“Take a Long Look at Yourself in God’s Mirror”

Pentecost 16 – September 19th and 20th, 2009

James 1:17-27

“Christianity is a bunch of people getting together for one hour on Sunday to feel sorry about what they did
on Saturday and are planning to do on Monday.”...“Christians are hypocrites who mindlessly rattle off super-
sanctimonious language during church services, like the prayers and the creeds, only to yell out four=letter curse
words out of their car window on the drive home.”
Those two comments I just shared with you were posted on an online bulletin board called “The No-God
forum,” a place where atheists bash Christianity. The accusations are strong! The conclusions are crass and bold! If
we spent time siphoning through the posts on that site, what we’d notice is that the unbelieving world has two main
charges against the Christian Church: 1) Christians spend one hour a week being “good” in church, mindlessly
going through the motions – giving lip service to the one they call God, all the while having hearts that could care
less...and 2) When Christians are not in church, they show by action that they don’t really believe what they preach.
Those are strong charges against us! And as much as we would like to say, “YOU’RE WRONG ABOUT
US...” we can’t, because those conclusions, harsh as they may be, are based upon perception that is 100% legitimate.
It’s true that Christians do sometimes just go through the motions of church, and think that they have done
themselves a great service by having their rear ends in church pews for an hour. It’s true that Christians do things
and say things in everyday life that they wouldn’t even think about doing or saying in church. It’s true! We cannot
deny it! The statements I read for you earlier were certainly exaggerated to make a point, but the reasons for coming
to those conclusions are absolutely legitimate.
It was precisely for that reason that James, the ½ brother of Jesus, wrote his letter to the 1st century Jewish
Christians. The same accusations were being made against Christians in the 1st century church, and, as it is with us,
they were legitimate. So, James urges them: “Do not merely listen to the Word...do what it says. Anyone who listens to
the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes
away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
It is incumbent upon us that we often examine ourselves mirror of God’s Word. Because the unbelieving
world is going to continue to assault us with accusations that challenge who we are and what we believe, bsed upon
the perception that we give them. Thus, today the Spirit gives us this encouragement through James: “Take a long
look at yourself in God’s Mirror.” Remember your identity, who you have become by the Word of truth. Strive for
sanctity, that you lives reflect the goodness of God. And uphold credibility – because the things we say and do are
going to have influence in the world, especially the way they perceive our Lord Jesus Christ and the church that
honors and glorifies him!

I. Remember your identity

We turn to our text, verses 16-18: “16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from
above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give
us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”
 The first silhouette that appears when we look long and hard into God’s mirror is that of a child. James, in
an endearing way calls the recipients of this letter, “my dear brothers,” and refers to God as the “Father of the heavenly
lights!” The people receiving this admonition were Jewish Christians who had fallen into the trap of ritualism – the
same trap that the devil had laid for the Old Testament Israelites and the Pharisees – which is the belief that going
through the motions in worship makes someone right with God and earns the right to stand in God’s presence.
These Jewish Christians had become convinced that the performance of specific rites was the way to become
endeared to God, even though their hearts were calloused, and their minds were ignorant of why they were doing
these rituals in the first place! And then, as if that were not enough, when they left the place of worship, it’s almost
as if they were never there, as their loveless, thoughtless lips lashed out in hatred of others.
What a sacrilege! What a desecration of God’s holiness, God’s name and God’s house! But notice
something – even though the Jewish Christians were acting in such a despicable way, James still calls them by this
endearing name – “my dear brothers,” and still refers to God in heaven as their Father...not their judge, their jury and
their executioner, their Father. Thus, even as they are being rightly scolded by James for their mindless ritualism
and their sharp tongues, which resemble more the actions of unbelievers than Christians, they had not been
disowned by God. They were still his children, “born...through the word of truth!”
That should say something to you, fellow child of God. You, too, like the Jewish Christians in the 1st
century, were re-born through the gospel and brought into God’s eternal family. Peter in his 1st epistle tells us that
very thing: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and enduring
Word of God.” When the gospel of Christ brought you to faith, you became a new person: an adopted member of
God’s eternal family, reborn in holiness through the precious blood of Christ, and reborn in purpose to serve God
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. What a comforting truth, then, when we’re selfishly zoning out during
one of Pastor White’s epically long sermons, or when we’re sinfully and mindlessly uttering the Lord’s Prayer or
thoughtlessly singing hymns that are meant to offer proper praise to God, what a wonderful truth that God doesn’t
expel us from his family for such sacrilege. He still calls us his children and we can still address him as “Abba,
Father.” Thus, as we gaze into God’s mirror today, and see the reflection of a blemished and dirty sinner looking
right back at us, remember that you are also still a saint, and that you have not lost your identity in the gospel as
God’s dear children!

