Moo on James

From Douglas Moo's commentary on James 1:21:

"The repeated failures of Israel to obey the law that God gave to them had made it clear that the human heart was not capable of submitting to external rules. A new, interior work would have to be done, giving people a "new heart"...so that they could respond truly and obediently to God's word. James's language [in 1:21] reminds his readers that they have experienced the fulfillment of that wonderful promise. But it also reminds them that the word that has saved them cannot be dispensed with after conversion. God plants it within his people, making it a permanent, inseparable part of the believer, a guiding and commanding presence within."

Douglas J. Moo. The Letter of James (Kindle Locations 1355-1359). Kindle Edition.