Recently my personal studies took me to the Epistle of James, wherein James tells the believer to: But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does (James 1:22-25).
In verse twenty-two James begins by encouraging the believer to prove themselves by being doers of the Word. The Greek verb (be/become) is signifying a continuous action that James is calling the believer to exhibit. The force by which James is using this word is quite significant. He is not giving a simple ‘to do’, but rather giving a command that manifest itself in the believer as a habitual occupation.[1] We are to be doers of the Word.
The antithesis of James’ exhortation is that the believer would be content simply hearing the Word of God. The word ἀκροαταὶ (hearer) was common among the Greeks. It was used to describe a person who attended a lecture, but was not a student of the lecturer.[2] In today’s terms it would be like an auditor of a college class. The student would attend the classes, but never be asked to put the gained knowledge into practice through the process of writing a paper, taking an exam, or completing an assignment. James was warning the believer to not be guilty of having such a callous attitude towards living a sanctified life. For the one who knows the Word, one is expected to abide by the Word.
The consequence for one who is a hearer only is that they are susceptible of deluding or deceiving themselves. We must remember the words of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew seven, where He reminds us that those who hear and obey are like the wise who build their house on the rock. In opposition, those who hear and do not obey is like the foolish who built their house on the sand. The difference in the two houses become evident when the rains come down, the streams rise, and the winds blow; which house will remain standing? Clearly the house on the firm and solid foundation will be the one that holds up. So it is true in the life of the believer.
Let me encourage you today to take time to ask yourself the question: am I putting into practice what I learn from God’s Word? Clearly it is vitally important to heed the Word of God, much like water is important for the fish or oxygen for the human. But, looking at verse 25, we also see that we will be blessed in all that we do; should we choose to obey His Word!
[1]Robert Johnstone, Lectures on the Epistles of James, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1954), 143.
[2] D. Edmond
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