Doers of The Word (James 1:20-27)

Good evening from a cool, fall like Panhandle. This time of year is my wife's favorite time of year, she loves everything about the fall. I like the fall well enough, but summer time is my time of the year. Are you a doer of the Word or merely a hearer?

Elijah McCoy was born in 1844 to former slaves who had escaped from Kentucky to Ontario via the Underground Railroad. His parents sent him to study in Scotland, where he earned a degree in engineering.

Working for the railroad, McCoy invented a lubricating cup that automatically dripped oil. He patented it, and it was installed on locomotives. His invention greatly increased engine efficiency, and soon everyone wanted one of the "McCoy Cups." So many inferior copies were made that train engineers began to demand "the real McCoy," the genuine article.

When it comes to worship, who is the "genuine article"? If worshipers obey, they’re "the real McCoy." If they don’t, they aren’t. Obedience is the litmus test of faith – Today in the Word, July 2003, p.36

James writes, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves,” in chapter 1:22 of his letter to the scattered believers. What is a doer of the word? How are mere hearers deluding themselves?

In verse 26, James starts out with the statement, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious,” What is pure or authentic religion? You have probably heard that being a Christian is about a relationship with the God-Head not religion, I know I have preached that before. So why is James talking about religion here? Before I can toss out more questions let’s go to God’s Word and see if I can answer these.

James 1:22

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

I. Just Listening – (vs. 22)

There is a progression in the teaching of James in this 1^st chapter that goes something like this. First, be quick to listen; then be slow to speak; Next, be slow to become angry. Finally, do what God’s Word tells you to do. “Doing” the Word of God is at the very center of the theology and practical teaching of James. You must not merely give lip service to the truth of God’s Word. You must live it out in action.

The Bible tells us that listening is very important. Matthew 17:5 – While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"

Acts 13:16 – Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:”

But it is not enough to just listen (v. 22). Do you know the difference between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea? The Sea of Galilee has an outlet so the water can keep moving and the Dead Sea does not. James’ command here is literally to “keep on becoming doers of God’s Word.”

Attending a worship service is not enough. Sadly too often Christians view a sermon as an interesting or not to interesting moral or theological lecture. Fellow Christian you deceive yourself when you view attendance of the worship service as an end in themselves.

A lake can have the most beautiful spring water in the world flowing into its reservoir. But unless there are outlets, that beautiful water becomes stale and stagnant. You can nod in agreement, say an Amen or two, put on a pretty show of being a good Christian. But if you fail to act in the way God directs you, you are simply a self-deceived stagnate Christian.

Be honest with yourself and God, have you become a mere spectator who enjoy listening to the Word of God preached and taught Sunday after Sunday. Is your head filled with biblical knowledge and facts, but you do not make uses of that knowledge for Godly living? Today is the day to living for God.

(James 1:23-24)

23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

2. The Mirror of God’s Word (v. 23-24)

Charles Spurgeon once told of sitting in a nice restaurant. As he ate he kept noticing a rather angry looking man across the dining room who scowled at him every time he looked his way. Finally Spurgeon decided to go over and speak to the man to see what his problem was. However, as he stood he realized that what he had been seeing was his own reflection in mirrors that lined the walls across the room. We may not always like what we see in the mirror of God’s Word but what we see there is always the truth and always the best!

Here in verses 23-24 James presents a negative and a positive illustration of a response to God’s message using a mirror. In James’ time mirrors were usually made out of polished metal. People would use them much like we do today – to wash their faces, shave their beards, apply cosmetics, and comb their hair. And like we do today many times they would rush off giving little thought to what they had just seen.

You can repeat this same thing in the spiritual realm. A quick glance at God’s Word, find a morsel of truth, and then quickly jump into another task without remembering or applying what you have read. You can move from one Bible study to another or from one church service to another, but never put the truths of God’s Word into practice. You are deceived. You are hearers of the Word but not doers.

(James 1:25)

25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.

3. The Perfect Law That Gives Freedom (v. 25)

The law is perfect because the word of God is perfect. All that the Spirit of God has expressed is perfect. How could it be otherwise, for God Himself is perfect.

The perfect law is the Word of God. The gospel is a law of liberty giving you deliverance from the law, and from sin and guilt, and wrath and death. The ceremonial law was a yoke of bondage; the gospel of Christ Jesus is a law of liberty. God’s Word is a perfect law; nothing can or needs to be added to it. When you look at God’s Word it is complete.

In Matthew 5:17-18 Christ Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

And in John 1:1 we are told, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. God’s Word is perfect because the Word is God.

