Shepherding The Flock - Be Ye Doers Of The Word – James 1:22-25

[Pastor Scott Markle]

Weekly Sermon

(For those who have been consistently following this blog, you will find that the following message does not quite follow in the flow of my James 1 study.  This is true because it was prepared and preached years before that verse-by-verse study through James 1 began.  Nevertheless, I believe that it is of value to present in this place.) 

James 1:21-25 reads, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls.  But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  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: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  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.”

In James 1:21 we who are the children of God are instructed to receive with meekness the truth and teaching of God’s holy Word.  Rather than reject that truth and teaching, we are to receive that truth and teaching.  Yea, we are to receive it with all readiness of mind.  However, simply receiving the truth and teaching of God’s holy Word is not enough.  Having received that truth and teaching with meekness and with all readiness of mind, we must then take another step with it.  Thus the instruction of verse 22 is given to us, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only.”  In fact, concerning this matter James 1:22-25 presents us with a pointed command, a powerful warning, and a precious promise.  

The Pointed Command 

As we have already noted, that command and instruction is given to us in the opening portion of verse 22 – “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only.”  Now, with this pointed command our Lord divides every true believer, every true child of God, into one of two categories.  On the one hand, there are the doers of the Word.  On the other hand, there are the hearers only.  On the one hand, there are those who OBediently do those things that they hear from God’s holy Word.  Whereas, on the other hand, there are those who only hear the things that they ought to do, but do not actually do them.  On the one hand, there are those who actually heed the truth and teaching of God’s holy Word.  On the other hand, there are those who only hear the truth and teaching of God’s holy Word.  Furthermore, with the pointed command and instruction of this verse our Lord clearly indicates in which of these categories He Himself would have us to be.  For He Himself is the One who pointedly commands us, saying, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only.”  Brethren, our Lord Himself would have us to be those who both hear and heed the truth and teaching of His Word.  In fact, no matter how much time and effort we may put into hearing and learning God’s Word, if we are hearers only, and not doers also, then our Lord is not at all pleased with our lives.  So then, my beloved brethren, I would ask – Of all those truths and teachings that we have learned from God’s Word, are we actually and OBediently doing them in our daily living?  Are we doers of the Word, or are we hearers only?  Our Lord is looking for doers of the Word.

The Powerful Warning 

This warning begins with the closing phrase of verse 22; for we read, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”  Our Lord delivers this powerful warning to those who are hearers only.  And our Lord’s warning to such hearers only is that they are deceiving themselves by only hearing, and not doing the things of God’s Word.  Furthermore, our Lord does not present this warning as a possibility, or even as a prOBability.  Rather, He presents this warning as a certainty.  This is the certain truth of our Lord, brethren – Concerning those things that we have already heard and learned from God’s holy Word, if we are not actively seeking to heed and OBey them, then we are without question spiritually self-deceived.

Now, in order that we might understand this warning more clearly, our Lord gives us an illustration of the point in verses 23-24.  There we read, “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: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”  In this illustration our Lord refers to a man who fully examines his physical face in a mirror.  He fully examines his appearance and takes definite note of those things that are “messed up” and need to be changed.  He takes notice that his face is dirty and needs to be washed.  He takes notice that his teeth are grimy and need to be brushed.  He takes notice that his whiskers are scraggly and need to be shaved or trimmed.  He takes notice that his hair his awry and needs to be combed.  Yet having seen and taken definite notice of these things, he walks away from the mirror without doing a single thing.  In fact, having walked away without doing a single thing, he continues throughout the rest of his day, forgetting how “messed up” he looks and acting as if everything is just fine with his appearance before others. 

Yea, our Lord declares that those who are hearers only, and not doers also, are like this man.  They look into the spiritually pure mirror of God’s holy Word, and it brings them face to face with those things that are spiritually “messed up” in their hearts and lives.  The true and holy Word of God clearly reproves and rebukes these things, and they have a clear understanding that such things need to change.  Yet they walk away from mirror of God’s Word without doing a single thing about their “messed up” spiritual condition.  They walk away without making a single change according to the truth and teaching of God’s Word.  And then, having walked away without doing a single thing or making a single change, they continue throughout their Christian walk, forgetting how spiritually “messed up” their hearts and lives really are and acting as if everything is just fine with their spiritual condition before the Lord their God.  They are hearers only.  Yea, they are forgetful hearers.  Yea, the Lord our God declares that they are self-deceived hearers.  Oh, brethren, I do wonder – How many times have we received some message of God’s Word, whether in our private devotional time, or in some public preaching or teaching time, or in some particular counseling time, and have immediately forgotten everything that we heard and learned when we walked away?  Oh, how quickly do we become hearers only, deceiving our own selves! 

Yet there is one further truth that must be noted concerning this matter of self-deception.  It has to do with the nature of deception itself.  It is that the more and more we remain in the quicksand of deception, the deeper and deeper we will sink into that deception.  The more time that we allow our hearts to remain in deception, the more deeply deceived our hearts will become.  Even so, the more time that we allow our hearts to remain in self-deception, the more self-deceived our hearts will become – until our hearts even become dull of hearing the truth and teaching of God’s Word and become hardened against the truth and teaching of God’s Word.  So then, brethren, let us beware that we not enter this quicksand of self-deception.  Yea, let us beware that we not be hearers only, deceiving our own selves.

The Precious Promise

This promise we find at the end of verse 25; for we read, “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.”  Oh, what a precious promise – “This man shall be blessed in his deed”!  Oh, how we desire the hand of our Lord’s blessing to be opened unto us and the blessings of our Lord grace to be poured out upon us!  Oh, how we desire that our Lord might bless us in our lives and labors.  And such is certainly promised to us if we will meet the prerequisite that our Lord sets before us.  So then, what is that prerequisite?  In this verse we find four elements that make up that prerequisite.  First, we find that we must look into the truth and teaching of God’s holy Word.  For the opening line of the verse states, “But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty . . ., this man shall be blessed in his deed.”  Now, this word “looketh” has the idea, not of some hurried, half-hearted glance, but of a focused, fervent examination.  It has the idea of one who stoops down to take a closer look and to make a more intensive study of something.  Such is the manner in which we are to come to the truth and teaching of God’s holy Word.  Second, we find that we must continue in the truth and teaching of God’s holy Word.  For the verse continues, saying, “But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty, and continueth therein . . ., this man shall be blessed in his deed.”  Occasional, sporadic times of intensive study are not enough.  Rather, we must search the truth and teaching of God’s Word daily and must meditate therein day and night.  Third, we find that we must not be forgetful of the truth and teaching of God’s holy Word.  For the verse continues yet the more, “But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer . . ., this man shall be blessed in his deed.”  Rather and finally, we find that we must be faithfully OBedient to the truth and teaching of God’s Word.  For the verse continues in full, saying, “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.”  Brethren, our Lord’s blessing is promised to those who study His Word, meditate in His Word, and OBey His Word.  If we do not come to the point of OBedience, we shall find no blessing.  If we would received our Lord’s blessing upon our lives and labors, then we must not be forgetful hearers, but must be faithful doers of His Word.

Posted in Posted in Weekly Sermon, James, Word of God, OBedience to the Lord, Rebellion against God, 
Blessing of the Lord

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