"But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror 24 for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." James 1:22-24 NKJV
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian. One can visit a church every week of their life but, if they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, by repenting and asking Him into their life, then they are hearers only. Keith Green used to say, 'Going to church every week doesn't make you a Christian, anymore than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.' And this is true; we need a personal relationship with Jesus.
This was what James was addressing here in this epistle, it's no use just being a hearer of God's Word, one must be a doer as well. Christianity must be lived out. I once met a chap when I was doing some street evangelism. I asked him if he were a Christian. He replied in quite a hostile manner saying, 'I've been a Methodist for 20 years or so, I think that makes me a Christian, don't you?' I tried to carry the conversation on but he moved away. He may well have been a Christian but, I felt he was saying that he had been attending a Methodist Church for years, so he automatically was a Christian. But it doesn't work like that.
William Barclay wrote, 'What is heard in the holy place, must be lived in the market place, otherwise there is no point in hearing it at all. William Barclay (1976) St Andrew Press, Edinburgh
To consider this in modern times, it would be pointless to attend university and listen to all of the lectures and not put the study into action. Students seeking their degree, must listen and then put into action what they have learned. If not, there will be no award.
Some people are very studious, learning all about the bible and characters but, that doesn't mean they belong to Jesus. Others, may not have any formal training but it is obvious that Jesus figures in their lives in a big way. Look at Peter and John in Acts 4. They were arrested for speaking out about Jesus and healing a beggar at the Gate Beautiful. The Sanhedrin observed their boldness and noticed that they were untrained men but, realised that they had been with Jesus v13. They had in fact, been taught by Jesus Himself and they had put His teaching into practice. They heard and did the job. And basically, this is what James was teaching in his epistle. We must be hearers and doers!
Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.
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