Know and Go According to the Word // James 1.22-24
There are quite a few verses in the book of James that convict me, and today’s is certainly one of them. We read that we deceive ourselves if we listen to the Word but do not obey what it says. It goes on to say that knowing without doing is like looking in a mirror and then forgetting how we look. What does that mean? Well, if we are fully in the Word, then we can see the presence of God in us as the Lord molds and shapes us into the image of Christ (see Romans 8:29). We know that Jesus is the living Word of God (John 1:1), so we must orient our lives accordingly. James had a unique viewpoint in this as he was Jesus’ half-brother. He had every reason to think his brother was crazy based on His claims of Lordship, but Jesus changed his life, too. Later in his letter, James wrote these words, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them” (James 4:17). So, we need to get into God’s Word and realize that God’s Word — JESUS! — gets into us. Then, we must discern God’s will so we can commit to going God’s way. Don’t just listen or skim, but commit your life to it since Jesus gave His life for you. That is THE best way to reveal the glory of God in Christ Jesus to others.
