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But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
D.L. MOODY
A man may preach with the eloquence of an angel, but if he doesn’t live what he preaches, and doesn’t act upon his faith in his home and his business, his testimony goes for naught, and the people say it is all hypocrisy; it is all a sham. Words are very empty if there is nothing back of them. Your testimony is poor and worthless if there is not a record back of it consistent with what you profess.
What we need is to pray to God to lift us up out of this low, cold, formal state we have been living in, that we may live in the presence of God continually, and that the Lord may lift upon us the light of His countenance, and that we may shine in this world, reflecting His grace and glory.
ERWIN LUTZER
Greek scholars tell us that the word for hearers, which James uses in today’s verse, is a word used for auditors. An auditor is someone who comes to class but doesn’t do any of the assignments, and if he audits all of his classes, he won’t graduate. He’s there just in case there is something interesting for him to learn. Auditors confuse knowing and believing, and are oftentimes deceived because they think to themselves, “I’ve heard the lecture and I’ve attended the class,” and foolishly think they have met all the requirements for success.
Jesus said many would claim to know Him, even citing miracles to prove it, but His response was that He never knew them (see Matthew 7:21–23). Keep in mind, these people actually thought the door of heaven would swing open for them, but instead they discovered it was closed because though they heard the word, they didn’t really believe it; they had no saving faith. They were only auditors.
Let us be hearers and, for the glory of God, also be doers of the Word.
PRAYER
Father, help me to love your word and be changed by it.
May I listen and live what I profess.REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What is the danger of being merely a hearer of the Word?How do we protect ourselves from the trap of confusing consuming Christian content with actual spiritual growth?