Introduction.
It is significant that, in his epistle, James includes
an important section in which he expounds the nature
of God’s life giving word, and the way in which
Believers are to respond to the revealed Word.
James has set forth the
necessity for a proper response to the Word of God on
the part of believers (V 21). This requires "a
putting off" of all sinful habits and conduct and
a willing submission to the Scriptures.
Some people emphasize
sound doctrine as an end in itself. Their goal is to
know more so that they may know more.
Others slight doctrine
and place the emphasize on conduct. They are concerned
about manifesting Christian love in their relationships
and do not want to be bothered with the issues of biblical
doctrine.
However, it is not possible
to be a biblical Christian and hold such an attitude.
God intends His children to be well grounded in sound
doctrine and live lives that conform to that doctrine.
The application of God’s Word is essential to making
our faith work.
God’s
Word is—
A
Word of Regeneration. Man is born again of
the incorruptible seed of the "Word of God"
which lives and abides forever.
A
Word of Illumination. It is a lamp unto our
feet and a light unto our path
A Word of Reflection. It is a supernatural
Mirror, which enables us to see ourselves as God sees
us. It reveals our faults and failures, and directs
us to see our need for cleansing and for the transformation
of our ways. We must not just hear the Word; we must
do the Word.
James
1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves.
To believe that hearing
is enough deceives us. James has instructed us to be
quick to hear. And now that we have heard we must be
quick to do. Many there are who read the Bible, respect
the Bible, and give reverence to the Bible, but do not
act according to its teachings or live according to
its rules.
It has been said, "To
know and not do is to not yet know." How
true this is and how biblical it is. We can go
to great lengths to convince ourselves that we don't
have to do the things God's Word says to do.
In fact we spiritualise
things by saying, "We're under grace not works!" Now
that is self-deception! For grace saved us to
become a doer of good works.
The Bible is the directory
for a disciplined and a devout life; thus, the main
business of the Christian should be doing the word of
God. Blessing does not come simply by hearing great
Biblical Truths.
It is not the hearing
but the doing that produces the blessing. The question
is, what are we doing about what we are hearing? It
is better to do one sermon than to hear a thousand.
How did you learn to
drive a car? Was it just by reading the manual? No,
you listened to the instructor and then got in and tried
to drive the car. You would not travel very far by just
reading the manual.
How did you learn to
play the piano? Was it just by listening to the teacher
play? Or by reading the sheet music over and over again.
No, you took these things and then put them into practise.
The blessing is in the
doing. We must be those who intently look into the Word.
In the Word we see what God would have us be and do.
Then we must set about doing. As obedient hearers, whose
lives are constantly doing the Word, we will experience
the blessing of God. Let us be mindful that there is
A
Look That is Deceiving. V 22
But be ye doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
This word doer
is a favourite of James'. Although it is used
only two other times in the New Testament, James uses
it four times in this letter Verses --22,23,25; 4:11;
Rom
2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just
before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
The word for "doer" is (poietes,) -- a performer.
D.
L. Moody, The Bible
was not given to increase our knowledge but to change
our lives by the doing of the Word.
The term "hearers
only" would remind us of a student,
who has signed up for a University course. He attends
the classes, listens to the Lectures, but never turns
up for the mock exams.
When the real exam time
is drawing near, he is out enjoying himself. He feels
no pressure, while others are revising and swatting
hard.
But when graduation comes
and the diplomas are handed out, there is no cap or
gown, or diploma for him. He has not made the grade
and the only one that he cheated was himself.
This word "Deceive"
is an accounting term, which means to "cheat, to
miscalculate". How many Believers cheat themselves
by miscalculating spiritual things, being hearers only?
They have heard all the
teaching and they believe it. They think that hearing
the Word, maybe even with great attention, is all that
is necessary. But they just never make the grade.
By a process of faulty
reasoning they deceive themselves. They stop short of
applying the Word to their lives and living it out.
How embarrassed they
will be, on the coming graduation day, when they stand
before the Judgement seat of Christ.
Friends, we do not like
it when someone deceives us, so why should we cheat
ourselves, by being hearers only..