You look into this perfect law, God’s Word for counsel and direction. You look into it, so that you can learn God’s truths and how you might apply them to your life. You look into it, and you continue to stay in it. That is you don’t just go to God’s Word occasionally, but you study it regularly, daily.

Richard Baxter (English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian in the 1600s) wrote, "we dwell in the study of it, till it turn to a spiritual life, engrafted and digested in us.” To experience the true liberty of God’s Word you need to remember it, practice it in your work and business, set it always before your eyes, and make it the constant rule of your conversation and behavior.

The result of not becoming a forgetful hearer of the perfect law is to be blessed by God. What is that blessing? It is freedom, freedom from sin and death. Whenever you submit to God’s message, the law of liberty produces a disposition to obey God’s will joyfully. You have true freedom because you truly want to serve God. John 8:31-32 - So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

In John 14:6 Christ Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” The question is will you except Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior and be made truly free?

(James 1:26)

26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

4. What Pure and Faultless Religion Is Not (v. 26)

James continues his theme of how to be a doer of the Word by focusing upon the subject of authentic religion. James begins by telling us what pure and faultless religion is not and then proceeds to tell us what it is. In verse 26 he described a person who considered himself to be religious, but did not listen to God’s Word.

James is not writing about the hypocrite who knowingly wears a religious mask. He is writing about the person really thinks he or she is religious.

You can make a good show of it focusing on the outside such as public prayer, fasting, giving, and worship attendance. Nothing wrong with these in and of themselves.

However inner control is important as James shows when he tells us to control our tongue. Matthew Henry states it this way, “The man who has a detracting tongue cannot have a truly humble gracious heart. He who delights to injure his neighbour in vain pretends to love God; therefore a reviling tongue will prove a man a hypocrite.” – Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition

Christ Jesus said, all of these things can take place but your heart can still be far from Him – “THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.” (Matthew 15:8–9). You can simply be deceiving your own hearts if you think you are religious when you are not. What a pity to find after a lifetime of pseudo-religion that you have been practicing self-deception.

His religion is mataios (mat'-ah-yos) or worthless. Peter used the same word that James used, it translates as empty. Peter used this word to describe useless pagan practices his followers had followed before they became Christians (1 Peter 1:18). Religious practices without inner influence of the Holy Spirit have no more saving power than paganism.

(James 1:27)

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

5. What Pure and Faultless Religion Is (v.27)

Here in verse 27 James presents a very concise definition of pure and faultless religion. This is a religion marked by a personal ministry. An excellent definition of ministry in the biblical sense is as follows: Ministry is responding to the authentic needs of others with the love of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Looking after the orphans and widows is obviously not a comprehensive list of where you should direct your compassion. No do they reduce Christianity to mere benevolence. The emphasis here is that for God to accept our worship it must be accompanied by loving ministry and a holy life.

From a Christian perspective, your personal holiness without ministry to others should be as revolting as helping those in need without concern for personal relationship with Christ Jesus.

Conclusion: Few have illustrated the process of imitating Jesus as an apprentice, a student, a disciple than Kirby Puckett, who was the centerfielder for 13 years for the Minnesota Twins baseball team. He had a career batting average of .318, made the All Star lineup ten years in a row, and won six golden gloves for defensive play. He was also a well known Christian.

Dennis Martinez, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, once crushed the left side of Kirby’s face with a pitch. Martinez assumed that Kirby would hate him. But when he had recovered a bit, Kirby called Martinez "my good friend" and blamed himself for not getting out of the way of the fastball. He was an outstanding community leader for good causes, and expressed his faith naturally in words that matched his lifestyle. – Clarence Eisberg, Casual Discipleship.... Not an Option, 6/24/2010

Understand this, James is not suggesting that you be so immersed in the Word that you are not involved in the world. Nor is he suggesting that you become so immersed in the world that you do not hear His Word. Rather James is calling you to live a lifestyle so that those around you know that you belong to the Father. No spots, no inconsistencies, just a love of the Lord, His Word, and a willingness to act on it.

1. You must not merely give lip service to the truth of God’s Word. You must what? Why?
2. What happens if you fail to act in the way God directs you?
3. How does the spiritual realm resemble a person who looks in a mirror and then quickly forgets what they saw?
4. To experience the true liberty of God’s Word you need to?
5. The result of not becoming a forgetful hearer of the perfect law is What? What is that blessing?
6. In verse 26 James described a person who considered himself to be religious, but did not do?
7. Can you participate in public prayer, fasting, giving, and worship attendance and still miss the mark? How?
8. Religious practices without inner influence of the Holy Spirit have no more what?
9. An excellent definition of ministry in the biblical sense is?
10. Our relationship with God is marked by what?