Make a True Change

James 1:21-25

21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 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.

25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.(NKJ)

All five of these verses are referring to the same thing. The subject is drop what you are doing that is wrong and start doing what the Word of God says.

Let’s look at verse 21. Lay aside all filthiness. If there is anything in your life that smacks of filthiness verbally or otherwise, James says throw it out of your life. Put it away from you. He includes with that admonition-‘get rid of any overflow of wickedness.’ KJV uses the term superfluity. In otherwords get rid of any abundance of wickedness. [that also means get rid of it all] Remember, wickedness is that which is twisted. It can be a good thing that got ruined or made bad (Like good fruit that has gone rotten.) or just something that has never been good. So James is saying in the first half of that verse-lay aside, throw out those things in your life that are wrong. He also then says, receive the Word of God with a meek heart. A meek heart is a heart that is submitted to righteousness. It is a heart that accepts the authority of God, the Word of God, and the direction of leadership. It is also a heart that has power that is kept under control, much like a person with a well trained dog is able to keep it under control even tho the animal may be far stronger than the person managing it. [It is the dog that is meek] These trained dolphins and killer whales that Sea World has are also meek. They are powerful but they have obedient spirits and the desire to please their master. So back to the verse-James says the person needs to receive with a meek heart and spirit the Word of God that has been planted. It is the Word of God, Jesus, and what He says (due to the cross) that saves your soul.

Verse 22-James says, be doers of the Word. This is his command and admonition to the believer. He also states that the people who are only hearers and not doers also are deceiving themselves. He is right. If you don’t put into practice what the Word of God says, you are deceiving yourself and building your house (life) on sand, instead of building it on the rock. Regardless of the picture you look at, the point is, if you don’t do the Word of God, you are deceiving yourself. You are like the person building their house on the sand. No foundation. Nothing secure. The winds and storms of life will blow you down.

Verses 23 & 24 are really quite explanatory. If you are only a hearer, you will be hearing the Word of God, seeing the kind of person you are because the Word of God reveals it to you, but then going off and doing nothing about it. You see, folks, God holds us responsible for what we know. Have you ever had a kid who did not want to hear the truth, so he stuck his hands over his ears? If we don’t heed what God says, and put it into action, we are no different than the kid who plugs his ears up. The Pharisees and Sadducees were like that little kid. They heard the truth from Jesus about themselves, knew the Law, and yet refused to hear, refused to heed, refused to repent. They refused to accept the truth. And they went their merry way still living in their sin, still living corrupted lives.

verse 25-the person who looks into the Word of God and lives by it is the person who is the doer of the Word, and is not the forgetful hearer. The person who looks into the Word of God and lives by it is the one who not only is the doer, but is also the one who is blessed by God in the things he does.

Which kind of person do you wish to be? Do you want to be blind to the truth of God in your life or do you want God’s blessings? Choose God’s blessings and the blessing you will receive because of your obedience will make your life far more meaningful than anything this world can offer. God always gladly blesses those who choose to obey Him. Our God is a great God. And we can’t fool Him. We can fool ourselves, but nothing is hid from Him. Choose God’s will for your life. You will not regret it. It won’t always be easy or comfortable or be like you expect it to be, but oh the peace and joy that results. That can’t be beat.

Have a great weekend. The Good News Lady