(James 1:21-24 NKJV) 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.
Let’s talk about something today that isn’t always easy to talk about, but it’s good that we do so because getting God on this can make us much stronger believers and much better witnesses for the kingdom of God. This might get a little lengthy, but I’ll try to keep it short, so please bear with me!
Are we doers of the word, or are we hearers only? Or are we maybe part-time doers?
The verses above are stuffed full of meat for us to chew on when it comes to how we talk the talk vs. how we walk the walk. So let’s see if we can glean what we need from this.
What does it mean when James says that someone who only hears the word looks at himself in a mirror and then goes away and immediately forgets who he is?
That person is leading a double life. He is saying one thing and then doing something else. He is talking the talk, but not walking the walk. He is one way when he’s around certain people (maybe his church friends) and then he is another way when he is away from that crowd.
Are we acting righteous when we’re around our church friends or godly people and then acting the complete opposite when we’re around people who don’t know God? Do we speak a certain way or avoid using certain language when we’re around godly people, but talk like the rest of the world when we’re in the world?
God wants our whole hearts. He’d rather that we be hot or cold and not mediocre or lukewarm.
As I mentioned earlier, this is a tough thing for some of us to swallow. But it’s something that we absolutely need to get into us if we ever want to move beyond being “baby Christians”.
Are we “laying aside all filthiness and wickedness” or are we hanging onto it for one reason or another? There is so much more that can be said about this, but it would take so long to really get into it.
Let’s ask ourselves and God if we’re really walking out the things that He is trying to impart into us, or if we’re looking in the mirror and then forgetting who we are as soon as we walk away.
God loves us and His grace is what keeps us moving forward as we learn to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk.
Press into Him today!
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808
401-377-5400
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