BE DOERS OF THE WORD AND NOT JUST HEARERS

PROCLAMATION

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires … Do not merely listen to The Word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says … not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it, they will be blessed in what they do.”  James 1:19-25 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, The Christ, (Galatians 1:19) under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the converted Jewish believers of the early church who were scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (James 1:1) He wrote this letter to encourage them to keep the faith in the face of all types of trials. (James 1:2-4)  He told them to pray, and to believe and not doubt that their prayers would be answered. (James 1:6-8)  He also told them that blessed is the man who perseveres under trials for he will be rewarded. (James 1:12)  James ends this first chapter by urging them to be quick to listen and slow to speak.  Then he tells them that they should not be just hearers of The Word of God, but they should also be doers of The Word.  They will be blessed for that which they do. (James 1:25)  He says that they should keep themselves from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

 

APPLICATION

Unfortunately, most of the people in the world today do not read The Bible.  They watch and “read” the people of God.  Therefore, James encouraged all believers to be living examples of The Word of God.  The apostle Paul expressed the same thought in his letter to the believers in Corinth. (2 Corinthians 3:2-3)  We need to understand that our actions will speak louder than our words, so we cannot just read and talk about The Word of God; we have to also live it.  We have to “walk the walk” and walk God’s way.  It is the behavior of believers that will have the most profound effect on the world.  It is for the Christ-like behavior of believers that we will receive special blessings. (James 1:25)