James 1:25

Now the attention is turned back towards the "good" example. This is the person who is a doer of the word and not just a hearer of the word. Wow, just reading this over again, there seems like there's so much to this passage. It is so juicy, as Matt Wong would say. Both of these types of people hear. This is mentioned earlier when describing the doers as not only hearers. Not only do they hear the word, but they also do it. Both are now described as those who look into the perfect law. Hearing of the word is to look into the perfect law. The word is the perfect law and it certainly is perfect. There is nothing wrong with the law and there is no fault or error in it. Though it is so perfect, some people still are merely hearers of the law. They were described as forgetting what their face looks like after looking intently at their face in the mirror. They look at it long enough and with enough attention so that they should know and remember it. This perfect law they see and hear, but they forget it. However, the doer does not forget it, but does it. This is based upon action, not merely hearing. There are people or things that are all talk but no action. This person who is a doer of the word is one of action. This person does not forget, but acts.

What is it about this person who is a doer and one who acts? It is described of him as one who perseveres. There is a manner of perseverance which is required of this person and is what he does. Those who forget and are not doers are those who do not persevere. I am once again reminded of earlier in the chapter when James talks about counting trials as joy. The testing produces steadfastness. He also talks about remaining steadfast under trial later on and receiving the crown of life. Being a doer of the word requires perseverance, and that ties in with what James has been talking about with respect to trials and steadfastness.

One other thing is that the perfect law is also called the law of liberty. Other translations say that this is the law that gives freedom. Many people think of laws and rules as restricting. They don't like rules and feel encumbered as they are under them. People tend to try and bend or break rules. In their attempts to break the rules, they seek freedom from the rules. However, this is not truly freedom and they are in fact slaves to sin. The perfect law is the law of liberty, and it is that which actually gives freedom. In a sense, yes, we are all slaves to somebody or something. Those who are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are slaves to him, but they are no longer slaves to sin. It doesn't mean that they never sin, but they are no longer dead in their sins and are in fact alive in Christ. Do not be deceived, the word it the perfect law that gives freedom.

The last thing of this verse is that the doer will be blessed in his doing. Do you want to be blessed by God in your doing? It makes me think of an illustration given by Voddie Baucham in the 722 Love and Marriage series. He's describing a typical girl who prays to God desperately about an ungodly relationship she has with an unbelieving boy. She is deliberately disobeying God by pursuing what God forbids but asking him to bless it. This is wrong, for it is those who are doers of the word who are blessed. Read his word and do what it says. Do you really expect God's blessing to come any other way? Sure, the results of your life may seem like a blessing from God, and God can certainly take a negative situation and turn it around. But do you really want to be a lost sheep? Is it fun to be lost? It certainly is a relief to be found, but why don't you just read his word and do what it says? Doers of the word are those who are blessed in their doing.