Obey It

“…be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only…” (James 1.22)

What a powerful statement. It really is the crux of most of the spiritual life. It originates with Jesus. He said in Luke 6.46— “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” The issue isn’t so much the hearing as is the doing. We see in the next verse— “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:” As said, both hear AND do. The text goes on to have an illustration of a man’s life (house) that fell apart because he didn’t obey (do). 

We all have heard messages or read portions of scripture, yet didn’t get up and do anything about it. Church today is about going to a service time or attendance at some event. We think we’re ok just by going to church and listening to a sermon. But really we are deceiving ourselves. 

Verse 22 continues with a stern reality: If we hear the Word without doing it, we are deceived. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Being deceived should come by no surprise to us. We have been deceiving ourselves for our entire life. Like in Galatians Paul said— “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself” (6.3). There have been deceivers deceiving churches for 2000 years— “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 John 1.7). Satan himself is a deceiver— “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…” (Revelation 20.10a). Alcohol will deceive you— “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20.1). Even when we think we can get away with stuff we are deceived— “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6.7).

We are directly warned of an agenda to deceive us. Paul exposes this in Romans 16.18— “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”If we don’t grow up and mark the ones who would deceive (with good words and fair speech) look at what can happen— “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4.14). I can’t stand idly by and see more believes crash and burn at the altar of their own hubris. It is essential that we expose the destructive agendas of human intellect and reason over the Word of God. We must obey, and help those around us obey the Word so that they won’t be deceived any longer. 

Jesus left us a commission. In it, we read— “Teaching them to observe…” Not just teaching truth, which would be the same as being a “hearer”; but to be taught ‘how to obey’ the Word that is given. Even in the commission of the churches, we see the command to help those in the churches to “…be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only…” Otherwise, they will be deceived. Paul warned Timothy of his time and ours; a warning of deception of churches. “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3.13). 

How has this happened? I think a clue is found in Ephesians 5.6a— “Let no man deceive you with vain words.” Here we see those “good words” and “fair speech” statements again. Be very careful then just following a man, or what men say. Follow rather the counsel fo God, from the Word of God. Key word there: Follow. Obey it. In so doing, you reduce the potential of deception. 

All of these verses explain why we must be vigilant as a church to base everything solely upon obedience to the Word of God. Focus on the phrase— “deceiving your own selves:” You are only deceiving yourself, and possibly a few around you, that think you’re spiritual. When a person is obeying the Word— there will be a distinct difference in their disposition with others and actions in life. You will see the fallacy in the supposed ‘teaching’ they give. 

If we hear the Word without doing it— we are disobedient. This is a duh moment. To not obey is to disobey. James is a great illustrator. In verse 23 he continues with— “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:” He compares God’s Word to a mirror (glass). In those days they used a polished piece of brass so it would take some time to get a good look. James says that a hearer—only is like a person who glances for a moment into a glass and then immediately forgets what he saw. In the next verse he continues— “For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” Forget? Yes, this is a person who is told instruction and forgets what they were told. Why? There is no followthrough, and therefore disobedience.  

God’s Word is a mirror that enables us to see ourselves. The doer of the word looks intently into the mirror and does not forget what they see, like verse 25 says. It shares the word— “looketh”, which means to stoop down. This is a person who is painstakingly staring into something. He sees exactly what he needs to do and does it. It is not enough just to see our need; we must do something about it.  

“But whoso looketh (stooping down stare) into the perfect law of liberty (Bible) and continueth therein, (not a one time obedience) he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (25). The “perfect law of liberty”—brings with it the idea of law itself. It’s not opinional then. It provides “liberty”— not to control you, or rain on your party, but to liberate you from the things that plague you. Things such as: bitterness, worry, fear, stress, anger, sin, people, your own thoughts. It does so by bringing a Godly reality. It liberates and blesses us. Take some time to stare into it and obey what you see.

“This man shall be blessed in his deed” it says.Want some happiness? Want to be more confident in Christ in your decisions? Get into the Word and obey it.

“A Bible falling apart usually belongs to a christian who is not falling apart.”  —Charles Spurgeon