Common Sense Christianity

For most of my childhood and youth, I had one pastor--Steve Bailey.  He came to our church when I was in fourth grade or so, and though my mother has since changed churches (and denominations!) and has since not attended my childhood church in some years, I've been able to make out that Steve left sometime about two years ago.  He was there for some time, then.

I remember him preaching a sermon, or maybe it was a series, on James.  The sermon (series?) was called "Common Sense Christianity."  That name, I'll never forget.  It's been one of the things that's stuck with me through the highs and lows of my faith, through my disbelief and unbelief and very strong belief.  I've revisited James countless times, though I always seem to forget it, and find myself surprised and astonied (KJV word!) each time I read his letter again.  It's so simple, so "common sense," and yet so powerful.  Tonight, I read Chapter 1, and 19-21 struck me as especially apt:

¹⁹Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
 ²⁰For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
 ²¹Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 

As a man, as a weak man, I'm always looking for discipline.  And this seems to ask of us, of me, the most simple, but almost most difficult form of discipline--slow to speak, slow to wrath, but swift to hear.  How hard is that?  So hard.

I came across the following, about these verses, from the concise Matthew Henry commentary:

Instead of blaming God under our trials, let us open our ears and hearts to learn what he teaches by them. And if men would govern their tongues, they must govern their passions. The worst thing we can bring to any dispute, is anger. Here is an exhortation to lay apart, and to cast off as a filthy garment, all sinful practices. This must reach to sins of thought and affection, as well as of speech and practice; to every thing corrupt and sinful. We must yield ourselves to the word of God, with humble and teachable minds. Being willing to hear of our faults, taking it not only patiently, but thankfully. It is the design of the word of God to make us wise to salvation; and those who propose any mean or low ends in attending upon it, dishonour the gospel, and disappoint their own souls.

Tonight, I hear this from our Father--let us search for discipline, and let us know that the only way to find it is to be teachable and humble, lest we dishonor our own souls and our Lord's sacrifice.

Amen, beloved.