A
Look That is Deceiving. V 22
A
Look That is Dangerous. V 23,24
James is back to using
picture language. The main purpose for a mirror is for
self-examination. But it is possible to look into a
mirror and then to go away and forget how we looked.
When we look in a mirror we have 3 possible responses:
Smash the mirror - because we do not like
what we see--likewise men try to destroy the Bible.
Change the image - make the necessary
corrections to improve us.
Ignore the image - like knowing what the
Bible says we should do, but not doing it.
V 24 - Note the three
steps here: looked . . . gone away . . . forgotten.
"Out of sight, out of mind." This person has
forgotten what he saw and the changes that needed to
be made, for this was but
A
Casual Look. A casual look into the mirror
of the word of God is never sufficient, for this book
deals with eternal issues. A casual look is a look of
neglect and it is fraught with danger, and this look
will lead to a backslidden condition.
Casual
and Careless Reading of the word, leads to Casual and
Careless living in the world.
James has in mind the
Christian, who comes to the Bible, glances at it, has
a quick read, sees what he ought to do, has a quick
prayer, and then gets involved in the business of the
day. And a hour later he has forgotten what he has read.
Have you ever found yourself
described in these verses? Being Guilty of just a casual
neglectful look?
Illustration.
Dr. Griffith Thomas, ---said in one of his meetings,
" If there were 500 in this community who
are now backsliders, I would undertake to say that this
condition came about through neglecting the word of
God.
Later a woman told him
that she did not agree with this statement, for there
were many factors, which might lead to a backslidden
condition. The good doctor said "The Mirror
does not lie" "Have you got a mirror in
your bedroom" he asked, "I have," she
replied. "Do you use it" he asked, Of course
I do she replied
"Well, suppose you
did not use the mirror for a week, could you be sure
that your personal appearance would be such as you would
like your friends to see". Oh, I would not be
too sure about that,. Was her reply.
Then he took her to these
verses in the book of James, which tell us that God’s
Word is a Mirror, which gives us an accurate reflection
of ourselves, and shows us what we are really like in
God’s eyes; not what we thing we are, or what others
say we are.
I don’t think that
there is one of us who would not get up in the morning
and look in the mirror without doing something about
our appearance. Nor should we hear the word of God without
acting on it. The Bible shows us what we are without
all our pretences and make up.
John
Wesley wrote in his journal of June 22nd
1739. "After a Preaching engagement—one dropped
before me as dead, presently another, soon there were
five others, all of whom were in agony of soul having
seen themselves in the convicting mirror of God’s
Word".
Isaiah having beheld
the Glory of God looked at himself and cried out "
Woe is me for I am undone I am a man with unclean lips"
When Peter saw the Power
of Christ at work in producing a multitude of fish,
so that the nets were breaking he cried out and fell
down at Jesus' feet, saying, Depart from me; for
I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Even Job the most righteous
man of his day confessed. " I abhor myself and
repent in dust and ashes"
Friends, God’s
Word is the perfect reflector. It reveals the heart,
highlights our faults, our failures, and shows us up,
but thank God, it also cleans us up. Psa
119:9 shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed
thereto according to thy word.
A Casual looker
1. Thinks, but he does not
know, and looks but he does not see. His is but
a superficial look and a superficial look produces superficial
Christians.
The Casual looker
2. Hears but
does not act. 24 For he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth
what manner of man he was.
The sad consequence of
this look is that the word of God will never penetrate
the deep and hard places of life to transform us the
image of His Son
The person, who reads
on the surface will live on the surface, and will never
to enjoy that deeper holy fellowship with the Lord.
Illustration---
In South Africa in the Johannesburg area, there are
some 55 gold mines, many are 12000 feet deep. Men are
prepared to go to such a depth to bring up 4 tons of
Ore in order to find a few ounces of Gold.
David says of the Scriptures,
Psa 19 the judgments of the LORD
are true and righteous altogether.
More
to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much
fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover
by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping
of them there is great reward. Are we
prepared to take the time to dig deep into the mine
of the "Word of God" in order to find the
nuggets of precious Gold?
