Trailblazin Ministries

More Than Simply Listening - James 1:22

Written by LaRosa Johnson
Wednesday, 27 June 2007

Up to this point, we have looked a lot at the methods by which we grow closer to the Lord and prepare ourselves to hear the Word. All in all, it is very important for us to have a firm understanding of how we need to prepare ourselves to openly hear the Word of God, but we cannot simply allow ourselves to stop there. There is more to the Word than just hearing it; we have to also put the Word into action in our lives, which is what we will be putting our focus on today as we take a look at James 1:22. It is here in this passage that we get a good kick in the pants about what we are supposed to do after hearing the Word of God by either studying it for ourselves or having it taught to us.

James 1:22 (NASB95) - 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

There is a lot to be said about this verse of Scripture, and there is even more that we will dive into later this week as we look at the subsequent verses. In fact, there are three key points that we will examine the rest of this week that speak towards what it means to be doers of the Word and why we are to be that. The point that we will bring out and discuss today is one that is contrary to the beliefs of many believers in Christianity today, and is ultimately the cause of so many lukewarm Christians or those who end up falling away from the faith. That point is this:

The person who only hears and knows the Word deceives himself. If a person thinks that he can hear and learn the Word of God and then go out and live like he wants, he deceives himself.--Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible

Sadly enough, this is the dilemma of many of today's Christians and a great multitude of church's. Too many Christians think that they can just go to church once a week (or however often) and then they have everything they need to live the Christian life. They believe that hearing the preacher give them instruction is suffice and that somehow his holiness is good enough for them. You know, those Christians that go to church on Sunday and then live like hell throughout the week. These are the kinds of people that James is talking about in this passage. It is these kinds of people that deceive themselves into thinking that just hearing the Word or knowing it is enough to get by. As we do a bit of digging, we see that the Greek word for "delude" or "deceive" is paralogizomai (Strong's #G3884) and literally means "to miscalculate or to reason falsely." This is much like the mathematician who makes a miscalculation in his work, the same can be said of the believer who is content with only hearing the Word, they have made a serious (spiritual) miscalculation in their processes.

Instead, we are supposed to be believers who are "doers of the word," which basically means that we are to take what we hear and learn and then apply it to our lives. What good is hearing something life changing if you aren't willing to make use of it? That's like having a cupboard full of food and choosing to starve to death. In very real terms, James is not just telling us "to do" the Word, like a one time thing; but to make the word an active part of our life to the point where it becomes our personality and character. Indeed, the personality and life of a Christian should be characterized by the Word of God and how well we implement it into our lives. Much like Psalm 119:11 tells us to hide the word in our hearts so that we don't sin against God, the more we do that, the more it should become a part of who we are. Truly, what good is it to meditate on the word day and night and then not apply it? That seems utterly foolish!

Being a doer of the Word is very important to our spiritual well being, as it is proof that we are of God, and no longer of this world. Matthew 7:21-28 lays this out perfectly for us as Jesus tells us about those who will and will not enter into the Kingdom of God. This is a very familiar passage of Scripture, but one that we need to pay close attention to, especially since this is likely where James got his precedent for saying such a thing. Jesus starts off by saying that many will come in His name saying that they did all kinds of signs and wonders, but Jesus says the Father will say that He doesn't know them. It is these kind of people that talk up a good game and put their faith in works, but inevitably do not apply the Word and show true fruit; in other words, they are more talk than anything else. On the contrary, it is those who hear what Jesus has said and does it, it is those people who Jesus calls wise and will enter the Kingdom. The key point, being those that hear and do are the ones Jesus recognizes.

Alas, what good is it for the Christian to have all kinds of biblical and spiritual knowledge and never put it to use. That person would not be a very good steward of what they have been given. God has given us His word so that we might internalize it and then make an outward profession of it. Let us not be those who are deceived into thinking that it is enough for us to just hear the Word and never do anything with it. Let us make the Scriptures come alive in our lives as we exhibit the fruits of the Spirit on a daily basis. Think of your legacy and what people will say after you are gone; will they say that you were one that was a doer of the Word or just someone who knew a lot about the Bible and God? Tomorrow, we'll further this idea and take a look at point too. Until then, examine yourself to make sure that you're a doer of the Word!