5TH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
Text: James 1:22-27
Source from Back to Luther with German archive reference. Back to Walther's Epistle Sermons.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Christ our Savior, dear Christian hearers!
If a person wants to be saved, the first and most important thing is to diligently hear, read, and study God's Word. Whoever does not do that can not be helped, even if he wishes to do, pray, and trouble himself ever so much; he remains in his natural darkness, in his sins, and under God's displeasure.
The Holy Ghost, who must work all good in a person, does not work without means; the Word is the means of grace, and indeed, the only means through which he works; even Baptism and the Lord's Supper are means of grace only because of the Word, because the divine Word is connected with visible elements. Without the Word Baptism would be plain water and no baptism, and the Holy Supper would not be Christ's body and blood but merely bread and wine. God's Word is, as it were, the hand which God extends to us from heaven in order to lift us up to himself; whoever does not hear God's Word pushes God's hand aside and consequently can not be saved.
God's Word is not only the only means which shows us the way to heaven, it is also the only way by which men, who by nature are spiritually dead, are awakened; it is also the only way by which men are enlightened, so that they learn to know themselves and Christ aright; only God's Word works faith in Christ.
God's Word is the only heavenly seed which must be sown in the uncultivated field of the human heart, otherwise the field remains waste, the weeds of error and sin continue to grow unchecked, and the heavenly plants of faith, love, and hope do not grow in it. St. Paul says: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom 10,17.
Therefore as long as a person hears God's Word, one dare not give up hoping that he can be converted, come to know himself, and believe, even if all else seems to be in vain; but if an unconverted person persistently flees the opportunity to hear God's Word, it is impossible for him to be saved, though it may be that the Word he heard before might still awaken him in his hour of death. Paul and Barnabas preached God’s Word, to the Jews in Antioch; when they opposed and blasphemed it, the apostle said to them: "It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Acts 13,46.
The hearing, reading, and studying of God's Word is absolutely essential for becoming a Christian; just as necessary is the reading, hearing, and studying of God's Word in order to remain a Christian. If someone's soul is awakened from its spiritual sleep, he is in great danger of sinking back into it again; God's Word must awaken him time and again and keep him awake. If someone has come to the knowledge of his sin and the danger to his soul, he is in great danger of becoming blind again; God's Word must constantly remind him of his sins and the danger to his soul. If someone experiences the comfort of the forgiveness of his sins, he is in continual danger of losing this comfort; God's Word must constantly fill him with divine comfort. If someone is on the
right way of faith and sanctification, he is in great danger of going the wrong way; God's Word must constantly guide him on the right road, and if in weakness he strays away, bring him back again.
What food and drink is for the body, God's Word is for the soul. If the body is without food and drink for a short time, it loses its powers and finally dies; in the same way the Christian's soul loses its powers and sinks back into spiritual death, if he does not daily and zealously employ God ’ s Word. What wood and coal are for the fire, the Word is for the fire of faith and love. As the fire soon dies if more wood is not added, so the fire of faith and love dies when he ceases diligently hearing, reading, and studying God's Word. As a tree dries up not only when it is chopped down but also when it is no longer watered, so a Christian falls from grace not only when he openly returns to the world but most often when he ceases zealously hearing God's Word and diligently practising it at home every day; he ceases being a tree planted by the rivers of water, which brings forth his fruit in his season, whose leaves do not wither.
But my friends, it is in no way enough just to hear, read, and study God's Word diligently in order to be a Christian. Whoever is satisfied with that deceives himself. The Apostle James mentions that in our today's Epistle.
Quote the text here: James 1, 22-27.
When the apostle says in our text: " Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." v.22, he indicates the theme with which he deals in our entire text. Let us therefore in the fear of the Lord ponder:
THOSE WHO ARE HEARERS BUT NOT DOERS OF THE WORD ARE ONLY DECEIVING THEMSELVES
1. They Deceive Themselves When by Only Hearing the Word They Hope to be Saved, and,
2. They Deceive Themselves When They Imagine They Serve God by Merely Hearing His Word.
Gracious and merciful God, you have given your Holy Word to the whole world; millions, however, by their own fault have lost it; but without any merit or worthiness on our part you have given us this treasure in these last evil times. Oh help us, that some day it will not testify, that you wanted to save us but that we did not want to let you save us. Oh, let it carry out in us all that to which you have sent it! Bring us through the Word to the knowledge of our sins and your grace; let us be converted, so that we will let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and praise the Father in heaven. Hear us for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.
I.
When the apostle says in our Epistle: " Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves," he says the same thing which the Savior says: "Every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it," Mt 7,26.27; or what the Lord said a few verses before that had said; "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven." Mt 7,21.
