Today’s Affirmation: I welcome the word that will save my soul.
In James 1 the 21st chapter James tells us: “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (NKJV)
It is promised here that we can receive the word which is “able” to save our souls. James is such an awesome book. In just this one verse a wealth of wisdom is shared.
- “Lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness”. There is no “IF” you have filthiness, etc. We ALL have it, just lay it aside.
- “Receive with meekness”. You can only receive what is being offered. Meekly and humbly realize how unworthy we are and how little we do to deserve this word.
- “Implanted word”, we didn’t just hear the word and just say a simple prayer. God’s gospel is “implanted” and written on our hearts. Such power and depth to this word.
- This word of God is “able” to save our souls. Will we let it? Will we have the faith to believe and take action?
I receive your word today dear Lord. I lay aside my filthiness and my wickedness for this very moment. I humbly ask you to help me to continue to lay these temptations aside as I am faced with them today. I am weak and made of flesh with an evil nature. Implant Your word in my heart today. Write Your word upon the tablets of my heart. Draw me away from my fleshly desires.
1. What thoughts do you have as you read James 1:21?
2. Do you find another affirmation in James 1?
3. What does the “implanted” word mean to you?
4. What actions can we take now to receive this word that is able to save our souls?
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Tom, I’m grinning… “There is no “IF” you have filthiness, etc. We ALL have it, just lay it aside.” Love the ‘just do it’ attitude. Amen!
“implanted word” to me means to meditate, dwell on, immerse myself in the word of God. And I find that reading through the Bible is so helpful to me. Reading it in context helps me better absorb what’s being said.
Wonderful affirmation .
Thanks Robin, not sure how I missed responding this day! Must have been travelling. Bless you!
Hi tomraines,
Sorry to hear in one of your blogs that your Nana is ill and has passed on? That tells me that you are quite a bit younger. My grandparents passed away more than 20 years ago. I have been thinking on this idea of James 1:21“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness,……” I sometimes hear believers say that they feel bad about their relationship with God, they feel guilty, they feel unworthy, etc. I think that a clear conscience is something that needs to be protected by beleivers at all times. If we are feeling guilty about something we have said or something we have done we need to get this corrected by repentance toward God and our repentant action towards the person we may have offended or hurt in some way.
I’m thinking that sometimes our conscience is guilty because we have had incorrect and distorted teachings about God, but…. sometimes our conscience is guilty because we have something that we need to correct or to deal with in our lives that the Holy Spirit is saying ‘you need to acknowledge this and to do this first, before you go any further’. ‘you need to do this first, so that your prayers will not be hindered’.
One of the objectives or goal of a Christian is to maintain a pure heart and clean hands. We live in an era of ‘grace’ provided by God that I believe will continue until the return of Jesus Christ. This does not mean that we now live without rules and guidelines that we need to abide by. Self-control is a big issue in this era of ‘grace’ for believers with God. We are exhorted by the apostles of the Bible to live unreproachable lives while we wait for the return of Jesus Christ.
Paul affirmed the ‘clear conscience’ he had in his writings to believers. I think if our conscience is niggling at us, we need to address it and take care of it right away.
Thanks Linda. I agree. IN the recovery process I have enjoyed the grace in just being honest and laying all my sins out upon the alter. To have a close group of other people that we can confess things to in addition to God and ourselves is liberating. We are free to seek forgiveness, repent and move towards God without the weight of a heavy conscience. My Grandmother is 95 and still hanging in there, so I am not soooo young…Ha