“Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness…” (James 1:21).
Being a doer of God’s word is imperative.
To become and remain a doer of the word of truth does not happen by accident.
James 1:19-25 identifies four essentials of an honest and good heart. The first of these is a ready mind (see yesterday’s post). The second is a pure heart.
Just as a filthy pigpen is no place for a bride in her wedding gown, an unholy heart is no suitable residence for God’s holy word.
Sin defiles and pollutes the body and mind. Spiritual darkness hates the light of holiness and actively avoids exposure. Good and evil are natural enemies.
To be a doer of God’s holy word, therefore, you must purposefully strip off the filthy and defiled in your heart, then lay it aside. A partial cleaning is insufficient. All the spiritual poisons of sin and selfishness which pollute God’s pristine word must go.
A lingering desire for sin will incapacitate a ready mind. Without a pure heart, it is possible to know what is good and still not do it.