George
Duncan once said, " God does not reveal
deep things to the casual Christian, who just drops
in for an occasional chat".
Discernment, Deep fellowship,
and discipline of life are the rewards from earnest
Bible study.
The Word of God is demanding.
It demands a stretch of time in our day- it is the duty
of the Believer to look attentively, and then to live
accordingly. Not forgetting what they see.
Have you taken a good
look at yourself lately in the Mirror of the Bible?
Take time to look at yourself in the mirror of
Ps
139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me,
and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (KJV)
Jesus has said, "if
you continue in my word ye are my disciples indeed"
In keeping the word of God there is great reward.
Neglecting it is a great danger.
When speaking of God’s
ancient people Israel, the writer to the Hebrews gives
a warning to the Church of today.
Heb
4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left
us of entering into his rest, any of you should
seem to come short of it.
The message, which they
had heard, was of no value to them, because those who
heard it did not combine it with the action of a working
faith.
They failed to enter
into the peace of God’s rest. They failed to develop
into what God intended them to be.
They failed to enjoy
the fullness of the blessings, which their God had in
the storehouse of His Grace for them.
They came short!
How often we can loose out because we take but a casual
look at the Lord and His word, which He has given for
our enrichment?
D.L.
Moody, said "It is easier for me to have
faith in the Bible than to have faith in D.L. Moody,
for Moody has fooled me lots of times".
A
Look That is Deceiving. V 22
A
Look That is Dangerous. V 23,24
A
Look That is Desirous v 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.
(KJV)
James uses the simple
conjunction "But" to introduce someone with
a very different approach to the Word of God. He shows
us a man who takes
A Careful look. This is
1.
A Dutiful Look.
Looketh into
the perfect law of liberty
The word that is translated
"Looketh" means to look intently, to
stoop down to look in order to see something. This is
not just a casual glance.
In John 20:5 we have
this same word. When John came to the sepulcher "
Stooping down, and looking in, he saw the linen clothes
lying"
Then after Peter and
John had gone, Mary stood at the sepulcher weeping and
as she wept she "stopped down and looked into the
sepulcher".
They looked carefully
and intently into the empty tomb and we are to look
intently into the Bible.
2.
A Discerning Look.
"looketh
into the perfect law of liberty"
This means that the "Word
of God" is to be our rulebook for living. It contains
commandments that are always for our good. God’s
word is a liberating word and when we obey it, we are
set free from, Self, Satan and Sin, and are enabled
to serve God.
The Careful looker will discern these
things.
3. A Disciplined
look
"and
continueth therin, he being not a forgetful hearer
The Greek word for "continue"
is (par-am-en'-o)
to stay near, to remain,
to stay near, to abide ,to stay the course.
It is not enough to have
fits and starts, or an occasional burst of enthusiasm
followed by weeks of apathy and neglect.
The Christian, who wants
to get somewhere with God and wants to develop in Spiritual
growth, must not only look into His word, but also continue
to do so.
The great need of every local Church
is, to have in its ranks believers who will continue
in the law of liberty.
Acts
1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and with his brethren.
Acts
2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and
in prayers.
In Acts 13, we find Paul
and Barnabus exhorting men to continue in the "Grace
of God" James is exhorting that believers continue
in the Word.
Jesus says,
"If you know these things happy are ye if ye
do them" John 13:17
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.
There are those who
desire to acquire knowledge for its own value--and this
is a base vanity. But there are others who desire to
have it to edify others--and this is charity. And there
are others who desire it so that they may be edified
and live righteously for God, this is wisdom.
A man is not blessed
in proportion to the amount of Biblical knowledge he
accumulates. The blessing comes with his obedience to
what God has revealed to him. He will be blessed in
his soul.
It in keeping God’s Word there is great reward.
Psa
1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa
1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa
1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers
of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper.
John
Howe once wrote
God is not otherwise to be enjoyed than as he is
obeyed.
You
who treat the crown of writing
As
you treat no other book
Just
a paragraph disjointed
Just
a casual and impatient look
Try
a worthier procedure
Try
a broad and steady view
You
will kneel in very rapture
When
you read your Bible through.
|
