"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22 (KJV).

It is amazing how positive the Word of God is. James uses the positive rather than the negative in stating how we are to be. Most of us like positive. Whether you are negative or positive can be determined by the answer to this question, "Is your gas tank half empty or half full?" My answer to that is that it would be half full, because empty is empty, and saying "Half empty" is like saying it has half of nothing. Now what does James say that is positive?

In the past three studies or so we have looked at some of the things which James has been positive about. Being "swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath"; "Laying aside all filthiness…, naughtiness…", "receive with meekness the implanted word…" The negative of those things are easy enough to see. James tells the Hebrew Christians and the Christians of all ages to "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only".

One of the easiest things that we can do as Christians is to read, study and criticize the Bible and its teachers. However, there is a reason for the reading, study and listening to the teachers and preachers of the Word of God. That is that we might hear and do it. Do it with all our heart. When we really hear what God says, and we love Him, there will be no problem with doing it with all our heart. The prophet Jeremiah said, "Your words were found, and I did eat them; and Your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16).

The eating of God’s word is far more than just tasting, but devouring, allowing it to get into the bottom of the stomach, so to speak, to accomplish its work in us. John the apostle likened it in his stomach as bitter, a rumbling, rolling, stomach, and that was after saying it was sweet in his mouth. There is more for the Christian to do concerning the written word than just reading it. There is the taking it into our lives and having it accomplish its work in us, and that is to make us more like Jesus.

To be doers of the word prevents us from deceiving ourselves into thinking we are in God’s will, because we are merely hearing the word. When the Christian is really hearing the Word we will be doing the word as well. When the Word of God is truly being heard it will be bitter in the belly, through conviction of sin, revealing any unconfessed sin which may be in the recesses of our heart and mind. We have all heard the phrase, "The preacher stepped on my toes this morning", and by that is usually meant that they were convicted by what was spoken. That is a good thing, unless, you do nothing with what convicted you. Did you put that evil deed, or thought, or word away from you? Do you allow God to accomplish His work in you? Will you continue to do so?

When we get up each morning, at least most of us, we go to the bathroom, wash our face and hands and take a look in the mirror. It has been said that men and women see themselves differently in a mirror. Women are more careful about how they look, and they will spot every hair that is out of place, every wrinkle on the face, and feel that they have much to do to make themselves presentable. Men, on the other hand, look casually, and think; "Man, that is one good looking dude." I hope you laugh at that. More seriously the mirror is presented in this passage as representing the Word of God, and we must approach the mirror of God’s Word with care.

The casual hearer of the Word of God who does not do anything with what they hear is like the man who casually looks into the mirror, but does nothing about what he sees. He will see nothing wrong, everything will be just fine. There is no hair out of place, no sleep matting in the eyes, no need to do anything to that gorgeous face and hair.

The Word of God is the place to stop, behold, and listen. In the Word of God we learn about God; His mercy, grace, love, righteousness, holiness, wrath, and judgment. We learn that He is All-Present; All-Knowledge; and All-Powerful. We learn that He is ever unchanging [Immutable]. We learn that that He is Creator of all things, and continues to hold the creation, all of it in His hands. We learn in His word the wickedness of mankind, and God’s wonderful love demonstrated in His Son’s death on the cross, the burial of His Son Jesus and carrying all our sins away to never be held against us; never to be brought up again; never to come back and overbear us with their guilt and shame. We learn that through the grace of God we are justified in His sight through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The man or woman looking into the mirror of the Word of God will see who they are, where they came from, where they are going, and why they are in this world. You will see that, without Jesus, your destiny is destruction, death, and eternal damnation. The Word of God shows every hair out of place, every wrinkle and its depth, every scar from the past that you refuse to let go of. It also will show you what to do about it. In the Word of God we see our condemnation, but we also see God’s answer, God’s redeeming power, and deliverance from our sins to the place by His side.

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." James 1:21 (KJV).

It is a fruitless endeavor for those who refuse to hear and acknowledge the word of God as being the Word of God. Why do people want to use "higher critical" interpretations of Scripture? My personal view of that is to give themselves an air of superiority, even over the Word of God. That is what is in the heart of man, and has been since Adam and Eve fell in the garden of Eden.

