Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. James won. 21.
You will never be A growing Christian. without a knowledge Of the Word of God. May that sink in. You will never be. A growing Christian.
Without a knowledge. of the Word of God. These hath God married Yeah. And no man shall part. Dust on the Bible.
and drought. In the heart. But it's not enough even to know Bible facts. You must know. The Lord of the Word.
You can backslide with a Bible. Under your arm. You need to understand the Bible. Let's look in God's Word. Verse 21.
Wherefore? Lay apart all filthiness. and superfluity of naughtiness. and receive with meekness The engrafted word that is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word.
And not heroes only deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer. He is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass, that is, in a mirror. For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way. and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he Being not a forgetful hero. but a doer of the work. This man shall be blessed in his deed. And in that passage, We have four ways. to better understand the word of God.
Now look, if you will, in verse twenty-one, wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness The engrafted word that is able to save. Your Souls. This is written to Christians. And he's telling Christians how to be saved. Receive with meekness Then grafted word.
That is able to save your souls.
Well, Pastor. I thought we were already saved.
Well, we are. Then, why does he say, receive the word so you can save your soul?
Well, you need to understand that salvation comes to us. in three tenses. Past tense? Present ends. and future tens.
The past tense of salvation happened when you received Christ as your personal Savior. And you were saved from the penalty of sin. You will never have to die and go to hell because your sin has been washed whiter than snow with the blood of Jesus Christ. A Sunday school teacher asked a little girl, I'm told, is there anything that God cannot do? And that little girl wisely said, yes, teacher, there's one thing God cannot do.
God cannot see my sin. through the blood of Jesus Christ. Thank God for that. That is salvation in the past tense. That's from the penalty of sin.
But their salvation in the present tense, that is from the power of sin. Even though we'll not go to hell, the devil has not ceased working on us. And sin still has its allurement and its attraction if we're not careful. And sin is working every day and you know that is true.
So not only do we need to be saved past tense, we need to be saved. Present tense from the power of sin, one day when Jesus comes, that's future salvation, we're going to be saved from the possibility of sin. Thank God. But that day is not here yet. And so it is the word of God that is able to save our souls.
The Greek word for soul. Is the word Psyche. Able to save Your psyche, your mind, your emotion, your will, that's what the soul is. Your mind, your emotion, and your will. needs to be controlled.
by the Word of God. When your mind and your emotion and your will, your psyche is controlled by the word of God, then you're living in victory. May I give you a testimony? The thing that keeps me going is not primarily How I feel. It is what I know.
from the Word of God. I've been on the trail long enough to look back and analyze and say, What is it that keeps me? What is it that holds me? It is the word of God. Sanctify them through thy word.
Thy word is truth.
Now, The Bible says we are to receive the word of God.
Now, notice in verse 21: receive. Do you see it? Receive. With meekness, the word of God. There are two words in the Greek language for receive.
Yeah. One is the word lambano. And that means to grasp. to reach out and take. to get He doesn't use that word here because you can't just reach out and snatch the word of God.
You can't just take it. Every so often somebody says, well, I've studied math, I've studied geometry, I have studied physics, I've studied history, I'll study the Word of God.
So he gets the Bible and he gets him some lexicons and he gets him a concordance and he spreads the Bible out and he takes his mind and he takes his will and he takes his determination and his intellect and he says, I'm going to master the Bible. He may get the words, but he'll never get the music. He may learn about the kings of Israel, but he'll never know the king of kings. that way. You see, this is Is self-prompted taking, it is grasping, it is going into the Bible to extract the truth.
Many people. have approached the Word of God that way and they have failed. But there's another word for receive, and that's the word that is used in verse 21. It is not lambano, it is... Deco my which means to welcome.
to receive As though you would receive somebody into your house, as you receive a guest, and you say, Welcome.
Now, if you would understand the Bible, you must learn. to welcome The worry. You're never going to take your intellect. You're never going to take your mind and your determination and go into the Bible and draw truth out. But if you'll open your heart Open your mind.
and welcome the word. I've had the joy of preaching overseas in different countries, and one of the countries is in China. And when I went to China, the guide said, now, when you go to the Chinese, to their home. They are the most gracious and hospitable of all people. The Chinese are wonderful people.
If you know the Chinese, you will love them. They are so wonderful and so gracious. And when you come into a Chinese home, they want to serve you something. They want to give you something. It is an honor for them to have you to come under their roof.
They know how to welcome you. They will say, You are welcome in our home, and they'll want to serve you something. And you ought to receive it. to show that you accept their hospitality. But our guide said, when they serve you something.
