James 1:23-27
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James is a very practical New Testament book. His letter is direct, sobering, and penetrating. His letter essentially serves as a series of tests for what genuine Christian faith is and looks like. In the final portion of chapter one, he addresses the importance of not only hearing God’s Word, but obeying it. Verse 22 rings out as one of the theme verses for the letter: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” That command separates true saving faith from self-deception. In verses 19-22, we learn that doers of the Word are those who practice self-control in relationship to the Word, pursue holiness through the Word, and pursue obedience to the Word. It is all about our response to what God has said. This week, in James 1:23-27, James gives three reasons that compel us to have those three responses to the Word.
First, James tells us that God’s Word convicts. He compares the Word to a mirror that a man looks into to examine his appearance. He says that looking into the mirror and then walking away and forgetting what we see is the equivalent to hearing the Word without obeying it. Few people would take such passive, apathetic care when looking in the mirror. He reveals in the analogy two bad attitudes toward the Word: carelessness and forgetfulness. Why would we have such a response to God’s Word? Being a mirror, the Word of God is a powerful tool that God uses to convict us of sin. It shows us the holiness of God and His perfect righteousness. It also reveals to us the depths of our wickedness in sin and rebellion to God. The Word is powerful and cuts into the inner recesses of who we are (Hebrews 4:12-13). It reveals even our thoughts, intents, and motives of the heart. To look into something so serious, be made aware of something so important, and walk away carelessly or forgetfully is to essentially snub our noses at God and trample on the precious gift of His Word. Instead, we should humbly meditate on the Word and consider intently what it says to us. When we read and hear God’s Word, we should have the attitude of what Eli instructed Samuel, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:9).
The second reason James gives is that God’s Word conforms us to the image of Christ. God’s Word is a means He uses to mold us and make us after the image of His Son. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). James describes God’s Word here as the “perfect law of liberty.” It literally renders, “the law of freedom” or “the law that sets us free.” There are special blessings attached to hearing and obeying God’s Word throughout Scripture. One of the greatest promises is the one made by Jesus to a group of would-be disciples: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). It is the truth that sets us free. It is the truth that cleanses our walks of sin. Psalm 119:45 says, “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.” Jesus prayed in his high priestly prayer, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Through the Word of God believers are made more like Christ. We are more and more set apart from sin as the Word permeates our thinking and drives our motives. It is “the law of liberty” because it sets born again believers free to obey the will of God from the heart.
The final reason James gives in these verses for obedience to the Word is that the Word corrects us. The Word of God teaches us how to live holy lives and what true obedience to God looks like. James first speaks to the use of one’s tongue as a test for true religion. Religion is used here to define the practice or system of worshipping God. It is a neutral word that often takes on a negative meaning. Here it describes true Christian faith. The person who professes faith in Christ but has an uncontrolled tongue has a useless region. It has done them no good because the Word of God clearly teaches the importance of exercising self-control, especially in regards to speech. “Pure” and “undefiled” religion is demonstrated in actual obedience to the will of God. James pulls out two examples. The first, visiting “orphans and widows,” describes acts of sacrificial love and compassion. The second, keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world,” describes holy conduct. God uses His Word to correct our wrongs and teach us what He desires.
God’s Word “is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.” It is a powerful instrument in the hands of the Almighty Creator who desires to mold and equip His children to be all that He desires them to be. James has put forth three reasons to be a doer of the Word: it convicts us of sin; it conforms us to the image of Jesus; and it corrects us in our Christian walk. Am I a doer of the Word? Do I know His Word? Do I love His Word? Do I obey His Word?