June 9, 2012

 “From Listener to Doer”

Scripture:

James 1:22
Prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (NASB)

Observation:

We cannot not truly call ourselves “children of God” and expect to enjoy the many blessings that our salvation in Christ Jesus brings without actually doing the will of God, because thinking otherwise is not only foolish, but deadly as well. It is delusional and dangerous to think you can hear God’s Word, and then knowingly disobey it without retribution. It is written in Scripture that there is a price to be paid for those who claim to hear the Word of God but blindly go about their everyday lives in total disregard of what it says (Matthew 7:21).

Application:

The Church gatherings around the world are filled with people who listen to the sermons, but their lives never really change—and sadly, they spend their short lives here on the earth going about the business of this fallen world believing their salvation is in the bag. And how terrible it will be on the “Day of the Lord” when they hear Jesus say; “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:22-23). It is impossible to understand the true meaning of God’s Word without the Holy Spirit as our Interpreter, who takes up residence in our hearts when we selflessly take up the Lord’s offer and live as God’s children should. Apart from ourselves, only God knows the motivation found in our heart, for we cannot hide in our darkness from Him. Our flawed human hearts are deceitful and malevolent in its fallen state (Jeremiah 17:9-10), especially when it comes to things which we know are righteous and godly—even when our conscience opposes our sinful behavior. We cannot win the battles against our sinful nature if we don’t apply the Word of God to our lives, and it is useless going into battle against the evil forces that rule this world without the armor of God and the Holy Spirit leading the way. If you truly believe in the Word of God and replace your own flawed will with the perfect will of the Father you will be changed from a listener to a doer, and in the process your life will experience a transformation that lasts forever—For one day you will hear Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” rather than, “I never knew you.”

Prayer:

Thank You, O God, for Your mercy and grace for forgiving my sins and giving me life. There are many voices calling for my allegiance to the world. But you have opened the eyes of my heart so Your Truth drowns them out. You are our only Hope in this decaying world—our eternal Hope!   Amen