If it's T, for example. Never reach out and take it with one hand. That implies you're grasping. Take it with both hands. Then you're receiving.
Then you're receiving. Now, we don't just reach out and Take God's word. We lift up. Our hands to Him. And we welcome the word, we receive the word, we just take the word by faith and by grace and let God's word come into our heart.
Now, having said that, I want to mention to you four ways to welcome the word. Four ways. And so, in order to help you to understand them, We're going to let all four of these ways begin with the letter R. How do you welcome the word? Number one.
Welcome the word. with a repentant Hark. Welcome the word with a repentant heart. Look again in verse 21. Wherefore lay apart.
All filthiness. and superfluity of naughtiness. And receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul.
Now there is a moral qualification to understand the Word of God. Not primarily an intellectual qualification, primarily a moral qualification. It is not enough to know Greek and Hebrew and to have a Bible dictionary.
Now You must lay aside What the Bible here calls The superfluity of naughtiness.
Now that's a word we use a lot, isn't it? That's the reason that some say the King James is hard to understand. What does the word superfluity of naughtiness mean? It literally means that which remains or that which is left over. It means residual sin.
You see, when you got saved, you repented of your sin and you received Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. As best you knew how. But you were. You are a new Christian. There was a lot that you did not know about Jesus and a lot that you did not know about you.
And so when you got saved, you were very much like Lazarus. Who came out of the grave. And Jesus said to Lazarus when he raised him from the dead, Lazarus, come forth. And Lazarus came forth, but how did he come forth? He was dressed in the grave clothes of the old life.
The stitch of the old life was upon him.
Now he had received Life. He had come out of the grave. but he still has the grave clothes on. And Jesus said, Blue sin. And let him go.
In other words, take that off which remains, that superfluity of naughtiness. Take the graveclothes of the old way off of him.
Now, what does that mean to you? where you may be saved. And on your way to heaven. But you've got some Superfluity of naughtiness. You've got some hangover sins.
You've got something that remains. I'm going to tell you something. I repented of my sin when I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, but I have done far more repenting after I got saved than I ever did. when I got saved. Isn't that true about you?
I've done far more repenting. Why? Because after I've gotten saved, I've learned so much more about me. And I've learned so much more about the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the Bible says you lay aside that superfluity of naughtiness.
and filthiness.
Now the word filthiness Do you know what the root of the word filthiness is? You'd be surprised. Ear wax. Ear wax. The word rupus Means earwax.
Now what Kant says is If you want to hear, you've got to clean out your ears. Physically, you can't hear if your ears are stopped up, and God says that sin in your life. is like wax in your ear. Just get rid of it. Get rid of it.
Listen, friend. To hear God, there is a moral qualification. It's so simple and yet it is so profound. The reason that many of us do not understand the Bible when we read it? The reason that God's truth does not come into us is...
that we've got hangover sin. That superfluity of naughtiness We've got spiritual wax in our ears. And therefore, it is absolutely important. That when you study the Bible, the very first thing you do is make a full confession of sin and ask God to search your heart and see if there be some wickedness in you. Get your heart clean, get your heart right with God.
Now if you're going to garden, Before you plant the seed, You weed. The garden. That's what it's all about. Just get your heart right.
So many times we sing that song, Fill My Cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord.
Well You think he wants to fill a dirty cup? Maybe we ought to sing, Cleanse my cup, Lord, I've messed it up, Lord. And then after God cleanses the cup. Then you'll feel the cup. After we weed the garden, then the seed will grow.
After we get the wax out, then we can hear. Do you understand that? Receive the word. Welcome the word. with a repentant Hard.
Secondly. Not only should you welcome the word with a repentant heart, verse 21. but welcome the word with a receptive heart. Verse 21. Look at that also.
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with Do you see this next word? Receive with. Look at it. Receive with. Meekness Meekness.
the engrafted word which is able to save your soul. Welcome the word with meekness. What is meekness? Meekness is a teachable spirit. To be meek means to be teachable.
In olden times, and I've told you this when we preached through the Beatitudes, when people would take a stallion full of fire and power and strength. They'd want to be able to ride that stallion, they'd have to break him.
So they could put a bridle and a bit and a saddle on him. When that powerful animal had been broken, not crippled, broken, not crippled, broken, the fire, the stamina, the strength is still there. But when he is broken, not crippled, broken. They said he had been. Me.
Yeah. He'd been made meek. That was the word. I'm going to meek a horse. That means I'm going to break this horse.
Did you know that God wants to be able to put the bridle and the bit on you? Did you know that God wants to take you and bring you under His control and make you sensitive to His commands? That's a meek spirit. That is a receptive Spirit.
