This is the manuscript of the sermon preached on Sunday January 18, 2026 at Christ Church.
James 1:19-27 NIV [19] My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, [20] because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. [21] Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. [22] Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. [23] Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [24] and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. [25] But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. [26] Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. [27] Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Introduction
"Before we dive into the Word, we would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge that tomorrow our nation observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As we continue our series, 'Things Worth Remembering,' focusing on building a New Year on a New Foundation, Dr. King stands as a great example of what that looks like in practice. Two weeks ago we identified the essentials—Faith, Hope, and Love—last week we said that God can use us when we have the essentials of faith, hope and love.
In a world of surface-level labels, anyone can claim to follow Christ. But "Things Truly Christian" are not found in the words we speak; they are revealed in the lives we lead and the ways we grow. Dr. King didn't just preach about justice; he bore the fruit of it through sacrifice and service. Following that same New Testament standard, a genuine disciple is known by their fruit.
Today, we are going to look at the unmistakable evidence of a life that is truly, deeply, and authentically aligned with God's will.
Here’s our text for today;
James 1:26–27 (NIV) "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Conformity to a "Christian code" does not make one a true believer. Genuine Christianity is far more than a public performance. A heart truly transformed by God expresses itself in simple, down-to-earth, and practical ways.
In today’s text James lists three things that must be an integral part of every Christian’s life.
A controlled tongue
A compassionate spirit.
A clean life.
James 1:26 NIV [26] Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
If you fail to control your tongue your religion is worthless, futile, meaningless, insignificant, or void.
Though the tongue is small, it is powerful.
James 3:3-5 NIV [3] When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. [4] Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. [5] Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
A horse is a massive creature of pure muscle and instinct. Yet, a small piece of metal in its mouth—the bit—allows a rider to direct that power.
Our words are the "bits" of our lives. When we speak out of anger, pride, or "ostentatious" self-importance, we allow our base instincts to run wild. However, when we discipline our tongue, we are actually disciplining our whole person.
James describes a great ship tossed by "strong winds." The winds represent the external pressures of life—crises, social expectations, or stress. Despite these massive forces, the tiny rudder determines where the ship ends up.
Your words determine your direction. If you speak words of doubt and bitterness during a storm, you steer toward the rocks. If you speak words of faith and alignment, you steer toward the harbor.
The tongue is like a small flame that starts a fire that can destroy great forests, thousands of homes, and lives, like the fires we had here in the Los Angeles area last year.
James 3:6, 9-11 NIV [6] The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
[9] With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. [10] Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. [11] Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
This exposes the contradiction we often live in: trying to maintain a "believer" status on the outside while harboring bitterness or pride on the inside.
Think of a drop of ink in a glass of clear water. The ink is small, but it doesn't stay in one corner; it permeates everything. When we use our words to manipulate, vent, or "pompously" elevate ourselves, that toxicity doesn't stay in our mouths—it seeps into our health, our mental clarity, and our relationships. Our words don't just affect the moment we speak them; they create a direction.
A life of complaining creates a path of misery; a life of gratitude creates a path of peace.
It is absolutely absurd that we use our words as instruments to "praise our Lord" and then we use our words to "curse human beings." It is easy to be "meticulous" about our praise on Sunday morning, but the true test of our foundation is how we speak to the person who cuts us off in traffic or the coworker who makes a mistake.
Every person is "made in God’s likeness." so to curse a person is, in a sense, to insult the Creator we claim to praise. If our priority is truly God’s will, our words must reflect his love for everyone, not just those we like.
A spring doesn't decide what kind of water to produce; the water is simply a result of the source. If "salt water" (bitterness, sarcasm, lies) is coming out, it’s a sign that the "reservoir" of our heart needs attention.
We carry the tongue in our mouths, but we cannot control it in our own strength. To truly govern our words, we must surrender the lead to the Holy Spirit.
James 3:7-8 NIV [7] All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Humanity has successfully dominated the natural world. We have trained lions to sit, falcons to hunt, and dolphins to perform.
We have the technology to split the atom and explore deep space, yet we often cannot stop ourselves from saying that one "worthless" comment that ruins a relationship. The problem of the tongue is not a lack of intelligence or willpower—it is a condition.
If "no human being can tame the tongue," we are left with a problem we cannot solve on our own. This is where the Holy Spirit and our foundation in faith becomes the only solution.
