The Book Of James Pt. 18 Becoming Doers Of The Word

James 1:18-21  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19) Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20)  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21)  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

James is extolling the virtue and power of the holy scriptures for believers in Christ. The new birth and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is connected with preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The idea of a believer being a firstfruits of all creation stems from the promises of God to make a new Jerusalem, a new heaven and a new earth. 

Each Christian is a brand new creation in Christ, called to live a holy life, and to be conformed to His image (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Since this is true, we are commanded to be swift to hear from God when we hear His word preached or when we read our Bible. 

We are commanded to be slow to speak, and this is difficult given the culture we live in. God expects us to keep our tongues in check and to guard what we say. 

We are to be slow to be filled with wrath because this does not reflect the heart of Jesus Christ. 

Then, with meek hearts and open minds, we are to receive the Word of God, receiving it and believing it. Hearing it and heeding it. Allowing the Word to take root in our heart and to bear fruit in our lives. 

Being doers of the Word!

James 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 

James leads us to the overarching thought of his letter. Christian activity and service is essential. People who say that they are saved, but still live like the world, are making a false profession of faith. 

If we fail to love and serve God as our life priority, then all other good or beneficial things we might do, are worthless. 

James is going to talk about true religion later on in this epistle. True religion is not knowing and believing certain things from the Bible. 

It is cultivating a relationship with the Living God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Rather, the Christian faith is designed to transform our heart, and change our behaviors. 

What is a "doer" of the Word? The majority of usages of the word "doer" are found in the book of James. The word means to perform or to produce something. 

It refers to someone who obeys God's law. James' teaching indicates his familiarity with Jesus' sermon on the mount.

Those who hear the Word and are not committed to be doers of it, are self deceived. 

The word "deceiving" means cheating or deceiving by false reasoning. Such a person thinks they have done all that is required by hearing the Word of God. 

Listening to gospel preaching is just the beginning point. God intends to change how we think how we talk and how we act. That is why James tells us to hear and do the Word. 

Matthew 7:24-27  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26)  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

The connection to Jesus' teaching by James is clear and obvious. He wants us to understand this simple, yet profound truth.

The Greek word translated "doeth" is very closely related to the word James used. It means acting rightly or doing well, as defined by the scriptures.  

When we hear the Word preached or we read it, we are responsible for what we hear and read. 

Jesus said a wise man is one who hears and does His teachings. He takes God at His Word and lives by it. His home will withstand the storms of life because he built it upon the rock of Jesus' teaching. 

He heard and heeded what Jesus said!

The foolish man is one who does not do the sayings of Jesus. He is compared to a man building his house upon shifting, unstable sand that washes out at the first storm, causing his house to collapse. 

He refused to hear and heed the scriptures and paid the ultimate price. He lost everything. 

Thus, the Greek word translated "doers" in the book of James is unique. It is a present infinitive, a term that means "being doers" is an ongoing action with no end in sight. It means we must continue to be doers of the Word. 

True Christian faith and practice involves spiritual growth. It is a lifelong process, and will continually go on until our life on earth is finished. 

Being doers of the Word will develop a new life pattern in us that is marked by submission to God and obedience to His Word. 

What James is teaching us is very much like the command to be filled by the Holy Spirit. That too, is a command for an ongoing action with no fixed end in sight (See Ephesians 5:18). 

Hearing the Word and not doing it is worthless. 

James 1:23-24  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. 

James compares those who hear but fail to do the Word, to a man who looks at his face in the mirror. A mirror will reveal all the details and defects of our skin, hair, teeth, and appearance. 

Looking into God's Word (hearing it) will show us our sins, and defects before God. A person who hears the word but is not a doer of it, observes his sin, but walks away from the mirror (Hearing the Word). 

A man may behold his natural face in a mirror, so a hearer may perceive his moral visage in God’s Word. The faithful description of man’s soul in Scripture, mirrors God’s glory, as well as our natural depravity.

The word "beholding" means to fix one’s mind upon, and consider attentively. 

The spoken or written Word of God is the mirror. When we hear it preached, or study it for ourselves, we can find an accurate reflection of ourselves in it. The mirror of scripture will reveal our temptations and weaknesses, failings and sins. It will also reveal the sweet influences of God’s Spirit upon us, and the imprint of His grace.

The man James speaks of, did not like what the mirror revealed and  walked away, instead of doing what God tells us to do "You must be born again" (John 3:3). He did not want to do as God invites him to do, to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Matthew 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

Jesus made this very clear in his teachings about building your home on the rock of His Word. Only those who do the will of the Father will enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

Hearing the word is the starting point. Doing it is the end point and if we are a doer of it, God will save us, put a new spirit and a tender heart in us, and give us new life in Christ. 

Praise God that He gave us these truths through the apostle James. Those who stay looking into the mirror of scripture, will see their sin, and God's provision of salvation. 

When the Spirit of God lives within us, He is going to continuously work to make us more like the Lord Jesus Christ. 

James 1:25  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. 

May we be those who linger long at the mirror of God's word each day, seeking to confess our sins, forsake them as best we can, and seek His cleansing through the blood of Jesus. 

Obeying God's Word allows us freedom to live for His glory and strength to walk in His ways. Being a doer of the word will bring the blessing of God upon our love and service to Him and to others. 

Bob