Gospel Bible Baptist Church

James 1:22-24

Introduction

What is God’s will in our lives? God’s will is that we should be obedient. He wants us to follow His commandments. As soldiers of Jesus Christ, our duty is to obey. One famous General once said that “A good soldier never asks he just obey”. While we have the option to ask questions to our Lord in all matters it is best to obey. The cost of obedience is nothing compared to the cost of disobedience. Parents feel sad, disappointed, and angry when their children disobey. What do you think God will feel when we don’t follow his precepts? King Saul, the first king of Israel lost his kingship when he did not follow the Lord’s command. He heard and he understood what he is supposed to do yet he did not follow. What a sad ending for a man who started out well (1 Sam. 15:22-23).

I. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only (Jas. 1:22)
A. It is not enough to hear the Word; we must do it. Many people have the mistaken idea that hearing a good sermon or Bible study is what makes them grow and get God’s blessing. It is not the hearing but the doing that brings the blessing.
B. Doers of the word here mean not only believing but putting it into practice, applying the Word of God into our lives. The idea behind hearing the Word is to do the Word. The goal of Scripture is transformation of character
C. It’s not a onetime event or occasional but indicates continues or something you do all the time.
D. Knowledge without obedience ends in nothing. This is the folly which our Lord rebukes in the parable of the man that built his house upon the sand.
E. In addition, you should do it also with the right attitude. Something which comes out from your heart out of love not as duty and obligation which you are forced to do. Here are just a few:

1. Forgive others. Mat. 6:14-15, Mat. 18:21-22.
2. Pray. 1 Thess. 5:17 Mat. 6:5-13. The prophet Samuel said, Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you… (1 Samuel 12:23) Samuel considered his failure to pray for others as a sin against the Lord. Everyone can pray! Pray for your Pastor; pray for your Sunday-school teacher; pray for the leaders, the Bible Institute, yourself, your spouse, your children, etc. There is no shortage of people to pray for—PRAY!
3. Church attendance. Heb. 10:25
4. Obey your parents (for children). Eph. 6:1, Col. 3:20
5. Love your spouse. Col. 3:19, 1 Pet. 3:1, 1 Pet. 3:7
6. Study the Word of God. 2 Tim. 2:15
7. Win souls for Christ. Mat. 28: 19-20, Mk. 16:15, Prov. 11:30

Illustration/Application: Faithful Dog
How we admire the obedience a dog shows to its master! Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that’s exactly what he did. Then a fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn’t move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master’s word.
With tearful eyes, the dog’s owner said, “I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it.”

II. Deceiving your own selves.
A. “Deceiving” is from a verb used in the New Testament only here and in 2 Tim. 3:13
means “to cheat or deceive by false reasoning.”
B. Somebody said “To deceive is bad, to deceive yourselves is worse, to deceive yourselves about your souls is worst of all.” How do we deceive ourselves?

1. We go to church but we do not worship God. Our mind is somewhere else. We may be physically present in the church but mentally absent.
2. We read the Bible but the real reason is to make our eyes tired so that we fall asleep easily.
3. We pray but the words are from our mouth (don’t mean it) not from our heart.
4. We give and help others under the disguise of charity work but in reality it’s just a show and self-advertisement.
5. We claim that we have received Christ as our Saviour but in reality, we haven’t done it yet nor have any intention of doing it. You just want the soul winner to stop and leave you alone.
6. If you think you can get away from committing sin since nobody is around. God sees you and He knows. Numbers 32:23…your sin will find you out (bring punishment to you)
7. If you think your good works will save you. Eph. 2:8-9.
8. If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves. 1 John 1:8
9. Always remember that: a. God is not deceived. b. Nor is the devil. c. Most likely our children will see through us. d. And so will many others!

C. On Judgment Day many people will think they are saved but the painful truth is they are not. Jesus Christ knows the true doers from the make believers (Mat. 7:21-23). Truly we can deceive ourselves and we can deceive others but we cannot deceive God. God knows our thoughts and our hearts He even knows the numbers of our hairs (Lk. 12:7). All deceivers and the deceived will be punished.

Illustration/Application: Jessica Hawn
Jessica Hawn, former church secretary who committed immoral acts with Jim Bakker (former host of the PTL Club), and later brought down the PTL empire, said today (9-28-87) that God gave her “real peace” about granting an interview to Playboy magazine and posing for topless pictures.
On 9-29-87 the news reports that she still considers herself a Christian, but goes to God “one-on-one,” not through any church or organization. Also: she doesn’t consider herself a “bimbo.” But her mother does. Source unknown

III. 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: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. (James 1:23)
A. It is interesting that James cited a man this illustration. A woman would probably not give just a cursory glance, and if she saw a flaw she would probably do what she could to cover it or correct it. Not so this man who sees the “face of his birth” (prosopontes geneseos ) and then forgets about it.
B. The Word of God is symbolically presented here as the mirror. (James 1:24)

1. One can hear or read the Bible but will not profit from it because after hearing or reading, they failed to see their sinfulness and need and just forget and go back to their sinful ways. Likened to a man who never cares how he looked.
2. One can hear or read the Bible examines his heart, sees his needs, sees Jesus Christ, learns, then obeys, and applies what he learned. Likened to a woman who sees all the details in her face and does something to make it beautiful.

IV. Conclusion:
The doers or the obedient will be blessed and rewarded. Though they may experience pain, sorrow, and inconvenience, sacrificing precious things for the sake of following the Lord, it’s worth it (Romans 8:18). We may never understand His will why it is so but we can rest assured that it is best for us (Romans 8:28). It’s either you are doer or hearer only. The choice is always yours.