November 14th, 2024
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.
The constant difficulty of the Christian life has always revolved around one fundamental issue. It is the fact that we can become so accustomed to hearing the Word of God that we eventually give up on taking it seriously. This familiarity has a cost to it and each of us are prone to becoming negligent in our own personal obedience to the Lord. However, all of us should be reminded that there is nothing more damaging than a believer that has memorized every Bible verse and yet feels no inclination to do what they say. This is precisely the focus of James as he writes to us today.
James firstly admonishes the reader to not simply take on the habit of just hearing the Word of God. It is not that hearing in of itself is a terrible thing. James is making the case that if we are only hearing the Word and nothing else, then we have not done enough. The Bible is full of sentiments that call us to have “ears to hear” which speaks of the readiness of our hearts to listen to God’s Word. However, listening is only one side of the coin. We must press on to prove ourselves as doers of the Word as the NASB translates it. If we do not take on this necessary step of obedience and putting our faith into practice, verse 22 states we deceive ourselves. It is foolish and delusional to repeatedly hear the truth and do nothing with what we hear. This is essentially how James frames his teaching.
The deluded frame of mind is further defined in verses 23 through 24. It is the description of a man looking into the mirror to observe his features and see a true reflection of who he is. But immediately when he walks away from that mirror, he forgets what he looks like. If this comparison sounds foolish to you, it’s because it works to prove the point James is making. The Word of God is the mirror that perfectly reflects who we are to the finest detail. It doesn’t lie to us nor deceive us into thinking incorrectly. When we hear God’s Word read or spoken, we are privileged to examine ourselves from the Lord’s point of view and effect real change into our life. But it is of no spiritual benefit to us if we would walk away from that time with the Lord and make no effort to apply it to our everyday living.
James adds in verse 25 that the one who is able to not only listen to the Word but “look intently” into it, will be blessed in all they do. It is safe to assume then that the person who forgets what they heard will not reap blessing but instead a life of constant turmoil and even destruction. Obedience leads to God’s favour and disobedience does not. Deuteronomy 5:33 repeats this idea, “Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” We read similarly in 1 Kings 2:3 “Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”
Obedience to the Lord is already a difficult task on its
own. This is why the Word of God is so vital to our sanctification and
spiritual walk. We should not underestimate the power of reading God’s Word and
hearing it taught or preached. It is within those moments that we can open our
hearts to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Through this spiritual
work, the Lord will conform us more and more into the likeness of His Son as we
become doers of the Word.
Examine your own heart today and see whether or not you have become weary or tired in sincere obedience. While the Lord is full of grace and mercy, He demands a high level of allegiance and urgency to our Christian walk. Instead of simply skimming through the Bible in the morning or at night, take time to write down what God is really asking of you. What is He asking you to do differently? What is He asking you to change? What is He encouraging you to continue doing? If we read carefully, there is always an action He commands of us. None of us are perfectly righteous and therefore all of us have things we must work on. I wonder if you would allow the Word of God to show you those things today.