But Be Doers of the Word

“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:21-25 ESV)

Basically, what this is teaching here is the essence of the gospel message, that we are to be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness (Romans 6:1-23). 

Like Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and we follow him in obedience, then we have life eternal in him (Luke 9:23-26).

For we cannot live for the Lord if we have not first died with him to sin, and if we are not dying daily to sin (in practice), and if we are not following him in obedience to his commandments under the New Covenant. And we cannot be his if we decide to continue in deliberate and habitual sin and to not walk in obedience to his command in living holy lives, pleasing to him. But so many people are being convinced today that their salvation is just forgiveness of sins but it doesn’t require that they forsake their lives of sin.

But the Scriptures do not teach the kind of gospel message that so many are teaching today, and that so many are believing. Just verse 21 alone says it. We have to put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness out of our lives, which is called “repentance.” And then we need to receive with meekness (humility) the implanted word, which is able to save our souls. So this is not the external word of God, but it is the word living within us and out through us as we live what we say we believe, by God’s grace and in his power.

And this is able to save our souls, not a mere profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but the living word of God being put into practice in our daily lives as he empowers us and equips us to forsake our sins and to follow him in obedience to his commands. For obedience is faith. And we are to be DOERS of the Word of God and not hearers only who deceive ourselves. And sadly many are being deceived into believing that they don’t have to obey the Lord and that they don’t have to forsake their sins, and that is just wrong.

For if we read the Scriptures, or we hear the Scriptures taught by someone, in truth and in righteousness, but then we do not do what the word of God teaches Christians that we must do, then our faith is pointless. It profits us nothing. For it is like looking at ourselves in a mirror and then walking away and forgetting what we look like. For the Scriptures do serve as a mirror to us to show to us what is deep down within our souls, whether it be good or evil. But the purpose of seeing the evil is so we get rid of the evil.

Yet there are many people today who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who are still living as though they do not believe in Jesus. For they are still walking in sin, living however they want, doing whatever their sinful hearts desire without regard for God and for his word and for his instructions to us in holy living. So they hear the Word, but then they don’t do what it says. And sadly many are being taught that they do not have to obey the Lord, and that they do not have to forsake their sins, and that is a tragedy!

So, what must we do? We need to look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, the gospel of Jesus Christ that he and his NT apostles taught us, but in context. And we must be those who persevere in the teachings of the Scriptures and in obedience to our Lord’s commands and in holy living. And we must not be those who are hearers only but who do not put the word of the Lord into practice. But we must be those who are putting into practice what the Scriptures teach us Christians we must do. And we will be blessed in our doing.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Hebrews 10:23-31; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]   

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us  

Dorothy A. Thrupp, 1836 / William B. Bradbury, 1859

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care;

In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine, Thou dost befriend us, be the Guardian of our way;

Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be;

Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and pow’r to free.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor, early let us do Thy will;

Blessed Lord and only Savior, with Thy love our bosoms fill.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pco0Y7nIHSQ 

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