Responding To The Word

Today’s post begins a treatment of James 1:22-25 which is obtained from our verse-by-verse study of the Book Of James.

Suppose you give a friend a cookbook. It’s full of wonderful recipes and contains everything necessary to guide him through the steps of preparing a number of delightful dishes. You check back with your friend six months later and ask how he likes the cookbook. He says, “Oh, I love it!”  You respond, “Great! What are some of the meals you have enjoyed?”  He says, “I haven’t enjoyed any.”  You reply, “But I thought you said you loved the cookbook?”  He says, “Yes, I love it very much! I have marked all through it. I have underlined some of my favorite places. I’ve highlighted certain sections and even earmarked a few pages I especially enjoyed. I even got it signed on the inside cover by a renowned chef.”  Perplexed, you ask, “But while you have marked throughout the book these several months, you mean to say that you have never actually prepared a single meal? You’ve never actually done what it says?!”  And your friend replies, “Right, but I sure love reading it!”  

I suppose that imaginary scenario seems rather unlikely, but many Christians treat the Bible like our friend treated his cookbook. Some Christians say, “Oh, the Bible blesses me so much! I’ve underlined some of my favorite verses. I’ve written in the margins and highlighted different sections with different colored pens.”  Some may even boast of having had a particular evangelist sign the inside cover.

Given what James teaches in the verses above, we may imagine his responding rather tersely to such Christians: “Look, I’m glad you love the Word of God. There’s nothing wrong with underlining and highlighting. But be sure you are not only a hearer but a doer of the Word. Do what it says!”

Correctly Respond to it 

Everyone responds to the Word in some way or another. James is telling us to respond to the Word correctly. An incorrect response would be merely to hear the Word and do nothing with it. But James says, “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

The word “deceiving” is a term that means to make a miscalculation. A person who reasons that he has done his duty merely by being present in a worship service, listening to the beautiful music, and enjoying the minister’s message is, according to James, making a miscalculation. He is deceiving himself.

The New Living Translation says, “Don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

Imagine a medical patient receiving instructions on how to beat a debilitating disease. The doctor says, “You know, what you have may prove fatal, but there is hope. Here is what you need to do: take this medicine, follow this regimen, and you will be well.”  If the patient reasons to himself that he has done enough merely by listening to the doctor’s instructions, then that patient has made a serious miscalculation!

Christians must “receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save their souls (James 1:21).”  Christians must both hear and do what the Bible says. In fact, all persons must hear and do what the Bible says, Christians and non-Christians alike.  

Herod was not a believer. Interestingly, he enjoyed hearing John the Baptist’s preaching. The Bible says Herod “heard him gladly (Mark 6:20),” but he didn’t do what John preached. He remained an unbeliever. Ironically, he would eventually order the beheading of John the Baptist—the very one whose message he had enjoyed hearing! John had preached a message of repentance, and Herod never repented. To use James’ words: Herod was merely a hearer but not a doer of the Word.

There are many persons, no doubt, who believe they are going to heaven merely because they have heard biblical teaching. They have attended worship, and they have heard the gospel. Perhaps they have even enjoyed themselves in the process. But it is not enough to hear the gospel; one must correctly respond to the gospel. One must confess his sin, repent, and believe that Jesus Christ is the only Savior through whom forgiveness comes (Luke 5:31-32; John 3:36; John 14:6; Acts 3:19; Acts 20:21; 1 Timothy 2:5).

If anyone would be sure of his salvation, he must not only hear what the Word teaches; he must do what it says. He must correctly respond to it. James teaches something else here about the Word, but we’ll look at that next time!

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 48-50, available on Amazon.