Taming the tongue isn't about trying harder; it’s about surrendering sooner. We must invite the Holy Spirit to stand guard at the "door of our lips."
Psalm 141:3 is a scripture that my mother said she affirmed everyday before she walked out of the house.
Psalms 141:3 NIV Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.
The Holy Spirit doesn't just put a muzzle on us; He changes the source. When our priorities are aligned with God's will, the Holy Spirit begins to replace the "deadly poison" with the "fruit of the Spirit"
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
A genuine Christian must have a controlled tongue and must have a compassionate spirit.
Genuine Christianity is more than words: it reaches out in love to those who are in need.
James 1:27 NIV Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
True Christians will be concerned for others. This is the attitude of Jesus; he was always concerned about people in need.
Remember what we said last week?
Jesus saw past the crowds to the crisis. He didn't just see people; He saw souls that were harassed and helpless.
Matthew 9:35-36 NIV [35] Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. [36] When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
It is not enough to say simply to the hungry, “Go and be fed.” We have to help feed them.
James 2:14-17 NIV [14] What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? [15] Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Genuine Christians will respond to the needs of others. Two weeks ago I said that;
Love is not a noun we possess; it is a verb we practice. Our love is shown in action. If love is merely a "noun" (a possession), it would stay inside us but because our love is a "verb" (an action), it flows through us. Our love for others should not depend on whether they deserve it, agree with us, or can return it.
Genuine Christianity has eyes that see, arms that embrace, and a purse or wallet that opens.
A genuine Christian must have a controlled tongue, a compassionate spirit and a clean life.
James 1:27 NIV Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Someone who is a true follower of Jesus will live a clean life. Christians are people whose lives have been purified. Not perfect but purified.
Perfect implies something that is already finished, without a single flaw or mistake. In this life, only Jesus is perfect. If we wait until we are perfect to serve God, we will never start.
Purified implies something that was once stained but is being made clean. It is like refined gold—the gold is "pure" not because it never had dirt on it, but because it has been through the fire to remove the impurities.
Perfection is about following every rule and never tripping. It’s a "pass/fail" grade.
Purification is about the posture of the heart. When you mess up, a purified person doesn't hide; they return to the Refiner to be washed again.
1 John 1:8-10 NIV [8] If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Here’s a simple illustration:
A white shirt can be perfect when it’s brand new in the box. But the moment you wear it out into the world, it’s going to get dirty. Being a purified Christian is like a shirt that is washed every single day. It might have a scar or a mend in the fabric, but because it is regularly washed in the blood of Christ, it is clean. God isn't looking for people who never get dirty; He is looking for people who are willing to be washed.
Although we are all sinners, Christians are commanded to live upright moral lives. We can do this only through the strength the indwelling Holy Spirit gives
Galatians 5:22-25 NIV [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Conclusion
How are we to define Christianity? The meaning is obvious only in the charitable words from our mouths and in the loving acts done from our hearts.
We’ve spent these last few weeks talking about "Things Worth Remembering"—Faith, Hope, and Love. But James reminds us that if these things don’t move from our heads to our hands, if they don't move from our memory to our movements, they remain just ideas.
As we look toward tomorrow, observing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we see a man who embodied this text. He knew that a "New Foundation" for a nation—and for a person—isn't built on religious slogans, but on the three things we’ve discussed today:
The Call to Action
The question for Christ Church today is simple: Is your religion working?
If your words are still full of "salt water," if your hands are closed to those in "distress," or if your life is being "polluted" by the values of this world, then your foundation is shifting sand. But there is good news. You don't have to be perfect to start fresh today. You just have to be willing to be purified.
You can't tame your tongue on your own. You can't manufacture compassion out of thin air. You can't stay clean in a dirty world by your own willpower. But you can "keep in step with the Spirit."
Let’s be a people whose religion isn’t just a Sunday performance, but a Monday practice. Let’s build our lives on the only foundation that stands the test of time: a faith that expresses itself through love.
Let us pray.
Lord, we don't want a "worthless" religion. We want a life that is pure and faultless in Your sight. Change our hearts, so that our words might change. Open our hands, so that our city might feel Your touch. And keep us close to You, so that we might reflect Your light in a dark world. As we leave this place, help us to not just remember the Word, but to do it. In the name of Jesus, our firm foundation, Amen.
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