Be Doers of the Word

“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 1:22-25 ESV)

Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh, healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, delivered people from demons, performed many miracles, fed the hungry, and comforted the sorrowful. He also taught the people that, in order to follow him, they must deny self, take up their cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have salvation from sin and eternal life.

[Isaiah 53:1-12; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 26:26-29; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 17:25; Jn 1:1-36; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:24,58; Jn 10:27-33; Jn 20:28-29; Rom 5:8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 9:5; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 11:23-32; 1 Co 15:1-8; 2 Co 5:15,21; Eph 4:17-24; Php 2:5-11; Col 2:9; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 1:8-9; Heb 2:14-15; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 John 3:4-10]  

Therefore, we must be doers of the Word and not hearers only. We must be those who put the Word of God into practice in our daily lives – all that is directed towards us who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, which we can read about in the New Testament, but also in the Old Testament, where the two agree. For we are not under the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, and dietary laws and restrictions. And all males no longer have to be circumcised. So we must read the Old Testament in light of the New Testament teachings.

If every day you are in the practice of reading your Bible, or a devotional book, but you do not put into practice what Jesus and his NT apostles taught us with regard to how we are to live as followers of Christ, then it profits you nothing. And if every week you faithfully attend “church services,” and so you listen to sermons, and you sing songs of praise to God, but you do not practice what the Scriptures teach regarding dying to sin daily and walking in obedience to the Lord, in practice, it profits you nothing. For Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and live to his righteousness.

So if all you do is read or listen to the Scriptures, but you do not do what our Lord commands that we must do, as his followers, under the New Covenant, then you are like someone who looks at his reflection, his face, in a mirror, but then immediately walks away and forgets what he looks like. And our face is our character, and our reflection is what reveals our true character. It is what shows us who we really are. And the Scriptures reveal to us our true character, and they convict us of sin so that we will change, and so that we will not continue living in sin but now in righteousness, in obedience to God.

And the perfect law that we are to be looking into diligently, and with all seriousness of purpose, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that gospel teaches us that, by faith in Jesus Christ, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are no longer to let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, its end is eternal life with Christ (Romans 6:1-23).

Gift of God  

An Original Work / October 25, 2016

Based off Various Scriptures 

Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross;

Conquered death, sin, and hell,

So, with Him, we would dwell.

For, by His grace, we are saved.

He set us free from all sin.

Thanks be to God for His Gift.

Through faith in Him, we’re forgiven.

Holy Spirit of God,

Given to us who believe,

Gives us new life in Christ;

Made to be just like Him.

We died with Christ to our sin.

New lives in Him we begin,

Walking with Christ day by day.

We read His Word, and we pray.

Jesus, He is our Lord.

Follow Him where He leads.

Tell the world of His grace.

We’ll see Christ face to face.

Soon He is coming again.

We’ll be forever with Him.

He’ll wipe our tears all away.

Oh, what a wonderful day!

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