Let’s Stop deceiving ourselves!

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Blue Letter Bible Study
a. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only: We must receive God’s word as doers, not merely hearers. To take comfort in the fact you have heard God’s word when you haven’t done it is to deceive yourself.
i. In the ancient world, it was common for people to hear a teacher. But if you followed the teacher and tried to live what he said, you were called a disciple of that teacher. Jesus is looking for disciples – doers, not just hearers.
ii. Jesus used this same point to conclude His great Sermon on the Mount. He said that the one who heard the word without doing it was like a man who built his house on the sand, but the one who heard God’s word and did it was like a man whose house was built on a rock and could withstand the inevitable storms of life and eternity. (Matthew 7:24-27)
James 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it … this one will be blessed in what he does:
But if we study the word of God intently, and do it (continue in it), then we will be blessed.
i. He who looks into the perfect law of liberty: In the ancient Greek language, the word for looks into speaks of a penetrating examination, so that a person will even bend over to get a better look. Though James stresses doing, he does not neglect studying God’s word either. We should look into God’s word.
ii. The perfect law of liberty: This is a wonderful way to describe the word of God. In the New Covenant, God reveals to us a law, but it is a law of liberty, written on our transformed hearts by the Spirit of God.
My 2 cents….
The Bible is saying it simply isn’t enough for us to come to church and hear the Word. We actually need to DO IT. Who would have thought right? This is also telling us to read the Word to be transformed by it and live it. It is great to go to church. It is great to read the Bible. However, that isn’t enough! We have to go to church with the intention to HEAR and DO. He have to go with the mind and heart open to receive what He has for us and to go out differently than we came in. Reading the Bible also great! However, if we need to read with the mindset that the study is doing something in us. We have to get up from that time in the Word and now LIVE IT OUT! When we don’t allow the Word to change us and live in victory we deny it’s power. We also are DECEIVING ourselves. We can’t even blame this deception on the devil it is our own fault! Let’s walk out of this deception together and actually go to church, read the word, and live like we are disciples of Christ Changed by the Word of God. So many times we do all the “right things” (church, bible study, prayer) but we deny ourselves access to its Power because we refuse to do what it says and let it change us or even heal us. Knowledge doesn’t mean much without power the Bible calls it deception!
When we as the body of Christ really grab ahold of this…. Man, the power it will unleash. Let’s choose to be actually changed by the power of God and walk in victory. The Bible says when we do when we do these things we will be BLESSED IN ALL WE DO. Live a victorious life.. Live a blessed live!
Prayer
Lord, Please help me be an actual DOER of the Word. Help me to be more diligent in the STUDY of your word and not reject its transformational power. Help me to choose to be transformed and renewed by your word and not just fall on deaf ears. Thank you for the promised to be BLESSED when I go after you and become more like you. The cross was ENOUGH but you have even MORE for us. Thank you Lord for wanting to be involved in ever detail of my life. Consume me and refine me!
Refiners FIRE I WANT IT!