There are many who claim to know God but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good. Man is not what he says but what he does. William Secker
Next, James says that while hearing the Word is important and necessary, hearing the Word alone is not enough.
James 1:22 But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
It is one thing to hear the Word of God but it is another thing altogether to put what you have heard unto practice. Many people are willing to proclaim that Jesus was a great moral teacher and admire his teaching. However, few are willing to actually follow his teachings, putting them into practice, because his teachings are counter cultural, frequently going against the grain. For example, who wants to Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you? Matthew 5:44
Look at what Christ said to the religious leaders of his day; You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5:39-40 They looked intently at the Scriptures yet did not follow the teaching they read there, and instead rejected Christ. As a result they did not have life.
Words are the mirror of the mind; they show what is in the heart. Thomas Watson
We are to look intently into the mirror of God’s Word. We must study God’s Word with concentration for the purpose of adjusting our thoughts, attitudes, and actions accordingly. Are you willing to follow the Word of God where it leads? Sadly, many evangelical leaders today are not willing to faithfully follow God’s Word and are comfortable advocating for secular causes; greed, abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, social justice, same sex marriage, socialism, and more.
We are not to treat the Scriptures like a good luck charm; something we occasionally read and then put back on the shelf. The Scriptures actually make demands of us. As Paul taught, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
A mirror is a tool that we use to inspect our appearance so that we can make adjustments in our appearance. Similarly, we study God’s Word so that we can make adjustments in our lives consistent with God’s Word. You don’t look into a mirror and then walk away without making changes. If you read God’s Word and then walk away without putting it into practice what you learned there you are deceiving yourself and you are displeasing God. On the other hand, if you are a doer who acts on what God’s
Word has taught you, you will be blessed.
What is that blessing?
James says that God’s law is the perfect law, the law of liberty. Most people think that God’s law is restrictive, unnatural, and perhaps even toxic. But in reality, God’s law is the law of liberty. It emancipates us. It sets us free to be the people that God created us to be. Whenever we throw off the shackles of God’s law, seeking freedom, we end up in bondage to a tyranny of the worst kind; man made laws, destructive desires and passions fueled by our faulty thinking. Beware, these man made laws easily invade and infect the church. Despite what we think, our creator knows that we find our true fulfillment in obeying his Word. Contrary to popular belief, God’s Word is not a curse but a blessing.
Turn, then my soul unto your rest. The ransom of your great High Priest has set the captive free: Liberty from the bondage of sin, the penalty of sin, the guilt of sin, the dominion of sin, the fear of the law, the fear of death! Charles Spurgeon
Verlini’s favorite verse was Paslm 37:5. “Commit your way to the Lord.” And that is how she lived her life. She had read through the Bible 14 times, rising every morning at 3:30 for Bible study and prayer.
On Easter Sunday morning in 2019, Verlini taught the children in her class about the crucifixion of Jesus. Verlini told the children about heaven and asked what they thought would happen if they died that day. After leading the class in prayer, she asked if they would be willing to die for Christ. Most of the children raised their hands. At 8:30 she led the children into the courtyard for breakfast while the adults prepared for the 9 a.m. Easter service at the Zion Church in Batticaloa, Sir Lanka. A man from the community, Umar, entered the courtyard wearing a backpack. After being greeted by the Assistant Pastor, Umar fell to his knees and detonated a bomb that he had hidden in his backpack, killing many in the courtyard.
Debbi. age 7, lost her mother, Verlini, her father, and her eyesight in the blast. Blinded, scarred, and awaiting future surgeries, Debbi has become a victor instead of a victim as she glorifies God by radiating His joy to everyone around her. Her selfless concern for others paired with her ability to look beyond temporal suffering and loss, to her eternal reality, exemplifies the kind of discipleship that Christ taught. Debbi’s parents had taught her well. Instead of despair, she trusts simply and fully in God’s promises. She comforts others by asking, “Why cry? My parents are with Jesus. One day we will also go to be with Jesus.”
Return to The Letter of James.