James 1:19-21 – The Implanted Word

The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD for short, is a remarkable invention. It is a small, battery powered medical device placed under the skin that detects the rhythms of the heart and delivers electrical shocks to correct the heart’s rhythms when needed. It is designed to remain inside the patient's body, constantly monitoring the heart. It isn’t something the patient picks up and uses when a crisis occurs, rather, it is implanted within them, and when a dangerous rhythm develops, the device can respond automatically. This amazing “implanted” device has the ability to correct a defect in the heart, not only saving but sustaining the recipient’s life.

James speaks about the Word of God in a similar way. God's Word is not a medical device, of course. But James is describing something that has been planted within God's people and produces observable effects in their lives. This implanting comes by grace, through faith in Christ. And God the Holy Spirit uses this “implant”, His Word, to sanctify His people.

However, instead of receiving the Word this way, we are naturally resistant to instruction from God's Word, though it is one of the primary means God uses to save and sanctify us. Instead of humbly receiving the counsel of Scripture, we want to control our lives according to our own desires. The result is a life plagued by sinful attitudes and actions.  

But God has graciously given us His Word—the Word through which He gives us new life and sanctifies us—and ultimately, He has given us the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, when we receive Christ, we receive the implanted Word, which God uses to transform our actions and desires.

In verses 19-21, James gives us two ways, or two pieces of evidence, that let us know we are being transformed by this implanted Word. You can see them printed there on page 6 of the WG. Our being transformed by the implanted Word is seen in grace-shaped actions and in grace-shaped desires.

In verse 18, James told his readers that God had given them spiritual birth through the Word of faith, that is, the gospel. Now he tells them and us to live according to that Word. Let’s look together at these now.

James begins with our actions. As we grow and mature in Christ, growing in holiness and righteousness, the way we engage relationally is transformed. A big part of relating well to someone is communication, and foundational to communication is listening. At the beginning of verse 19, James says, “be quick to hear.”

In other words, James encourages the discipline of listening well. Commentator Simon Kistemaker puts it like this: “Listening is an art that is difficult to master, for it means to take an intense interest in the person who is speaking. Listening is the art of closing one's mouth and opening one's ears and heart. Listening is loving the neighbor as oneself; his concerns and problems are sufficiently important to be heard.”

Admittedly, most of us do not listen well. We are easily distracted, either by something external or by something internal like thinking about what we want to say or should say in a conversation. Does that ever happen to you? I remember growing up, one of my dad’s favorite things to say to me (I determine if something spoken by my dad was a favorite of his by how often he said it to me) was, “Listen to me, son.” Most of the time it was appropriate, because I was not listening or paying attention.

We struggle to give full attention to the words that are spoken and/or read to us. This is true, no matter if the words are spoken by others or by God through His Word. We are not quick to hear. This creates tremendous challenges in relationships. All of us have heard how important communication is in relationships, no matter what type of relationship. A big part of that is listening well to what the other person is saying. Not rushing to get a word in or move to the next item on the to-do list.

On the other side of the relationship/communication coin is speech or speaking. James says we should be “slow to speak.” So not only should our ability to listen well be transformed but our desire to speak needs to be transformed.

When we are engaging in conversation with someone, particularly conversation that is of a serious nature, our desire is to respond quickly. However, we should speak carefully. We should speak with thoughtful consideration and intention.

Notice that James doesn't say we should never speak. The Bible commands us to speak truth. We're commanded to proclaim the gospel. We're commanded to encourage one another. We're commanded to confront sin. So, James isn't advocating silence. He's confronting self-centered speech. We are often eager to speak because we want to control. We want the last word. We want to win the argument. We want to defend ourselves. We want everyone to know what we think and to think well of us.

But God's grace begins to reshape that. We become more careful with our words. We begin asking: “Is this true?” “Is this necessary?” “Is this loving?” That's grace-shaped speech.

In effect, he echoes the saying of Jesus in Matthew 12, "But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” When James says that we must be slow to speak, he wants us to be wise in our speaking.

And this becomes particularly important in the church. The church is filled with sinners who have been saved by grace. That means we're going to disagree and misunderstand one another. We're going to disappoint one another. We're going to sin against one another. And James says that the implanted Word should change how we respond.

