James 1:22
Because the Christian life is full of tests and trials, and because we all face temptation on a daily basis, you and I as believers must be diligent in the way we approach the Word of God. A few years ago, USA Today reported a poll that showed how only 11% of Americans read the Bible every day. More than half read it less than once a month or not at all. The Barna Research Group conducted a survey that focused only on ‘born-again’ Christians and found that only 18%—less than two out of ten—read the Bible every day. The study revealed that 23%—almost one in four professing Christians—say they never read the Word of God. If these statistics are accurate, then the situation in the church is serious.
James tells us that spiritual growth is the result of a proper relationship to God through His Word. God’s Word is truth, and if we are rightly related to God’s truth, we cannot be dishonest and hypocritical. These verses show how we have responsibility to hear, receive, and obey the Word of God. Merely hearing the Word is not enough. James says that we must be ‘doers’ of the Word. Many people have the mistaken idea that hearing a sermon or sitting in a Bible study is what makes them grow. But it is the doing that brings the blessing, not simply the hearing. You can mark your Bible all you want to, but if it doesn’t mark you, you’ve missed the point.
When we hear the Word but fail to do it, James says that we only deceive ourselves into thinking that we are spiritual people. Faith obeys!
For more, read James 1:19-25
