"But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourself."
James 1:22-23 NKJV
Our beliefs must translate into the way we live our lives. If our faith in Christ really means anything, we will stand out. People will notice a difference and be drawn to us.
David Jeremiah says:
'Those who show very little concern for people in need, make no effort to control their tongue, and are overly preoccupied with getting ahead, should check to see if their faith is real. To claim to belong to Jesus but mirror the attitudes and actions of the world, may be a sign that they're only fooling themselves.'
Very strong words indeed, but this is what James meant. Without application there can be no spiritual transformation. We can listen to sermons all the day and read our bibles until we know it off by heart; however, if it doesn't have an effect on how we live our lives, it is nothing but a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1).
James says to be a hearer and not a doer is like someone looking at his reflection in a mirror, only to go away and immediately forget what he looks like. To look at yourself in a mirror can't change you; it can't change your hair or press and tidy your clothes. It is just the reality of things and is a call to action to change things, hence being a doer.
Therefore, we have a challenge. To walk as Jesus walked, we need to change a few things and one of these is, to be a doer of the Word. To be anything different is to be hypercritical. We must live up to the Word and one way is to not only hear the Word, but to ensure that we put it into action and live the life, 24/7. Anyone can witness another person reading a bible; but what makes the difference, is to see that person putting into action what they have just read, not walking by on the other side and leaving it for someone else to do. We need to take the gospel to people. It's useless preaching the Word if we are not demonstrating it in our lives.
When we have this right, people will begin to notice us; they'll want to be with us and speak with us. They may even tell us their problems because, they sense we will listen to them and offer advice. They will trust us. In fact, the Holy Spirit will send people to us, people will knock on your door asking for help; people will speak to you in the supermarkets telling you all about what they're going through. The Holy Spirit will direct them to seek you out. Will you be ready for this? If you want this, you need to 'Walk it - don't just talk it'.
Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave a message