If this is true in regard to our relationship with others, how much more important is it in our relationship with God? It is of the utmost importance that we hear and listen well to what God says. Every time we open the Bible, it matters that we listen well.
Fundamental to what we know about God is that he speaks. God speaking is not an incidental activity. He created the universe by His words, and now brings new spiritual life to his people by that same means. We have just seen in James how God has chosen to give us new birth through the word of truth. God relates to us through His word. We therefore need to be people who listen properly and well to what God says. This seen clearly in Scripture in places like 2 Timothy 3:16, “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Finally, regarding grace-shaped actions, James says: “be slow to anger.”

We need to make a careful distinction here. We must distinguish between righteous anger and sinful anger. Righteous anger is anger directed toward genuine evil because God's righteousness has been violated. It seeks God's glory and the good of others. We see this in places like Matthew 21 with Jesus’ cleansing of the temple.

However, in the context of James 1:19–20, the anger James has in view here is sinful anger. Sinful anger is anger that is centered on self. It arises when our desires, expectations, rights, reputation, comfort, or control is threatened. It tends toward retaliation, hostility, bitterness, or a desire to make the other person suffer. Throughout the Bible, we find that this self-centered anger is called sin. Col. 3:8 says, “8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”

I suspect that each person in here has expressed sinful anger. And will likely express sinful anger again at some point. It is one of the results of our sin nature – anger that arises from self-centeredness.

And we all have our excuses ready for being angry: too busy, too much pressure, a family trait, or even "I can't help it." James rules out excuses when he says, "Be... slow to anger."

Scripture is filled with warnings against sinful anger. A quick overview of the book of Proverbs will reveal this. For example, "A quick-tempered man displays folly." (Prov.14:29) "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins" (Prov. 29:22) In the book of Exodus, we read about the consequences of Moses’ anger.  When he became angry with the Israelites, he did not listen to the instructions God had given him and reacted with sinful anger and so was not permitted to enter the Promised Land.

What comes from such anger? James is direct. Look what he writes in verse 20. He says such anger, “does not produce the righteousness of God.”

The "righteousness" James refers to here is not legal or forensic righteousness proclaimed in God's court of law but is closer to the usage in places like Isa. 61:3 and Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. In those places, as here, it is used in the sense of conducting one's life by the will of God, according to his standards. Anger that is out of accord with God’s will fails to achieve God’s righteousness. That is, it fails to bring about righteousness that pleases God.

Think about a thermostat. A thermostat doesn't simply react to every change in temperature. It regulates the temperature according to a predetermined standard. If the room gets too cold, it responds. If it gets too hot, it responds. But our emotions often function like a broken thermostat. Someone says something we don't like, and our emotional temperature shoots through the roof. Someone disappoints us, and we're furious. Someone criticizes us, and we become defensive.

James says be slow to anger. Don’t get worked up so easily. And if you do “feel your temperature rising,” step back or away from the person or situation until you are composed.  

For some, this may sound difficult. For others, it may sound impossible. So how can James expect this kind of change from us? How can people who are naturally quick to speak, quick to anger, and slow to listen actually become people who are quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger?

The answer is not simply to try harder. It is to remember what the implanted Word teaches – 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We look to and remember the grace we have received through Christ. Christ is our strength. He is our example. Jesus perfectly displayed the righteousness that our sinful anger can never produce. But the gospel tells us something even better than simply, “Follow Jesus' example.” Jesus did not merely come to show us how to behave. He came to save us from the sinful hearts that produce our unrighteous behavior.

Our anger deserves God's judgment. Our pride deserves God's judgment. Our careless words deserve God's judgment. Yet Christ willingly bore that judgment in our place. And now, because we are united to Christ, the Spirit is progressively making us like Christ.

The implanted Word reminds us of this. And as His Word takes deeper root in us, His grace begins to produce something we could never manufacture on our own: grace-shaped actions—actions that increasingly look like the actions of our Savior.

After James shows how our being transformed by the implanted Word is seen in grace-shaped actions, he broadens his scope to include our desires. He wants to show us how our being transformed by the implanted Word can be seen in grace-shaped desires.

