Be Doers of the Word

Be Doers of the Word. What does this mean? To what is James referring in verses 22 through 25 of James chapter 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.

James 1:22-25, ESV

Be Doers of the Word. What does this mean? To what is James referring in verses 22 through 25 of James chapter 1?

Be Doers of the Word - What Does This Mean?

James is perhaps one of the most profound books in the Bible. It is written to believers and challenges us with understanding how to actually live the Christian life. One may say, "Wait a minute. I am a believer, I have asked Jesus to forgive me for my sins. Is that not enough?"

The answer is yes and no. (Don't you love it when someone says that?)

Yes, salvation is not by works. When we come to Christ, sincerely confessing our sins, and asking Him to save us, He does just that. We are saved forever.

No, it is not enough to successfully live the Christian life in the joy and peace of the Lord. We are not saved to go on and selfishly live this life for ourselves and follow the path that those of this world seek.

So, what does it mean to be doers of the Word?

Be Doers of the Word - A Mirror

James is so practical in his illustrations. He tells us that we should not just hear the Word of God, but we should also do the Word of God. What is the difference? To illustrate this truth, James uses the example of a mirror.

If we only hear the Word of God we are just like the person who looks at himself or herself in the mirror and then immediately goes away and forgets what they saw. Let's say you look at the mirror in the morning and realize that you have never combed your hair--you have a "bedhead" as my boys used to say. So you go about your duties and leave the house totally forgetting that you forgot to comb your hair. The first thing on your agenda is to go to a job interview. What will the interviewer think when they look at your hair?

You are being like one who hears the Word of God but then goes about his or her life totaling forgetting the commands and challenges given to us in God's Word.

Be Doers of the Word - A Doer Acts

A doer acts! What does James say about this?

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.

Ah, and there it is. When we look at the perfect law of God--the law of liberty--we act. Though we will never reach perfection on this side of heaven, yet we find that the Bible is the Living Word of God.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12, ESV

Spend time, daily, in the Word of God. Read it again and again, Gods Word is living. Your life will be different a year from now. So, a year from now, you can read the same passage you read today and different things will be impressed upon your heart and mind.

How does the Bible pierce the soul? David was know by God as a man after God's own heart.

And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

Acts 13:22, ESV

God desires that we love Him from the very depths of our souls and hearts. In that attitude, we will find that the Bible will convict us of our sins and give us a great love for God and a desire to serve Him. When we hear sermons preached our heart will be constantly convicted and will yearn to obey God more and more perfectly.

And when one, such as I, begin to reach the end of their life, they find that they yearn more and more for the courts of heaven.

Be Doers of the Word - Obey Christ!

So, I plead with you, dear friend. Love Christ, read His Word, pray that He will give you grace and make you more and more like Him. That is the path to joy and peace even while living in this world full of sin, sickness, and misery.

If you are not a believer, I plead with you to fall before the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, confess your sins and cry out to Him to save you. That is the very reason that Christ came to this earth, born as a baby in a manger, He taught the truth during His earthly ministry and then died on a cross, not for His own sin for he had none, but He died for our sins. He paid the debt we owe before God.

The Bible says that today is the day of salvation. Come to Christ--He will save you now!

God Bless You,

Linda