“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:21–25)
Read the Book
“Who needs the book?” That was the attitude some of us students had while registering for a college chemistry class. The textbook was expensive! For most of us, the course was only an elective. It had nothing to do with our major, but we needed to have certain number of science hours to graduate, so here we were at the nearby community college searching for an easy “A.” By the way, chemistry is NOT and easy “A.”
What were we thinking? It’s not that I didn’t like to read. I was more than eager to build my own personal library of biblical commentaries and systematic theologies. But I wondered why I should invest in resources that had nothing to do with my future career? I knew that in all likelihood I wouldn’t spend much time reading it anyways. So I bypassed the required text, hoping to get by on the notes I took in class. But as you might have guessed, after a few weeks, I came to regret that decision. It turns out, if you want to know what’s going on in class and you’d like to pass the test, you really do need to read the book!
Required Reading
Who needs the book? If we’re talking about the Bible… everyone! James points to the necessity of God’s Word. If a chemistry manual is required reading to pass a college course, how much more is the Word of God required reading for life?
He says “…in humility receive the word implanted which is able to save your souls…” This is no ordinary book. You may have found inspiration in all kinds of literature, but Scripture alone is the inspired Word of God. It lights the way to God, changes our eternal destiny, and transforms us. Romans 1:16 says it “…is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes…” But we have to receive it.
The Word is like a seed planted in our heart. What kind of soil are you (Matt. 13:1-23)? Some are like the roadside, hard as concrete, too proud and stubborn for the Word to penetrate. Others are like the field tilled and prepared for the Word to take root. Humbly receive the Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to implant the gospel deep in your heart that we might bear wonderful fruit.
More than Hearers
James has more to say about our responsiveness to Scripture. “Prove yourselves doers of the Word and not just hearers…” Many people sit in the pews every Sunday, listening as the Bible is preached, but walk away unchanged. It may be the preacher bears at least some measure of blame. Much preaching these days is shallow, like a cheerful pep talk, tickling the ears of listeners, telling people what they want to hear rather than confronting them with God’s truth. But the fault is not the preacher’s alone. It is the responsibility of all Christians to search the Scriptures and apply the message to our lives.
Don’t just read the Bible for knowledge, so you can win the next time you play Bible Trivia with your friends. Read for understanding, asking the Lord to show you what he wants you to learn. In this day and age, we have better access to the Bible than any other period of history, so we have no one to blame but ourselves if we ignore its content.
Get in the Word. More than this, submit to the authority of Scripture. Let the message sink in, from your head to your heart, so that the Holy Spirit can use it to shape you into the person he has called you to be. If some are content to remain in the shallow waters, others make the opposite error by diving so deep into the weeds they lose sight of the purpose of Bible Study. It is not to fill our minds with knowledge for the sake of knowledge. It is to reprove, rebuke, exhort, and equip so that we would live godly lives. Those who only hear, without doing, are deceiving themselves.
Man in the Mirror
James leaves us with an illustration. The person who only hears without doing is like someone who looks in the mirror at his face. We do this in the morning as we get ourselves ready for the day, and to be honest sometimes our face needs a lot of work. “Wow, I’m looking grizzly today. Has it been that long since I’ve shaved?” What good would it do for me to look in the mirror only to walk away forgetting what I saw? I would remain just as much a mess as if I hadn’t bothered to look in the first place.
We are like this sometimes, as the Word is preached. There is conviction in our hearts, as if God’s voice was speaking directly to us. He points to some specific area of our life that we have not yet surrendered to him. We want to follow him faithfully. But we allow ourselves to get distracted, and the moment is lost, at least for now. We have heard the Word but walk away unchanged.
Prove yourselves doers of the Word and not just hearers. This means inviting the Lord to work in you as you open the pages of Scripture. Interact with the passage. Ask, “Why did the Holy Spirit include this chapter in the Bible?” “Who was the original audience, and what do we have in common with them?” “What is it about our fallen human condition that is addressed in these verses?” “What does God want me to hear and apply for my life today?” James tells us to look intently at the law of liberty and continue to walk in its teaching. Don’t be a forgetful hearer but an active doer.