Accordingly, are they not correct who today say: Nothing depends upon what one believed but what he has done; not faith, but works saves a person.
Yes, it seems that way; but let us examine the words of the apostle a bit more closely and we will learn differently. In order to understand the apostle correctly, we must first of all discover what he understands by " word" and then what he means by " doing ". The rationalist and moralist usually understand that the " word " is the Law, the doctrine of good works, what a person must do and not do in order to be holy.
But that the apostle does not understand that by the " word " we can show by three irrefutable reasons. In the words preceding our text the apostle says that the Word of which he speaks can save us. The Word about good works, or the Law, does not do that, but the Word of grace, or the Gospel. Secondly, in the following verse the apostle calls the Word of which the hearers should be doers, " the perfect law of liberty." This tells us that the apostle can not possibly be speaking of the Law of works; for the Scripture states that it does not produce freedom but slavery, and Christ says: "If the Son (namely, Christ) therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Jn 8,36. Finally, James says of the doers of the word; " This man shall be blessed in his deed." V.25. But according to Scripture, salvation is not our work but God's, not something we merited but a gift of divine grace, not a fruit of our virtues but the end of our faith.
And so it is clear that the apostle means the Gospel of Christ by the " word " and faith in it by the " doing " of the Word.
Do not suppose that this is a forced explanation; it happens not seldom in Scripture that faith is called a doing of God's will. The Lord himself says: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." Jn 7,17. " This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the Last day." Jn 6,40. And once when the Jews asked the Lord: "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" he answered: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Jn 6,28.29.
So when James says in our text: " Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves," this is what he wants to say: Whoever diligently hears, reads and studies the Gospel, but does not let it become alive in him, does not believe in it, only deceives himself with his hearing, reading, and studying.
Is this admonition actually so necessary? Will those who do not believe the Gospel really hear it diligently? and should those who hear it diligently not believe in it? One would not think so. But does not our daily experience shock us into believing the very opposite?
Whoever believes must consider himself a sinner who is unable to save himself. But do not thousands hear God's Law and Gospel year in and year out without once coming to the knowledge that they are lost sinners ?
The believer builds the certainty of his state of grace, his salvation, on the Word alone. The Word is the only credential which he can produce for his hope of eternal life; it alone is the first and last refuge of his conscience. "It is written!" is the first and last proof which he can give himself and
others that he does not deceive himself in his confidence in God. But do not thousands year in and year out hear God’s Word and yet build their whole Christianity on their heart and feelings? If they hear an enthusiast preach who harps upon the feelings they think: That is the man!
The believer considers his sins forgiven; for what kind of a faith in Christ the Savior would that be which would accept no forgiveness? But do not thousands year in and year out hear the Gospel of Christ and still have an evil conscience, remain full of slavish fear and worry, and never learn to cry: "Father, dear Father"?
The believer considers himself righteous before God; he believes that all his works which he does according to God's Word are pleasing to God. But do not thousands hear God's Word year in and year out and still are unable to say with true joy and confidence: This and this work which I have done, though it be small and insignificant, is pleasing to God; for I have done it in faith, only to honor God and help my neighbor ?
The believer has a new heart and so walks in a new life. But do not thousands year in and year out hear God's Word, read it at home, study it, and talk about it, and yet remain as they were before? No one sees that they perceived and laid aside their pet sins and earnestly follow after the Christian life?
The believer considers himself infinitely rich and happy, for he has found the treasure for which millions are still seeking; he is cared for throughout all eternity; God is his; heaven is his; salvation is his. But do not thousands hear God's Word year in and year out and yet can we not see that they still do not deem themselves rich and happy, that, they pursue earthly riches, gold, and property; houses and fields; happiness, honor, and fame?
The believer knows that God is his friend, patron, and protector. But do not thousands hear God's Word year in and year out and yet they are always afraid of the world, knuckle under to it, and disgracefully deny their faith in order to please the world?
Alas ! Is it not clear that only too many are diligent hearers of God's Word but are not doers? that they let Christ be preached to them and still do not believe in him; about grace and still· do not seize it; of the way to salvation and still do not travel that way? Indeed, many are often moved but they are, as the apostle says in our text, " like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." Vv.23b.24. Scarcely is church over or the devotional book closed then they say: That was a beautiful sermon, or a sharp, deeply moving sermon. But often on the church grounds something else is mentioned and in the very next second thoughts of earthly, yes, even sinful things occupy the whole heart; the instruction, or the comfort, or the reprimand is forever forgotten.
