James 1:21
"Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
Whenever we see the word "therefore" in Scripture, we should always ask: “What is the therefore there for?”
In the verses just before this, James urges us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger - because these behaviors do not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20). So, building on that, verse 21 calls us to put aside all moral filth and wickedness, and instead, humbly receive the word of God that has been planted in us. Why? Because this Word has the power to save your soul.
That’s a weighty statement. It reminds me of Paul’s words in Romans 1:16-17:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”
Martin Luther once referred to James as “an epistle of straw,” even questioning whether it should be included in the Bible - because it seemed, on the surface, to contradict salvation by grace through faith. But look closely, and you’ll see that James and Paul are not at odds. Rather, they complement each other.
Biblical Christianity teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone - but the grace that saves is never alone. It brings transformation. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:10, we are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in. James isn’t arguing against faith - he’s challenging hypocrisy or “double-mindedness”. He’s exposing our tendency to speak one way and live another. He’s urging us to be consistent - to align our hearts, words, and actions with the Word of God.
So what’s the takeaway?
Let the Word of God dwell in you richly. Approach it with humility. Let it do its deep, transformative work in you - because through it, by the power of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, your soul will be saved
[We] must understand that Christianity is not served by mindlessness, but by the knowledge of God through the Word of God. Such knowledge engages our minds, stirs our hearts, and transforms our lives. This knowledge is personal. How is it fostered? By listening to what He says (the priority of preaching), by engaging Him in conversation (the emphasis on prayer), by spending time in His company (the need for a devotional life), and by being with others who know Him too (the need for gathered worship). This knowledge is progressive and dynamic, not static. At the end of our journey, we should still be exclaiming with Paul: “I want to know Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:2). - Alistair Begg
