Be Doers of the Word

Have you ever read a passage of scripture, felt convicted, but then done nothing about it? James wrote that it’s like looking in a mirror, spotting a problem, but then walking away unchanged. This why he called us to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only”. True change requires action.

Be Doers of the Word

James is one of my favorite books of the Bible, but it is not an easy read. It serves as a stark reminder of how often I fall short of the mark. James holds the reader up to a magnifying glass and reveals every sinful self-deception for exactly what it is.

‘But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.’ James 1:22-25 ESV

The author states that we deceive ourselves, if hearing the word is not accompanied by obedience to it. It can be tempting to skim over the parts of scripture we feel we have already learned. Things that once inspired us can become routine.

Consider the new believer. They weep for joy so easily, having experienced the overwhelming grace that liberates them in Jesus Christ. They celebrate with reckless abandon, knowing they will never be the same. Today, His grace is the same as it ever was. Does it still move you?

Step 1: Move Beyond Passive Hearing

• Take notes as you read the scriptures.
• Write down your emotions, thoughts, and questions.
• Investigate scripture with a concordance and commentaries.
• Underline, highlight, and draw connections on the page.
• Pray over what you’re learning.
• Make flash cards and memorize verses that resonate.

You cannot do what you do not know.

The Book of James

I want to address the context of this book as it applies to becoming a doer. The author addressed it to the dispersed tribes of Israel, but I suspect he would write an almost identical treatise today to the body of Christ. This section from Barnes’ is apt:

“He lived in a corrupt age, and among corrupt people; among those who sought to be justified before God by the mere fact that they were Jews, that they had the true religion, and that they were the chosen people of God, and who, in consequence, were lax in their morals, and comparatively regardless of the obligations to personal holiness.”

Swap “Jews” for “Christians” in that statement. The people filling our churches must wake up to the warning of James. We cannot afford to be hearers only. We must not ignore the issues that the mirror reveals.

James focuses quite a bit on the actions that result from a thriving faith. He wrote that faith without works is dead. Grace must be followed by obedience. Anything less cheapens it. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about the cost of grace in his book, The Cost of Discipleship.

‘Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.’

There are those who would twist what James wrote, interpreting works as a requirement of grace. But, James wrote not of justification which is in Christ alone, but of sanctification which we demonstrate through the works we do. Grace is and always will be a freely given gift.

Step 2: Assess Your Motivation

• Practice mindful gratitude for the grace He has already given.
• Pray for God to make love for him the driving force behind every action.
• Ask God to search your heart.
• Check for pride. Am I doing this to try to be righteous?
• Relinquish the desire to be rewarded for good behavior. Desire transformation, instead.
• Be on guard against obligation. God does not want begrudging obedience.
• Spend time in regular self-reflection to maintain the proper mindset.

True doing flows from a genuine loving response to God.

The Mirror – The Word of God

True discipleship requires us to choose to pursue our Lord each new day. James talked about those who stop at hearing, describing them as peering intently into a mirror. They examine themselves and see everything clearly, for a moment. But, when they leave, they forget what they saw.

Verse 25 makes it clear that the word of God is the mirror. A passive hearer of the word might be briefly convicted of his temper in church. But, without action, what will change? Nothing. The final verse says that we must look to the word of God and persevere.

Does the rest of scripture affirm the need to be a doer of the word? Absolutely. Jesus taught this same principle in Luke 11:28, and even made a similar comparison between hearers and doers in Matthew 7:24-27. In the gospel of John, he explicitly links love to obedience.

‘Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.’ John 14:23-24 ESV

Paul agreed in Romans 2:13. And, God spoke judgement on those who hear but do not obey in Ezekiel and Jeremiah. The Jewish sages in Talmud Kiddushin 40b assessed the priorities of study and action and concluded that study of the scriptures is only greater because it leads to action.

Look at what the Israelites said to confirm the covenant in Exodus 24:7. They placed doing before hearing. This leads us to yet another step in how to be doers of the word. We must be willing and postured to obey, even before we hear the commands. Every parent knows, agreement is not required for obedience.

If you obey only when you agree, you are not following God. You’re following yourself.

Be Doers of the Word – Love Others

There are a lot of commands in the scriptures. So, the task set before those who would be doers of the word seems daunting. There is a story in Shabbat 31a of the Babylonian Talmud in which Hillel the Elder was challenged to relate the scriptures to a potential convert, standing on one leg. His response is quite famous.

That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study.

Instead of a negative take on hate, Jesus pulled his answer from Leviticus 19:18 in his answer for the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:36-40. We must love God. And, we must love others as we love ourselves. To be a doer of the word, you must be guided by scripture toward loving action.

Jesus taught in John 13:34-35 that the hallmark by which we would be recognized as His followers is the love that we demonstrate toward one another. Paul explained to the Galatians that the only thing which counts is a faith that is expressed through love.

James 2:14-17 addresses the issue quite practically. And, 1 John 3:16-17 declares that love is absent in the believer who has the means to help, but doesn’t. This reveals yet another step we must take to be doers of the word. Doers offer tangible help, not just empty words, to address the problems we see.

Step 3: Show Love to Others.

• Open your eyes.
  • Ask God to show you the needs around you.
  • Prepare yourself to help.
  • Look for signs that someone may be struggling.
• Embrace discomfort.
  • Step outside your comfort zone in faith.
  • Engage directly with people in need.
• Be kind.
  • Write encouraging notes.
  • Take an extra minute to stop and just listen.
  • Smile and be welcoming.
  • Give hugs.
• Bring togetherness.
  • Show up in person.
  • Give your time and presence.
• Share a meal.
  • Donating food feeds the body.
  • Welcoming someone to the table restores dignity and belonging.
• Look at the situation for other ways to help.
  • Do they need new clothes? Shoes? A coat?
  • What’s the date? Do they need school supplies? Holiday help? Birthday presents?
• Give money. God is the source of all wealth. How much has he already given us, knowing we would waste it? What gives us the right to withhold it from others? Trust Him with the outcome.

Real doers meet real needs.

Steps to Become a Doer

The word of God is not meant to just be heard. It is meant to be followed. The pursuit of Jesus is a lifelong journey toward sanctification. But, the success or the journey resides in the daily determination to take another step. Today, will you walk away unchanged, or will you do what it says?

1. Move beyond passively hearing and persevere with scripture. The Bible is the mirror by which we come to understand ourselves and what we must change. Dig into the scriptures you read. Pray about them. Memorize them. And, share them with others.
   
2. Ensure your obedience is driven by a loving motivation. Posture yourself toward surrender and obedience even before reading scripture. When we take action based on what the mirror reveals, it should be a demonstration of our love and trust in Him.
   
3. Show His love to others by meeting their needs. I cannot overstate the importance of prayer. Scripture teaches us to pray without ceasing. And, sometimes, it is the only effective thing you can offer. But, consider the possibility God may be calling you to be the solution you’re praying for.

What other steps do you see as necessary to be doers of the word? What step will you take today?