James 1:21

2. The essential response 1:21

The filthiness in view seems to be all kinds of unclean behavior that lies outside the will of God, including anger and wrath. The "remains of wickedness" are those evil habits of life we carry over from the unredeemed world (cf. Psalms 17:4; Luke 6:45). The believer should accept submissively what God has revealed and should respond cooperatively to what He commands. The Word of God will then have good soil in which to grow, and it will yield an abundant harvest of righteous conduct in the believer.

"We pray for safety instead of purity because we do not see impurity as dangerous." [Note: Stulac, p. 71.]

Some interpreters have understood the phrase "which is able to save your souls" to imply that the souls of James’ readers still needed to experience salvation from eternal damnation. However, since his readers were Christians (James 1:1-2), some interpreters believe that when a believer sins he loses his salvation and needs saving again. Yet the words James used and the context make clear that this is not what he meant. "Save your lives" or "save your selves" (Gr. psychas) is a better translation used elsewhere (cf. Matthew 16:24-27; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9; Luke 9:56; James 5:20; 1 Peter 1:9). I counted 40 instances in the New Testament where the translators of the AV rendered the Greek word psyche "life" rather than "soul." [Note: See also Joseph C. Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings, pp. 118-19; and Hodges, p. 41.] "Soul" does not describe a part of the individual that is different from some other part of him or her such as the body; it describes the whole person.

". . . the expression ["save your souls"] is never found in any New Testament text which describes the conversion experience!" [Note: Idem, The Gospel Under Siege, p. 24.]

By obeying God’s Word the believer can save his life, himself, from the consequences of sin. The ultimate consequence for a believer is premature physical (not eternal) death (cf. James 1:15; James 5:19-20; Proverbs 10:27; Proverbs 11:19; Proverbs 12:28; Proverbs 13:14; Proverbs 19:16; Romans 8:13; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 John 5:16). [Note: See Arlen L. Chitwood, Salvation of the Soul, pp. 25-34.] James was still talking about the consequences of obeying and disobeying God: the crown of life (James 1:12) and death (James 1:15).

"It has often been observed that the Epistle of James is, of all the New Testament writings, the one which most clearly reflects the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. The theme of death as the consequence of sin is an extremely frequent one in the book of Proverbs. . . . It should be evident that this is the Old Testament concept which furnishes the background for James’ thought. A recognition of this fact clarifies a great deal." [Note: Hodges, The Gospel . . ., pp. 24-25.]