Of what help is such hearing, reading, and studying of God's Word? It is lost completely. The hearing of the sermon does not save but the doing of what is preached, i.e., the keeping of it; in a word — faith. Christ speaks this way: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Jn 6,29.
James therefore continues: " Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." V.25. He means to say:
On the other hand, ho whose hearing is not like that ο,ί one who, passing in front of a mirror, casts only a passing glance into it, but is like the one who remains standing in front of a mirror and carefully examines the image reflected there, he alone will be a blessed hearer; in the mirror of the Gospel he will see himself as a sinner sheltered from the Law, for whom Christ has earned freedom from the curse and control of the Law; because of his sins he will himself a lost and condemned sinner whom Christ has reconciled with God, redeemed from hell, and for whom he provides grace, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, life, and salvation; and that will kindle in him that faith which comforts him with these treasures, grasps them as a gift, and appropriates them to himself; and in this way he will be " blessed in his deed."
Oh, may none of us now deceive himself by supposing that it is enough merely to hear the Gospel; may he hear it as a Word which opens heaven; if it kindles merely a spark of faith in him, may he persevere in it so that his faith is not quickly extinguished; may he be strengthened and preserved through the Word until he has attained the end of faith which is the soul's salvation.
II.
My friends, those who are hearers but not doers of the Word in the second place merely deceive themselves insofar as they imagine they serve God by merely hearing God's Word,
Really, no man, no creature, not even an angel, can do something for God. God is the one whom all creatures need, but who himself needs no one. Everything comes from him; we can give him nothing but what he himself has first given us. He is too powerful to need our help, too wise to need our advice, too blessed and glorious to be made more blessed and glorious by a creature. He is self-sufficient. He speaks and it is done, he commands and it stands fast.
Nevertheless he has graciously revealed in his Word what we are to do, if he is to look at it as a service rendered him. James tells us at the close of our text wherein this consists, when he writes: " 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 widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Vv. 26.27. From this we see: Holy love toward one's neighbor unspotted by the love of the world, and works done to them are the ones by which God wants to be served. Since we cannot serve God himself, he has so arranged things that our neighbor needs us. Therefore, we should serve God in our neighbor; God will consider the service rendered our neighbor as a service rendered him, as true worship. When the false Christians will some day say to Christ: "Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" Mt 25,44 Christ says that he will answer them; "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." On the other hand, he will say to those on his right hand: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Mt 25, 40.
On the basis of these words, tell me: What do they do who imagine they serve God by merely hearing the Word: They deceive themselves.
If a person wants to learn to serve God, he is on the wrong track if
he thinks that merely hearing God’s Word is that very service. To be sure, what Christians do in their church is usually called public worship, or serving God; really, we do not serve God then, but God rather serves us. The public service is an arrangement whereby we are to learn from God's Word how to serve God; wanting to serve God merely by hearing his Word is just as if a beggar, who accepts a gift from a rich man, thinks he serves the rich man, or as if the pupil who lets himself be taught supposes he does good to the teacher.
If ever there was a time when it was necessary to note and inculcate this truth upon one's heart, that time is now. The great majority of people are now divided into two great groups. The first consists of the unbelievers who no longer believe in God, who have made their own reason their god,who do not want to serve God, and consider the divine service as something for the narrow-minded.
The other group consists of people who still believe that there is a God, and that man must serve this God. But they turn merely the hearing and doing of God's Word, the praying, singing, pious conversations, and other pious practises into worship; on the other hand, they consider the works of love rendered their neighbor, as mentioned in the second table of the Ten Commandments, the ordinary works which even the heathen can do.
And what is the result? The result is that the unbelievers often far surpass the seemingly most pious Christian in works of love toward their neighbor. Oh shame, if an unbeliever can say to a seemingly zealous Christian: You have faith without works; but I have works without faith; you have what you call God's Word and you do not do it, I do not hear that Word but I do it; you go to church and want to serve God that way, and not serve your neighbor; I do not go to church but I serve my neighbor! Who is better, you or I?
Oh my friends, may we be frightened at the words of the apostle: " If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue," that is, speaks lovelessly against his neighbor, and " deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain."
Come on! If we want to serve God, let us not only hear his Word but also do it in a faith which is active through love. Let us not think that we have served God when we come to church, the Lord's Supper, confession, or diligently bend our knees in our closet, speak pious words, and have holy attitudes. Let us practise love toward our neighbors, " visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction," that is, with a mouth full of comfort and a hand full of works of love clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take the wretched into our homes, visit, attend, and serve the sick, and help those who are in trouble; nor let us forget the poorest and the most rejected of widows, the oppressed Church of Christ; then some day we will hear the happy voice: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Amen.