Now You say, I want to learn the word of God. Question. Are you meek? First question, are you clean? Second question, are you meek?
Do you have a teachable spirit? I will give you a promise from the Word of God, and I want you to listen to it. It is John chapter 7 and verse 17. Jesus said, if any man will do God's will, he shall know the doctrine. If any man will do God's will, He will know.
The doctrine. You see, it is the will that comes. The will must be surrendered. It is not primarily the mind, it is the heart. The will I want to know.
God says, if you will to do my will, you will know. The doctrine. I shared with you before the story of a man. Who came to see me? I'd never met him down when I used to Pastor on the Space Coast down at Cape Kennedy.
This man was a big shot in the space industry, an intelligent. Learned man in many ways. He came into my office. He said, Mr. Rogers, I need your help.
I said, Well, how may I help you? He said, it's about my wife. She wants to commit suicide. I don't want her to.
Well, I thought that was nice. He didn't want her to? And he said, I wish you would talk with her. I said, I will, sir. If you will come with her.
So they came into my office. I said Madam, would you tell me what the problem is? She began to pour out her heart. But a problem could be summed up in one little three-letter word, H-I-M, that man, him. He was a liar.
He was an adulterer. He was a gambler. He was a profane man. He abused her physically. He abused her.
Verbally? He abused her in almost every way. He was an arrogant man. I turned to him and I said, sir, I want to ask your question. Are you a Christian?
Now, remember, I was not asking for information. I just tried to get the conversation started. Are you a Christian?
He laughed. He said, No, I'm not a Christian. I'm an atheist. I said, Oh. He said, yes, I'm an atheist.
I said, well, an atheist is a man who knows there's no God. Do you know there's no God? He said, yes. I thought, well, that's very interesting. I said, of everything there is to know, how much would you know?
Do you know all there is to know? He said, of course not. He said, nobody knows everything. I said, well, would it be generous to say you know half of all there is to know?
Well, he said, yes, of course. I said, I thought you said you knew there was no God. Wouldn't you have to admit the possibility that God might exist in that half of the knowledge you don't have?
Well, he said. I don't think there's a God. I said, well, that's different. I said, then you're not an atheist. You're an agnostic.
He said, yeah, that's what I am, an agnostic. I don't think there's a God. I said, well, The word agnostic That just means a doubter. I didn't tell him the Latin equivalent is ignoramus, which same word, really, same word. Both mean just simply, I don't know.
I didn't call him an ignoramus. I said, you're an agnostic. He said, that's right. I said, well, that means you're a doubter. He said, yeah, and I'm a big one.
I said, well. I don't care what size. I want to know what kind. He said, well, what kinds are there? I said, only two.
Honest doubters and dishonest. I said, which one are you? He said, well, what's the difference? I said, well, an honest doubter doesn't know. But he wants to know.
And therefore he makes an honest investigation. I said a dishonest doubter doesn't know because he doesn't want to know. He can't find God for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman. I said, you claim to be a scientist. I said, how would you like to prove whether or not God exists?
He said, it can't be done. I said, it can be done. If you get in the right laboratory, And I gave him the verse that I just gave you, John chapter 7, verse 17. Jesus said, My doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me, and if any man wills to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. or whether I speak of myself.
I said, would you, sir? Be willing to sign a statement like this. God, I don't know whether you exist or not. I don't know whether the Bible is your word or not. I don't know whether Jesus Christ is your son or not.
But I want to know. And because I want to know, I'll make an honest investigation. And because it is an honest investigation, I will follow the result of that investigation wherever it leads me, regardless. of the cost. I said an honest man would sign that statement.
He said, give it to me again. God, I don't know whether you exist or not. I don't know whether the Bible is your word or not. I don't know whether Jesus Christ is your son or not, but I want to know, and because I want to know, I'll make an honest investigation. And because it is an honest investigation, I will follow the results of that investigation wherever it leads me, regardless of the cost.
He said, all right. I want to be honest. I'll do that. I said, wonderful. I said, God's going to show himself to you.
He said, where do I start? I said, start with the Gospel of John. That's written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and believing, you might have faith in his name. He said, What should I do? I said, just begin to read about a chapter day.
And pray like this, God. I don't even know whether you're there or not. I don't know whether this is your word or not, but if it is, speak to me. And my mind is made up ahead of time. I will follow you if you will only speak to me.
I will to do your will if you're there. In several weeks, that man came back into my office, got on his knees, wept like a baby, and gave his heart to Jesus Christ. was wonderfully saved. The last time I saw them I saw them sitting in their big white Cadillac. holding hands like school kids.