This, however, is not the heart of the Christian, the disciple of Jesus Christ who loves Jesus and hungers and thirst for righteousness, and longs to be nearer Him each and every day. We desire to hear His precepts, His ordinances, His commandments, His law, and apply them to our lives. I don’t know who originally said this, but I heard it from the godly pastor I had when I surrendered to preach the Word; referring to the Bible he said, "Sin will keep you from this book; or this book will keep you from sin." I have heard it many times since then. The Psalmist wrote, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word." (Psalm 119:9).

The Lord is glorious and powerful and worthy of praise and glory from all His creation. One part; the one made in His image and likeness; fell short of His glory due to pride and rebellion against the word of God. Because God desired fellowship with the man and woman He was merciful, gracious, and provided an animal to die in their place. The animal was a picture of a Savior who would come in God’s on economy of time, and give His life as a ransom for many. When a man or woman trusts the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross; the heart and life of that individual is changed to love God, love His Word, His will and His way.

We are given commandment to "Lay apart", and that is similar to taking off vile and dirty clothing. Sin has been like a garment; a filthy, stinking, putrid garment; that has repulsed God, hated and despised anything godly, righteous and holy. The Christian no longer has the desire to have anything in the heart and life which is repulsive to God, and finds that old things in our lives that use to thrill us, are becoming more and more repulsive to us.

There are other uses of similar sayings in Paul’s writings, "Put off" (Colossians 3:8), and he uses the word "Mortify" or "put to death" in Colossians 3:5. It is the picture of quickly getting out of those old filthy rags. When Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead he came scuffling out of that tomb with the grave clothes still wrapped around him, and hindered by them. When he was to the edge of the tomb Jesus said, "Loose him, and let him go." We are hindered many times by the old grave clothes, and need to "Lay apart" those old sins and have the Word of God work in us powerfully.

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20 (KJV).

In the previous study of verse eighteen we saw James writing, "Of His own will begat he us with the word of truth…" The Word of God should be precious with the Christian. It should be as precious as the meals you eat for the sustenance of your physical body. For our spirits to grow more into the image and likeness of Christ we need the word of God.

We should be eager to pick up our copy of God’s Word every day, open its pages, read the words, and let the Spirit of God feed us. In that feeding we may receive conviction of sin which we have committed; we will receive encouragement to fight all the discouragements, distress, doubts, and fears which life throws at us; we will receive instruction of how to live a godly Christian life; we will receive rebuke for those times we did not carry through with God’s leading. Because of these things we are to be "swift to hear", let the Word and the Spirit work together in our hearts and minds to change us into the image of Christ.

Have you ever seen anyone get angry over something the preacher said, and what he said was scriptural, he even said it with love and grace, seasoned with salt? There are things God may reveal to us through His Word which could make us angry. The preacher or teacher who will clearly expound the Word of God will have someone offended occasionally, and that should not surprise us. We are dealing with fallen human beings. No one really likes to have their sinful lifestyles exposed for what it really is. Sinful living is an offense to God. If it is found in the life of the Christian that needs the confrontation, the exposure, and it needs dealt with. We have no right to criticize the Word of God. We certainly have no right to become angry with what God has said, or what His messenger has been given for the people to hear.

Hear me here. Not everything the preacher says from the pulpit is from God. Surely we know that from some of the words a certain Presidential candidates pastor has said. We are given command to check what men say with the written Word. That should be a practice we all get into. It does us no good to speak against the Word of God. We should be slow in condemning what God’s messengers say as well; having taken time to verify what has been said with Scripture, then, when we have evidence that what has been spoken from the pulpit was not true, was said while in a moment of passionate, rhetorical display, and/or was just plain wrong we should confront the speaker; and make it right.

"Wrath" should come also come slowly. Some act as though anger is wrong. It would be wrong not to be angry in some matters and situations. When we get angry, we need to take control of it so as not to do anything rash. The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God. God’s wrath does work His righteousness. Let us devote ourselves to the reading, study, hearing and devotion to the Word of God; and do it with all our heart in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hear what the Word of God says of itself:

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes." Psalm 19:7-8ff (KJV).