James 1:21-27
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 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 observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
James tells us to put away or cast off the filth and the abundant evil in our hearts, our minds, our lives.
Literally get rid of all of it.
Instead, receive the word of God into our hearts.
With thoughtful consideration and humbleness, let the word be planted in us.
Think on it, let it change us and replace the evil that we are shedding.
Take action based on the word we have learned and understand.
We won't know everything all at once.
It takes time, but put into practice what we do know to be correct.
As we learn more, we will change more, and our actions will change as well.
Do not think that hearing the word is enough.
Hearing the word, without acting on it, does not change us.
We must act on what we have learned, or we are still the same, condemned sinner that first heard the word.
We must control our tongue.
What we speak can defile us or be a blessing to all.
It shows what is in our heart.
We should have God's love in our hearts.
That is what we should speak.
Then James gives us an example of the right heart.
Where God's love and word are blooming.
When we help those who cannot help themselves, the ones in a powerless situation.
Then he reminds us to shield ourselves from the sin and evil of the world.
To remain separate and apart and not return to the evil we have put aside.
All of this is being doers of the word.
James is teaching us the actions we need to take.
Do not think by hearing and memorization anyone is saved.
Thoughtless rituals do not save.
It is through true salvation, producing the actions of faith, that we are saved.
If our salvation does not produce action, it is not salvation.
Matthew 3:10
And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.