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Hearing and Doing (James
1:21-27)
Have you ever been accused of "easy-believism"? That "cheap grace"
brand of Christianity that appropriates the Cross but doesn't apply
the new life? This is what James is dealing with here.
The "therefore" of verse 21 refers to what has already been said
in verse 18, i.e. in light of the fact that, "He
chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might
be the first fruits of all he created"
we should, "get rid of all moral
filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word
implanted in you, which can save you".
The word of truth is the gospel, which Paul has declared to be "the
power of God for the Salvation of everyone who believes" (Ro.1:16)
and, through the new birth, this word is implanted in the believer's
heart and saves. There is an echo here of an Old Testament prophecy:
"This is the covenant that I will
make with the House of Israel after that time, declares the LORD.
I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I
will be their God and they will be my people" (Jeremiah 31:33)
The word implanted in v.18 becomes the word applied in the rest
of the passage and this progression from believing to doing echoes
Jesus, Lk.11:28, and Paul, Ro.2:13. Saving power is accompanied
by a summons to obey and the believer can declare "I am saved!"
while determining to live a saved life.
The nature of this new life and the contrast between doers and hearers
only is cleverly illustrated by James in the picture of two men
looking in a mirror:
"Anyone who listens to the word but
does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in
a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately
forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into
the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not
forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - will be blessed in
what he does"
The hearer only may look and look but, in turning away, he soon
forgets what he has seen. The doer can be said to truly look intently
because the very act of doing holds the perfect law before him constantly
as it is worked out in his life. In other words, the hearer only
hears in a moment while the doer does for all of his life. The first
forgets, the latter remains, or perseveres. Can there be any doubt
that there is blessing in consistent gospel living?
The "perfect law" here is the Christian ethical code in the gospel
and gives freedom. It is not a burdensome law for the simple reason
that it is accompanied, indeed preceded by the provision of God
in enabling the believer by writing that law on his heart. This
is clearly illustrated by a passage in 1 Peter 1:23-2:2 that clearly
parallels this in James, showing an early and clear tradition and
teaching in the church from which both draw:
"For you have been born again, not
of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and
enduring word of God. For,
'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flower
of the field; The grass withers and the flowers fall,
But the word of the Lord stands forever.'
And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourselves
of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every
kind. Lie newborn babies crave spiritual milk, so that by it you
may grow up in your salvation.
This is the Christian: born again of imperishable seed; nourished
by the enduring word of God; craving spiritual milk and seeking
to grow up in the faith by application of the word that has been
implanted. Christians believe in works, indeed works are an inevitable
outworking of faith. It is important that we understand this and
are able to teach it clearly and compellingly to others. More, it
is important that others see it in our lives before they hear it
from our mouths otherwise we will unintentionally justify the charge
of easy-believism and put a stumbling block before them.