot control our tongues, all that religion, religioniosity, quote-unquote, if there's such a word, is useless. Absolutely useless. And then he says, Pure and refiled religion before God, the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble.

In other words, care for those that have a need and that cannot attribute back to you, because widows and fatherless cannot attribute, cannot give back. Because if you do to the ones that can give back, and you forget these, you're actually showing partiality, aren't you? And he says, continues, And to keep oneself unspotted from the world. And those are the three development stages of true, practical Christianity. Number one, we've got to keep the ultimate goal in mind. The ultimate goal in mind is to be like the Father.

The Father is love. True, practical Christianity is care for the needy, which is pure and undefiled religion before God, and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble. Look how Psalms 68 verse 5 puts it. Psalm 68 verse 5. Psalm 68 verse 5. 68 verse 5. A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy habitation.

Wow! Doesn't that tie exactly to what we ought to be like father, like son? A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows. And that's what James is telling us to do. And brethren, James is then explaining this in greater detail in chapter 2. In chapter 2, he goes into that in a lot more detail. Because if we are showing love only to the people that dress nicely and whatever, then we show impartiality. But we need to show that outgoing concern and love for those that cannot attribute back to us, the needy ones, the ones that are sick and need that help and need that card and need that visit.

You see, brethren, that's why he says the law is love. The law is love. God is love. And the law is love. It's outgoing concern for one another. And that is what he covers in James chapter 2, that law of liberty. And what good is it to say that I have faith and I just walk away from people? Because then you don't have works, genuine works of love, of caring for the needy.

And even more so, even more important, is for instance, as Christ says, and I'm not going to turn there, but in Luke 6, 27 through 35, it says, Love your enemies, because they're not going to attribute love to you. And that's the hard part, love your enemies. Because as you read in Luke chapter 6, 27 through 35, it says, that's what the Father does.

So the principle is far-reaching, and Yah is, let's call it, the first step of true practical Christianity, to develop that true practical Christianity of having genuine outgoing love, is love those and showing care for those that cannot retribute. And that comes out in little things, and I must say, I'm far away from being that standard. I've got a lot to grow. I think we all have. We all have. You see, in the end, our target is true maturity. True maturity. Remember how Paul said he gave to some apostles, some pastors, some elders, some this, why?

For the growing and the perfecting of one another in love, for the edifying of the church, in love, of the body, in love. The goal is to have the character of God, which is love. That was the lesson number one in true practical Christianity, Yah, in James. The second one, as we saw, was about controlling the tongue. Controlling the tongue, putting it another way, is that we've got to have self-discipline.

We've got to control ourselves, because as we read here in James 1, verse 26, he says, If any of you think he's religious and does not control his tongue, does not bridle his tongue, but receives his own heart, self-deception, it's a matter of the heart, this one's religion is useless. The tongue is an indicator of the heart, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, isn't it? And James uses a great portion of chapter 3, talking about that control of the tongue.

Now it's interesting that he says, in chapter 3, he says, in verse 2, For we all stumble in many things, if anyone does not stumble in word, he's a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body. In other words, we're going to have to have self-discipline.

But the great indicator of self-discipline is this little thing. If we can control this, then we basically have self-discipline. That's what he's saying. So focus on that one thing. Back to practical Christianity 101.

Love for the brethren. And part of that love for the brethren is watch what we say and how we say it. As we read early on, don't put a stumbling block on other people. Ask for wisdom. Anyone that lacks wisdom, ask, and God will give it liberally. And that wisdom will come through words of the mouth. And that's why then, later on, at the end of chapter 3, starting in verse 13, it says, Who is wise and understanding amongst you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. There's so much in this, these three words, meekness of wisdom. So much. Meekness of wisdom.

You can meditate on this for days and days. You know how David said in Psalm 1, I meditate on God's law day and night? That is the key factor to overcome our own problems, is whenever there are wrong things in our mind, meditate on God's law day and night. Go to bed and put these things in mind. And for instance, think about what it means to have meekness of wisdom.

Wow! It's so deep! It's so deep! You could be a whole series of sermons about that. Meekness of wisdom.

It's basically meekness means being teachable. Really, meekness means being teachable, being malleable, being gentle. That's meekness of wisdom. In other words, having wisdom but applying it in a gentle, kind way, which you are also teachable, you're not the mister, know it all. There's so much in that. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking. Now, this word self-seeking is interesting. It basically means partisanship. It basically means somebody that causes division. Politics. Politics.

You are on my side or you are on their side. That is self-seeking. Politics. Be careful. Because it says, this wisdom of envy and self-seeking, of politics, of partisanship, does not come from God.

But it's earthly, sensual, and comes from Satan. For where envy and self-seeking and politics and partisanship, when that exists in the heart, there is confusion in every other thing.

But wisdom from God, from above, is first pure. And what is pure? Pure? Remember, it's first pure. In other words, first must be pure, and then the other things go around pure.

What does that mean? When it's pure, for instance, it means genuine, but it also means it's unspotted from the world.

It's unspotted from the world.

And tie back to James 1, verse 27, we're talking about pure religion, which is seeking God's love and keeping oneself unspotted from the world. In other words, pure. And this genuine love is first pure, unspotted from the world.

And what that leads to? Peace. Peace. We now have peace in the church, brethren. Let's not forget that we need to work for peace, because otherwise it will very quickly go.

Then the outcome of that is peace. And gentleness. Gentleness.

And then it goes on. Willing to yield. That is being submissive, teachable, willing to yield.

Full of mercy. Well, if people have little issues, you're full of mercy towards them. Not calm down, sir.

But being full of mercy. Without partiality. Back to the point that says, hey, you don't, you treat those that have the need and care, you treat for them. Not being partial. And without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

That is the wisdom that is meek, the meekness of wisdom. So there's a lot to think about that. But you see, now he's introducing the third dimension, which is being unspotted from the wall.

And that dimension, he talks about in chapters 4 and chapter 5 up to verse 6. Because what is the world? The world is if you are lover of the world, you enemy of God. And that's what he says in chapter 4 verse 4.

He says, do you not know that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. So we've got to be unspotted from the world. We've got to be clean. And so, brethren, he then continues, even in the beginning of chapter 5, brings other things which are worldly, which we have to be unspotted from. Brethren, there is a lot to study and meet to digest out of the book of James.

James gives us examples of being a true Christian because he knew what Christ was like. He was his elder brother. And he's basically saying, put love first. Care for those that have needs. Do self-control by controlling your tongue.

Very practical points. And ask for wisdom so that you remain unspotted from the world. Very simple, practical points. Very simple, development points. And he says, therefore, in his conclusion, as we read earlier on, he says, if we have the scaring attitude, as we read early on in verse 19 and 20 of chapter 5, if we help somebody going to the left or to the right out on these things, and through our care, through the love, through the genuine being unspotted from the world, in other words, we're not hypocrites. We're really keeping ourselves clean. We're doing things right in a balanced way, putting God in this first, being like Father, like Son, being like Jesus Christ, so we can be like God, which is the ultimate goal. Then he says, you'll cover a multitude of sins.

Brethren, I hope that you can see that James gave us a great example of being a true, practical Christian with some very sound Christian living principles. The question is now, are we sons like the Father?