She didn't want to commit suicide anymore. The last time I heard from him, I got a letter a while back. He's moved up to Maine. I'd almost forgotten about him. But he wrote me a letter.
I have it on my file. He told me how he's in a Sunday school ministry there, how he's in a tape ministry there, how he's working in a Christian school up there. And then he said to me, And Mr. Rogers, I want to thank you. for spending time.
with this general in the devil's army.
Now where was that man's problem? That man's problem before he got saved was not in his head, it was in his heart. He did not have a receptive spirit. He did not have a meek spirit. And the minute that man opened his heart and said, I want to learn, I want to know, I surrender my will.
God began to speak to him. That is John 7:17. If any man wills to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. You receive the word with a repentant spirit. You receive the word.
You welcome the word with a receptive spirit. Have you got it?
Now, here's the third way to understand the word of God. The third R is you welcome the word with a responsive spirit. With a responsive spirit. Look in verse 22. But Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own hearts.
You see, once you get your heart clean, Once you surrender your will, Then if you would understand the word of God, begin to obey what God tells you. If you do not respond to what you hear, the Bible says you are self-deceived. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. No man is a bigger fool than the man who is self-deceived. Do you know what's wrong with so many folks today?
They come to church, they sit, soak. and sour, They never apply what they hear. If you're like a sponge, you sit soaking sour. Before long, you'll stink. You've got to give out.
What comes in? You receive the word with a responsive spirit. Did you know that if you hear truth and don't act on truth, do you know what Jesus calls you? He calls you a fool. In Matthew chapter 7 and verse 26, Jesus said, and everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, I will liken him unto a foolish man.
When a man hears and he doesn't do Again, Jesus said in Luke chapter 11, verse 28, Blessed are they that hear the word of God. and keep it. It's not enough to hear.
Now Every now and then people will compliment my preaching. I think a preacher's lying if he says he doesn't like to hear that. If you got a compliment for me, help yourself. It's all right. I don't care.
That's fine. But I want to say this. The best compliment. You can get to my preaching. is to live what I say.
Not just to hear it. Not just to say, well, well, you know, Pastor that was good, or wasn't the music wonderful, or whatever. Oh, the best compliment that you can give to the Word of God is to obey the Word of God, to live it out, be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only. Years ago, I heard of an actor, a famous actor, who was in a crowded theater. They'd come to hear him.
And a fire had broken out in the wings of that theater. The manager came to the actor and said, we could have a Bad situation here. There's a fire, it's not out of control, but if the people smell smoke, If the people hear the word fire, They all head for the exit. It could be a disaster. They have come to hear you.
I suggest that you go out on the platform and you tell them. about the fire. but tell them in such a way that they would leave. in an orderly fashion. This great actor, according to this story, came to the platform.
They applauded him. He said, ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. Give me attention. I don't want there to be. Any undo?
Alarm. But I want you to listen carefully. A small fire. has broken out in this theater. There's plenty of time for all of us to leave.
So I'm going to ask that right now We stand and in an orderly way. We vacate the premises. They applauded. Wonderful. Wonderful.
What a fine actor. They thought it was part of the act. Just a story.
So he Came back again the second time, said no. No, this is not a part of the act. This is for real. There is a fire.
Now there's plenty of time if you will get up now and exit. Bravo! Wonderful! It'd be fine! What a wonderful actor.
Then, realizing the gravity of the situation, he got down on his knees and, with tears, he said. Please. For your safety. Leave the theater. Bravo!
Isn't that wonderful? See those tears? Bravo. Just a story.
But it illustrates how many people hear the word of God. They come and listen to a preacher preach the word of God. Oh, isn't that fine? Isn't that wonderful? Yes, how we love to hear the word of God, but God says you're self-deceived.
If you read the word, hear the word, and don't heed the word. Be ye doers of the word. And not heroes only. The best way to understand the part of the Bible you don't understand. is to obey the part You do.
understand. To him that hath shall be given. To him that has not, Even that which he has will be taken away. I want to ask you a question. Why should God show anybody any more truth.
until that person has acted upon the truth God has already shown them. Uh-huh. Is there part of the word that God has been speaking to you about? Maybe in your witnessing life, your giving life, your prayer life. Maybe in making restitution, maybe in faithfulness to the church, maybe about baptism.
Maybe about confessing Christ openly and publicly, and you know that you ought to do it.
Now please listen to me. A study of the Bible. Gives you knowledge about God. Obedience gives you knowledge of God. Jesus said in John chapter 14, John 14 verse 21.
He that hath my commandments and keepeth them. He it is that loveth me. And he that loves me Shall be loved of my Father. And I will love him.
