Week 8

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Doer means your entire personality should be of impeccable godly character.

Don’t just do something, following a bunch of rules…no it is your entire personality must be totally one-sided with no outside worldly influence.

Deceiving yourselves – mental straying, error in morals. Miscalculation. You who are content with only hearing the Word have made serious miscalculations.

Instead: Set yourself apart with the Word of Truth –Psalm 4:3

Greek word for doer – means performer

We must not only receive the word, but we have to obey it. You must have a deep desire to hear God speaking to you and an unquestionable willingness to do whatever He says.

The Bible must be translated into action. Every time you go to Scripture you are asking God to change you to become more like HIM.

If you profess to be a believer, your likeness to Jesus Christ should be increasing every day.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As you sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Set apart to be used by God. That’s you my friend. REJOICE!

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word – hearer (akroates) – one who hears but quickly forgets what he has heard. Your knowledge of the Bible does not lead to change.

Believers who hear the Word of God must receive it with a teachable spirit, applying it to their everyday lives. To hear and not obey is to be deceived.

It is easy to read the Bible casually or because of a sense of duty without being effected by what we have read.

and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

observing means to look carefully, not casually.

Natural face means how God made you…the face of your birth. Outer appearance. Going your own way.

A mirror reflects the perfect image of you. It shows every wrinkle, every blemish. The Word of God will do the same. It reveals or brings forth who you really are.

If you looked into the mirror and you had dirt (filth) on your face, you would wash your face immediately. You fix the problem.

When you see a flaw (sin) when you compare yourself to God’s Word, do you fix it or overlook it? The Word of God is a mirror that reveals what is wrong with you. Our sin.

Vs 24 for he observes (looks carefully) himself, goes away…(turns his back to) and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. (Your sinful nature is going to be revealed when you look carefully at yourself against the Word of God.

What will you do? Go away…turn your back? Say it is too hard to change?

Did you know that the Bible is the only book that has sold more copies than any other book, but it is the only book that is bought but seldom read.

Why is that? People want to be religious, but they don’t want to change.

Why are churches empty? Why don’t sinners want to go to church? Perhaps it is because the light of truth is blinding to those choosing to live in darkness.

Ever wonder why roaches scatter when the light is turned on? They are filth loving creatures and they prefer to remain in the dark. They are discovered when the light comes on.

Ever thought of yourself as a roach? I haven’t until this teaching.

This is saying that we cannot look casually at ourselves when we are comparing ourselves to the Word. We need to look carefully. God will not be mocked and we should not gamble with His mercy and grace.

Why do we make excuses not to study? Are we really too busy or are we afraid that the Word might reveal some of the fifth that we allow to remain in our lives.

Here again, God gives us a choice. Either choose to fix our flaws or turn our back to them and think that they have gone away.

Vs 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty (freedom in Christ) and continues in it,

In contrast to verse 24, we have to be the believer who looks into the word of God and practices it in his life. As you obey it, you find true freedom from your old human nature and your human thinking. WHO NEEDS THAT MESS. It never got us anywhere ever.

The perfect law of liberty is the law of love. Loving God and loving one’s neighbor sums up the Law (see Matt 26:36-40). But Christ’s love (Eph 3:17-19) frees us from our sins so we can truly love others (John 8:36-38); Gal 5:13).

What’s that mean? The Truth is the only thing that will set you free. We can have genuine freedom from sin. The Holy Spirit is in us and He will help us to change.

And is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed, in what he does. (remember what blessed meant? Receive gift/eternal rewards from God).

You don’t forget what you have read, rather you seek to live it out in daily practice. Your obedience brings blessings to your soul.

26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceived his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

First of all, we must know that Christianity is not a religion, it is a person and that person is Jesus Christ. That is your faith, not your religion.

People often asked the question, “What religion are you”? I usually answer, Christian. They look at me funny. I don’t know if that is the correct answer anymore. I will never be a part of a denomination because I believe denominations are not Biblical but have only caused barriers or dissention between Christians.

Verse 26 is very interesting. Because to the world, being religious is a good thing. Webster’s dictionary says: the service and worship of God...commitment to your God (faith).

Religious to the world means works. Singing in the choir, attending church on Sunday by obligation.

Religious in Latin meant that emphasis is put on external trappings, rituals, routines, formalities that were not followed sincerely.

Emphasis needs to be on internal godliness.

What we appear to be in the mirror, rather than what we really are inside is what we need to carefully observe.

Bridle is a metaphor which means to control or keep a tight reign on. Chalinagogeo – to lead, to hold in check, restrain…head gear used to control a horse.

Purity of heart is often revealed by speech (Matthew 12:36)

Tongue – an organ of speech Look up Job 5:21, Ps 34:13, Pro 10:31, Pro 15:4, Pro 21:23, James 3:5, 3:6, 3:8

But what part of every person’s body will be tamed when judgment day comes? Phil 2:10,11

That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

27 Pure and undefiled religion God wants us pure and undefiled. Pure means unmixed substance – free from contaminants! Confess Him today as your Lord, and mean it!

before God and the Father is this: to visit (comes from the Greek word usually translated bishop, a person who oversees people. (1 Tim 3:1) orphans and widows (were among the most needy classes in ancient societies) in their trouble,

Orphans and widows are those who cannot reciprocate in any way. Caring for them clearly demonstrates true, sacrificial Christian love. Simple outward practical actions are found in acts of grace and a walk that is totally opposite of the world.

and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (pure and undefiled)

We are to keep ourselves unspotted, free from the evil condition of the world, without moral blemish, and free from all defilement in the sight of God.

Are you ready to stop following your own desires and start following His Word? I am. Commit to spending more time listening for His voice and get ready for Him to change you from filth to purity.

We are not going to get it right … right away. And don’t beat yourself up because you can’t seem to get it right. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. Can I be honest? I am the teacher, and I just lost my peace. I was not slow to anger, was very quick to speak and I was not listening for God to guide me through this parenting explosion.

Now you know why I am the teacher. The teacher needs the message the most.

This is one powerful book.

j