II. Strive for Sanctity

That gracious Word of truth, which not only shows us our forgiveness in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but
also powerfully connects us to him by faith, that Word of truth does NOT give any child of God a license to sin.
Paul’s words in Romans chapter 6:1 clearly tell us that: “What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace
may increase? By no means! We died to sin. How can we live in it any longer?”
One of the chief accusations against the Christians of James’ day was that they would be hearers of God’s
Word, but would then hand themselves over to moral filth, as if the two, the holy Word of God and the evil filth of
the world could possibly co-exist side by side and hand in hand in their lives. Listen to the words James has for the
Jewish Christians, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to
anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. Therefore get rid of all moral filth and the
evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
 As we gaze into the mirror of God’s Word once again, the reflection we see looking back at is a work in
progress. When it comes to our justification, we have already been declared perfect in the court of the Almighty.
The blood of Jesus, his Son, has purified us from all sin and presents us before our Father in heaven as holy and
blameless. But as to our sanctification, that is, our Christian response to the grace of God given freely through Jesus
for us and for our salvation, we are not perfect.
We are constantly under construction in our Christian lives! We need the implanted Word of truth to mold
and shape who we are, because one cannot possibly claim to be a Christian who has fully given themselves to the
prevalent evil and moral filth of the world, who has been fully drawn into the devil’s trap of carnal security. We are
in a dangerous place, dear friends, if we allow ourselves to be so exposed to evil and filth that our consciences are no
longer triggered by them, or if we become so used to evil and the minimalistic standards of the world that we can’t
look into the mirror of God’s Word and see a need for improvements!
No, we are never going to get to a point where we are living in perfection on this side of eternity. When it
comes to our Christian lives, which are responses to God’s grace in Christ Jesus, we are works in progress. Don’t let
that be an excuse NOT TO TRY! Strive for the righteous life that God desires. Strive to be the living sacrifice that
is holy and pleasing to God. Strive to speak in kindness and love as Jesus has spoken to you. Strive to act in
humility and compassion as Jesus has dealt with you. Strive for sanctity – for God promises to bless us through it,
as James says: “The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not
forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does!”

III. Uphold credibility

There is one more very important reason why we will want to keep looking intently at ourselves in God’s
mirror. In this world, we are ambassadors of Christ. One of the reasons that people question the validity of
Scripture and the truthfulness of Christainity is that Christians discredit themselves and their Savior with unholy
living. Thus, when we are urged to strive for sanctity, it isn’t just for our personal well-being. Our lives speak to
our credibility as Christ’s representatives. Verses 26 and 27: “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not
keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that our God and Father accepts
as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by
the world.”
There is a reason that James scolds the Jewish Christians the way that he does. In a world that is already
hostile to the gospel of Christ, the devil does not need assistance in leading people away from the gospel that saves.
Yet, that is exactly what Christians do when they SAY that their faith is important to them, and then live
persistently sinful lives that reveal how truly unimportant it is. The devil doesn’t need any more fuel! He’s powerful
enough as it is, and leads souls away from the cross of Christ every single day. What a shame then, when people who
are supposed to be God’s children participate in the devil’s evil work by talking like a pagan, living like a pagan,
acting like a pagan. That discredits Christianity! That discredits Jesus, and when Christians put up a barrier for the
gospel through unholy living, they are teaming up with the adversary to bring down the cause of Christ and his
Church!
That’s why James had to write: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!”
For credibility comes from a glorious consistency between word and deed. Look at the established credibility of the
one you represent in this world. Jesus’ claim was that he was the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God. His
claim was that he was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In every way he lived up to that claim,
showing that he was different than the rest of us by living a holy life under the law of God, and then dying a death
he did not deserve, all so that he could save all people from sin! He established his reputation in absolute perfection.
Uphold that reputation. Look into God’s mirror! Remember who you are! You are not of the world. You
have been reborn as God’s holy child. You belong to him! You are his treasured possession! Now let the world
know it! “Do not merely listen to the Word! Do what it says!” or in other words, from the mouth of the Savior
himself, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Amen.