(James 1:21-27)…..Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 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 observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
It is vitally important that we receive in us the implanted Word of God. To receive the Word means to take the Word (as my possession), to contain the word (as being held by it), to be the object of (as governed by it). We need to have the behavior of the Berean’s – (Acts 17:11). There are some who have heard the Word of God all of their lives but have never received it. Too many Christians mark their bibles, but their bibles never mark them! Notice what James says about the Implanted Word of God, It is able to save your soul – (Romans 1:16-17). We cannot benefit from our study of the Word if we continue to engage in wickedness. Maybe this is why so many don’t get very much out of Bible study. The idea of implanted is that the Word becomes a permanent fixture in our lives – (Psalm 119:11). How is this going for you?
Be a doer of the word – (v.22). Just hearing the Word of God, or talking about the Word of God is not enough. We must be “doers of the Word and not hearers only.” God’s Word is not just to be stored in the back of our minds, but lived out in every moment of the day – (Luke 6:46-49) (Luke 8:19-21) (1 John 2:15-17), and this is not in anyway easy. As I am responsible for what I preach to you, you are responsible for what you hear, and responsible for living it out in your life. If we are not doers of the Word, but hearers only, we deceive ourselves. The word deceive means to be misled. If there is no doing of the Word of God in our lives, we are misleading ourselves to thinking we are right with God, when maybe we are not – (Matthew 7:21-23).
The main purpose for owning a mirror is to be able to see yourself and make yourself look as clean and neat as possible. But when we leave the mirror, we don’t always remember what we saw. In comparison, many approach God’s Word this way, not remembering what they see or hear in it and from it. If we are to use God’s mirror (Word) profitably, we must look (gaze) into the perfect law of liberty, carefully and with serious intent. No quick glances will do, and then continue in it. God’s Word is perfect – (Psalm 19:7-10). What happens when we look into God’s perfect law of liberty? We see ourselves as we really are, we see our flaws, we see that we are sinners, we see how holy God is, and we see our desperate need of Him – (Romans 7:7-12). But also, by looking into the perfect law of liberty we are enabled to obey God (John 8:31-36) (Romans 6:17-18) (Romans 8:1-2) (Galatians 5:1). But let’s not use our liberty to sin – (1 Corinthians 8:9) (Galatians 5:13) (1 Peter 2:13-17).
Our Lord wants us to grow, knowing what we were (sinners), knowing what He has done for us (died and rose), and knowing what we are in Him right now. He does not want us to forget what His Word reveals in us, and to us. Too many believers confess their sins, claim forgiveness. but never grow spiritually. This requires time, attention, sincere devotion…..and a five minutes a day with God will never accomplish a deep spiritual examination.