Looking In God's Mirror

James 1:22-24

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.

That word forgets is the Greek Word ?p??a?????µa? epilanthanomai (ep-ee-lan-than'-om-ahee); and, the term “looks like” is the Greek Word ?p????, ??a, ???? hopoios (hop-oy'-os). I want you to stick a pin in both these words, will come back to them later.

James compares the Word of God to a mirror because you look into a mirror to be able to see yourself in effort to make changes to your appearance.

Looking in the Holy Scriptures is like looking in a mirror. It reveals to us as God sees what’s in us, the same way a mirror reveals how we appear to ourselves on the outside. The Word of God reveals to us the truth of us, not how we think we appear to ourselves. To look into God’s mirror and do nothing about what we see, is nothing but, as it says in vs. 22 “deceiving ourselves”. The word “deceive” is pa?a??????µa? paralogizomai; means, to beguile, reason falsely; reason contrary to truth. In other words, we make excuses to ourselves, beguile, mislead ourselves by using false reasoning to placate ourselves about the truth of what we see in the mirror.

For example, someone who just gossiped, telling all about someone else’s personal business; but, they say to themselves, “o’ I’m not gossiping, I just wanted to tell other’s so they would pray for them.

Most Christians tend to view their relationship with God based on ostensible or outward sin; such as, lying, stealing, killing, fornication, adultery, using drugs, etc., which is furthest from the truth. What God looks at is what is in a person’s heart. Not, what they do outwardly. Remember, Jesus told the extremely outwardly religious people of the day, Matt. 21:31: “Verily I say unto you, That the tax collectors and the harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you.” Also, remember the parable of two men that went up to pray, Luke 18:10-14:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.

Here’s the thing, it does not say that the tax collector did not do the very things the Pharisee claimed to have done, pay his tithes, fast, etc. Because, the tax collector may have very well done those things as well. However, what Jesus pointed out was the major difference between the two, and that was, the tax collector, humbled himself before an all holy and righteous God, not seeking self-righteousness before a holy and righteousness God. He instead sought God’s forgiveness and mercy as a sinner. The Pharisee only concerned himself with his outward appearance of religion rather than what God knew of him.

If we are to use God’s mirror profitably, then we must truly behold ourselves in truth of ourselves, as God see us. If, I see my reflection in God’s mirror, and I see, I’m not fully trusting God, or maybe, I am not showing love to my brothers and sisters. Maybe, I’m not doing what God called me to do; or, I’m not putting God first in my life. Maybe I’m a gossip; I’m lazy; I’m a procrastinator; I lie to myself or others; I have a bad attitude; I lack faith; I’m selfish; I’m still holding on to old sin; I have spite in my heart; I don’t pray like I should, I lust and covet; I’m a hypocrite; etc. Then, before a holy all righteous God, I should seek forgiveness for the things I know to be true about myself.

God’s mirror reflects what is on the inside, not the outside. To many of us focus on the outward appearance, still failing to realize the great teaching of Jesus, Matt. 23:24-29

“Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.