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On Saturdays, we consider a passage of Scripture. This is not a thread for theological debate but for considering the truths in an ancient text.
Here’s today’s passage:
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.
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“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.”
Quite an appropro quote in light of the “In Your Face” Andree Seu thread next door. Very nice touch.
How is her name pronounced? On-dray, On-dree, An-dree? Soo?
I love James. True revolutionary news for the evangelical movement, that is.
I’ve always considered James a little harsh, but have known it’s a harshness I’m in great need of. I guess I love him, too. He gives me a shot of “don’t fool yourself”.
Actually , Travis, I was thinking more of the Meditation thread just above. Many talk the talk, but how many really walk the walk? A parallel verse, at least in my estimation, is John 2.23, which says that many believed in Jesus for his miracles, but Jesus knew they did not have a deep enough trust in him, so he did not put any trust in them. Politicians say what we want to hear while they are campaigning, but do not do what they ought to do while in office.
There is no greater commentary on a text than its context.
James of God and a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes in dispersion, Grace. 2 Be led in every joy, my brothers, when you fall into various (many colored)temptations, knowing that the test of your faith works out endurance. Let the endurance have a complete work, so that you would be complete and whole lacking in nothing. 5 But if one of you lacks wisdom, let that one ask God who gives sincerely without reproach and He will give to him. 6 Let him ask in faith without doubting for one who doubts is like waves of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 Let not that man suppose that he will receive something from the Lord, a double minded man who is unstable in all his ways. 9 But let the man boast who is humble in his exaltation, but the lavish man will be humbled because like a flower of grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with the heat and it dries up the grass and its flower falls and the beauty of its face passes away, so also one who is lavish in his ways will waste away.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because one who becomes approved will receive the crown of life that He promised to those who love him. Let no one who is being tempted say that, I am tempted by God, For God is untempted by evil, and He tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted by their own desires being drawn away and enticed, then the grip of desire bears sin, and sin being completed produces death. 16 Do not be deceived my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every complete gift is from above coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no change or turning shadow. Who wills to bear us in a word of truth into our being some first fruit of his creatures.
19 Know this my beloved brothers, let every man be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the justice of God. Therefore setting aside every vulgarity and superficiality of evil in humility, accept the implanted word which is empowered to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves, because if one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, that one is a man who observes the face of his being in a mirror, for he recognized it and went away and immediately forgot who he was. 25 But one who peers into the complete law of freedom and stays with it, not being a hearer of forgetfulness, rather a doer of work, that one is blessed in what he does.
This passage in James always makes me uncomfortable, as I realize how much of my Christian walk involves the hearing of the Word but not the putting it into practice.
Thanks for this reminder, Lynn, to give feet to our faith.