Doers and Not Hearers Only
James 1:22-25
This is a very familiar passage to many. It has been taught and preached to us numerous times. In this lesson we will focus on the illustration of the Bible as a mirror to show how we can not only hear what the word of God says but do what the word says as well.
What is the purpose of a mirror?
The illustration from the text is that the Bible is a mirror. What is the main purpose of a mirror? While mirrors can be used for many things the simplest way to define the purpose of a mirror is that it reveals something we cannot see. We do not look at a mirror to wash our hands, but we do look at a mirror to comb our hair or check our teeth. The reason for looking at a mirror for the combing our hair, or checking our teeth is because we cannot see those things without the aid of a mirror. Therefore, the word of God is so important it will reveal things that we cannot see.
How can we connect the word of God with a Mirror?
1) We use a mirror to see parts of ourselves that we cannot see.
- The word of God shows us thing about ourselves that we cannot see with the physical eye, like sin.
2) The mirror shows us what part of our face is dirty or if our hair is neat and in place.
- The word of God shows us sin in our lives and shows us what is acceptable behavior in the eyes of God. It is not always what we do that is sin sometimes it is what we do not do that is sin (James 4:17).
3) When we find dirt on our face, we must use the mirror to know if we solved the problem.
- The word of God not only shows us what is wrong with us but it also gives us the solution for how to fix what is wrong with us.
How can we use the word of God to be doers and not hearers only?
1) We must read the word of God (1 Timothy 4:13).
- For a mirror to be of any use, you must look at it. The word of God is the same way.
- We use a mirror every morning before going out into the world, we should read our Bible everyday before going out into the world.
2) We must believe the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
- Unless it is a trick mirror, a mirror never lies. That could be the reason that we do not like to look at ourselves in the mirror sometimes.
- The word of God never lies, and we must believe it for it to work in us.
3) We must use the word of God to fix what is wrong (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- Imagine going to the mirror and seeing that your hair is a mess. But instead of using the mirror to fix your hair, you just walk away and comb it randomly. How do you know it is right?
- This is what many saved people do with the word of God, they see something that is wrong in their lives and instead of trying to correct it by the word of God, they try everything else instead.
- We must not only use the word to see our problems but to fix them also.
Let us look into the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25) and be doers of the word and not hearers only.
Doers and Not Hearers Only : Handout
James 1:22-25
1) What is the illustration for the word of God in this passage?
2) How do we connect the things that a mirror shows us with what the Bible shows us?
3) What are some things we can learn from this illustration regarding how to be a doer and not just a hearer of the word of God?