Now listen. and will manifest myself. to him. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. You can sing, oh, how I love Jesus all day long, and if you don't keep the commandments, you don't love him.
He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father. You want God to love you, then you love Jesus. And I will love him, and Jesus said, I will manifest myself to him. Study of the Bible gives you knowledge about God. But obedience.
Gives you knowledge of God, makes God real. to you.
Now here's the fourth R. And we'll be finished. Four ways to better understand the Bible, to welcome the Word. You welcome the word with a repentant spirit. You lay aside that filthiness.
Get the wax out of your ear. And then you welcome the word with a receptive spirit. You receive it with meekness. And then with a responsive spirit. You obey what you learn.
Then you're ready for this next thing. You welcome the word with a reflective spirit. Look, if you will, now in verses 23 and following. For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer. He is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.
That means the face you were born with. The word glass here means mirror. He's like a man that looks at his mug in a mirror. For he beholdeth himself, verse 24, and goeth his way. And straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But. 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. Mal.
There are many metaphors and figures of speech to describe the Bible. The Bible is called a hammer, it's called a lamp, it's called a bread, it's called a sword, it's called a seed. But here James calls the Bible a mirror. The Bible is a mirror. It reflects.
And so when you go to the Bible, And you look at the Bible, the Bible looks back at you. You see yourself in the Word of God. Read the Bible with a reflective spirit. Let the Bible read you. Let the Bible read you.
Now there's a difference in a mirror. There are two ways you can get an image, a mirror, and a photograph.
Well, the wonderful thing about a photographer is this: that he can be an artist. You know, where there's beauty, we take it, where there's none, we make it. Right? But the mirrors don't lie. That's the reason we we don't like the mirror.
I heard a long time ago about an old man who had never seen a mirror in his life. An old farmer, and he found one out in the field and looked at it and he said, Well, would you be? There's a picture of my old daddy. Look at that. He was so proud of it, he Put it up in the attic of his house.
His wife saw him up there in the attic. He stayed up there a long time. She, being curious, after he came down, decided she'd go up and see what he'd placed in the attic. She rummaged around and found the mirror. She'd never seen one either.
She looked at it and said, aha. That's the old hag he's been running around with. A mirror. shows us ourselves.
Now James Imagines two people. Imagines one person who comes and looks in the mirror, and he just glances at the mirror. Look, if you will, in verse 24. He beholdeth himself. and goes his way.
He straightway forgets what manner of man he is. Have you ever seen a man come to work, he's shaved and he's cut himself and he takes a little piece of tissue and sticks it on there? and then forgets it's there and comes to work with that thing sticking on there like that. Looks ridiculous, doesn't he? He means to take that off, but he's just busy.
He's thinking about something, he forgets it. Or maybe you've got a dirty face, and you say, Well, I've got to get that smudge off, and you forget. You just get a glance. And then you go your way.
Now, James says that's the way some people are when they look in the Word of God. They just have a look and a promise. What he is saying is this. that some people listen to me now.
Some people are too casual in their study of the Word of God. As glance in the mirror and they go their way. You know, they say, well, it's time for my quiet time. They're drinking coffee. Let me see here.
They read a word. Off they go. They're like a man who just glances in the mirror as he goes. He never straightens his tie. He never combs his hair.
He never gets the smudge off. He never removes that piece of tissue. He just goes his way. But now, James mentions another kind of man, not the man with the casual glance, but the man with a careful gaze. Notice verse 25.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein, He being not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work, this man should be blessed in his deed. And the word here that is used for look means a careful gaze. It means to look penetratingly into the Word of God. Do you know where it was used? It was used in the Bible for John.
When John. At the resurrection, He and the other disciple came. to the tomb and the stone had been rolled away. And the Bible says that John came And he looked Stooping down. He looked into the tomb.
Had you been there that Easter morning? And you came where your Lord had been buried. And the stone was rolled away. Oh. Would you have just glanced in and just go away?
No. You would look. with all of the intensity possible. He looked with intensity. into that tomb.
Not a casual glance. But a careful gaze You want to understand the Word of God? Friend, when you read it. Bring your mind to it. Bring your heart to it.
Bring everything to it. It's not easy. But all I'm telling you right now is, it's that gaze, it is that looking into the Word of God. That makes the Bible real to you. And if you will receive the word today, If you will receive it with a receptive spirit.
Oh, if you will receive it. My friend with a repentant. Spirit. Responsive spirit. Reflective spirit.
It'll burst aflame in your hands. and in your life. And it'll change. Your Life. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org.
For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org. or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.
