19

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22

So far, James begins his Christian Jewish brothers by telling them that they will face trials, both of persecution and sin, and that to endure those trails is a testament to our faith in God and produces a persistent love for him. He ends his introduction, not by talking about how to face these temptations, but by pointing back to Christ and his sacrifice and our identity in him. Now, James begins the body of his letter with how we, as Christians, should act in the wake of these trials:

1. How does James choose to instruct his brothers first and how do
these actions produce the righteousness of God?

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26

2. James uses therefore, meaning in light the previous statement,

before talking about their sin. Why would James choose to compare the instructions in v.19 with vv.13-15? Take into consideration what you have learned so far about Gods use of trails in our lives.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

3. How does James discussing our behavior relate to our sin, for
instance how we use our tongue and anger? How does his enlighten the phrase receive with meekness the implanted word?

4. Deuteronomy 11: 8, You shall therefore lay up these words of mine

in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. How does implanting the word on our hearts effective in dealing with our actions and sin? How does this change us to doers of the word?

5. Discuss the imagery of the face in the mirror. What does James
mean by using this analogy and how does it compare to the double-minded man?

6. James uses two contradictory words in v.25: law and liberty. What
does James call the perfect lawof liberty and why? How does this empower us to be doers of the word?

7. How do Jamess statements in vv.26-27 affect the modern day

outlook on Christian religion? How well is this idea being done by yourself, your group, and your church?