James 1:20
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Prelude
Currently, we see many people who state they are Christians caught up in conversations and actions that contradict God’s word. How do they find themselves in this place? How do we avoid the same drift towards that same destination, unsaved and leaning on our own understanding?
I see that in James 1:20 the power lies in the implanted word of God, which is able to save your soul. Let us understand the steps, so we can receive the word correctly. This verse from James is similar to Jesus’ teaching on the types of soil in the ground of the heart.
Remove the weeds
We must first put away filth and the residue of wickedness from our fallen flesh. Yes, we are filthy and wicked when we sin against God. Putting away is more to the sense of getting rid of instead of placing it into storage. The most effective way is to stop participating in your flesh’s wicked suggestions (temptations). We can underestimate the power of prayer because we miss the earnest element (James 5:16).
How much do you want the forbidden desire to win and lure you away into something filthy and wicked, which is sin?
Through earnest and sincere prayer we can ask God to remove the weeds, the forbidden desire for what is filthy and wicked. If we ask, He is faithful to forgive us and clean us (1 John 1:9). How amazing is that? Where we can’t reach and clean, God is faithful to scrub and forgive offences to him.
Humility softens the soil
Dry soil is the worst soil to cultivate the seed. When I plant my seeds in my garden I make sure I make the soil moist and filled with nutrients. This allows the seed to grow strong and healthy roots.
So the same happens with humility, it allows us to receive God’s word implanted which gives us instructions on how to live right before God. By our obedience to the scriptures, the power of the Holy Spirit will respond and empower us towards continual salvation, ultimately to the soul being saved through Jesus.
- We can at times have a hard heart to the scriptures, the tool the Holy Spirit uses to convict, instruct and communicate with us. It hurts our pride to know that we are wrong or our views are skewed. Pride is at the heart of sin, the scripture tells us constantly; not our way but God’s. If there is one area that will stifle and choke the implanted word is ‘pride’. Choose to be open, knowing you know nothing at all (Philippians 3:17) and have a heart and mind for dependency on Jesus (Proverbs 3:5,6).
The Implanted word saves your soul
I have seen in my own life the power of God’s word when it has been implanted in your heart., consistently. Your desires change, sin becomes undesirable and most importantly you get to know who God is. That’s the heart of our relationship with God; knowing him. You understand his ways, and how he thinks which results in a constant realisation that we need to be saved again and again, so the pursuit is to abide, and not drift away. To dwell in Him, constant fellowship and obedience.
Obedience is critical, as the following verses speak of being someone to live out the word, that is the implanted word of God. You must but do, that is the heart of Christianity; hear Christ then do Christ.
By no way is this conclusive, that defeats the aim of a relationship with God through word and prayer. However, this is to allow the scriptures to refresh our minds back into living holy and pursuing God through his implanted word. The soil is such a powerful reference for us as humans. We were made from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7).
The word of God is able to save your soul, will you let it?
