Doer or Hearer?
James 1:22-25 Lesson 7
Here we see that James is talking about being a hearer and a doer of the Word, he is using this as a springboard to going in to faith and works and reconciling the two.
Verse 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 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.
Deceiving ourselves? Do we really deceive ourselves? When we hear the word of God, and don’t do what it says we are deceiving ourselves.
We need to act upon the Word of God if we truly have received it. And this verse shows us that two things will serve as proof that we received the Word of God.
1.We will be doers of the Word. (Continual obedience to the word, make it part of our life)
2.Not hearers only. (Hearing the word of God without our response and action is a direct rebellious act toward him. What do parents do to rebellious children?)
Then it goes on and says we are deceiving our own selves! You cannot deceive God! You can deceive every one in the whole world but you will never deceive God. And there will be a day that we must give an account to Him.
These few verses place Christians into two categories.
1. Doers of the Word
2. Hearers only
This is the question we must ask ourselves this evening. Which category am I in? Before we answer that question. Lets look at what each of them means.
I. Doers of the Word.
1. Will be blessed by God. Verse 25
2. Matthew 13:19
3. Will look in the mirror of God and be changed.
II. Hearers only.
1. Will deceive themselves.
a. Many like to come to church but don’t want it to change their lives. (deceived)
b. A lot of people deceive themselves into thinking that they are living a godly life. (but actions speak otherwise)
2. Likened to someone looking in the mirror.
a. See that your hair is messed up and you do nothing about. (Sin of apathy)
b. You hear the word of God and never apply it to your life. (Sin of apathy)
A person who hears the word of God and don’t act upon it is like a person who looks in a mirror and sees all the blemishes and acne and cuts and sores and pimples and even acknowledges that they are there and will agree that something needs to be done about it, only to turn away and forgets to do anything about the situation. When we look in the word and the word of God reveals sin that needs to be repented of and changes that need to be made in our lives, and we turn from it, then IMMEDIENTLY we forget what the word has revealed about us. Two passages of scripture come to mind.
Studying God’s word demands more than a token look. Too many of us run our lives with an occasional glance or a cameo appearance in the scriptures and then wonder why we can’t make heads or tails out of our lives. Obedience to the word of God is continual, not sporadic. The person who is a continual doer of God’s word will be blessed by God in life and his deeds will be a blessing to others.