Look at verse 21. Notice the two commands: Put away. Receive.

James says: “put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness…” The language is forceful. He isn't talking about managing sin. He's talking about removing it. Don't make peace with sin. Don't negotiate with sin. Don't justify sin. Don't rename it. Put it away. And notice that James calls it: “rampant wickedness.” Sin is not something that remains politely contained. It spreads. It grows. A little bitterness can become resentment. Resentment can become hatred. Hatred can become hostility. A little indulgence can become slavery. A little compromise can become a pattern. That's why we don't merely manage sin. We put it away.

Matthew Henry comments on this verse by saying, “Hereby we are taught, as Christians, to watch against, and lay aside, not only those more gross and fleshly dispositions and affections which denominate a person filthy, but all the disorders of a corrupt heart, which would prejudice it against the word and ways of God.”

In other words, James is saying that as we are being sanctified, our sinful desires, all that displeases God, must be being cast off. In the transforming life of his people, God wants behavior that accords with His Word.

Imagine someone who has spent years eating nothing but junk food. Eventually, they realize: “I need to change my diet.” So, they decide to change. At first, they eat healthy food because they know they're supposed to. But they still desperately want the junk food. They're eating vegetables while dreaming about donuts. They're eating grilled chicken while wishing for a cheeseburger. The behavior has changed, but the desires haven't caught up yet. Over time, however, something interesting can happen. Their palate changes. They begin to appreciate foods they previously disliked. They begin to crave what is actually good for them. The transformation isn't merely external. Their desires begin to change.

Because sinful actions don't simply appear out of nowhere. They come from sinful hearts. Our actions are ultimately shaped by what we desire. If I want control, I'll become angry when I lose control. If I want recognition, I'll become angry when I am overlooked. If I want comfort, I'll become angry when I'm inconvenienced. If I want my way, I'll become angry when someone disagrees with me. The behavior is downstream from the heart. And therefore, sanctification must reach deeper than our behavior. God changes our desires.

He also says to receive God's Word. This is where the positive transformation occurs. The Christian doesn't merely reject sinful desires. He develops new desires shaped by God's Word. And James uses a beautiful description: “the implanted word.”

Think about a seed. A seed is small. You can barely see it. But put it in good soil, give it water, and something remarkable happens. The seed begins to grow. Roots develop. A plant emerges. Eventually it produces fruit. The life is hidden for a while. But eventually the hidden life becomes visible.

That's what God's Word does in us. The Word gets planted deeply into our hearts. It begins changing our thinking. Then our thinking begins changing our desires. Our desires begin changing our actions. And our actions begin changing the way we live. That's sanctification.

But the Word of God is not merely a book. God has given us the Word. He has given us Jesus Christ. John 1:1 says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The written Word reveals the living Word. The Scriptures point us to Christ.

That is why we place such a high value on the proper preaching and teaching of the Word. The Word is one of the ordinary means of grace that God uses to sanctify his people. And through the ministry of the Word, as we read earlier in WLC 159, the preacher aims for God’s glory, and the conversion, edification, and salvation of God's people. You see the preaching of the Word in the worship service is the primary place where the implanted Word does it work.

When we humbly receive the implanted Word, it transforms our attitudes and actions. The Word of God transforms us because it continually brings us face-to-face with Christ. As we see His holiness, we see our sin. As we see His grace, we see our need. As we see His humility, we see our pride. As we see His patience, we see our impatience. As we see His love, we see our selfishness. And then the Spirit takes the Word and uses it to make us more like Him.

Your hope isn't that you can transform yourself. Your hope is that Christ transforms His people. Remember where James began: “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth.” Your salvation began with God. Your sanctification continues by God's grace. And God will finish what He began. Philippians 1:6 assures us: “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

As we come to the table, we celebrate our union with Christ and we acknowledge our covenant bond to the body of Christ. The visible elements are reminders of the invisible reality of Jesus’s death and resurrection. And it is Jesus whose image the Spirit is progressively forming in us by the means of Scripture. So don't resist the Word. Receive it. And don't look to your own strength for transformation. Receive with meekness the implanted Word which is able to save your souls. Receive Christ.

Let’s pray.