But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in
his doing.
In the world of marketing, a “call to action” is a direct and explicit appeal to the customer to take a particular next step. The call to action is usually not an appeal to buy a product or subscribe to a service. The call to action is meant to draw customers toward that goal, to be sure, but it usually begins with something small such as signing up for an email list. However, that small action is a significant win.
When the customer does what your call to action invites them to do, the customer has opened his mind to your ideas and he is willing to follow through with what you suggest.
St. James made a kind of “call to action” in his letter. It isn’t a slick marketing appeal. In fact, he didn’t even point us to one particular, small, next step. However, he did write that it’s time to take action. Not only that, he pointed out that those who refuse to take action are deceiving themselves. St. James wrote, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).
It’s relatively easy to attend a church service or go to a Bible study and listen to what the pastor is saying. It’s relatively easy to store up knowledge about Bible facts or be able to recite Bible teachings. Sadly, it’s also quite easy to tell yourself that having this knowledge stored in your head, being able to repeat the correct words, this is enough.
St. James explicitly wrote that this is not enough. St. James wrote that this is a form of self-deception. It shows that, while you may have knowledge about God’s Word, you have not actually opened your mind to its teachings because you are not willing to follow through with what it commands. St. Paul wrote the same thing in a somewhat different way. “If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). For, indeed, that is the point: love! “The perfect law, the law of liberty” is summed up in these two commands: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37,39-40). St. John also wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3).
The trouble for each of us is that we don’t want to actually do what the Word says. We may know what it says. Yet our sinful actions—or our lack of godly actions—show that we have deceived ourselves.
God’s Word says, “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:3-4). Yet, we still indulge in all of these things and even do so publicly in full view of others.
God’s Word says, “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ... Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled” (Titus 2:2,6). Yet instead of controlling our urges and desires, we continue to let ourselves be mastered by them. We become slaves to our passions: watching TV or YouTube, playing video games, “engaging” on social media, or
“doomscrolling” on our favorite news sites. In doing these largely pointless activities to excess we exhibit our lack of self-control.
God’s Word says, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves too much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of
God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:3-5). Yet women, too, in their own unique calling, show their lack of self control. They try to find their fulfillment in worldly ideas and ideals about empowering women, rather than fulfilling “the perfect law, the law of liberty” (James 1:25) by “working at home, [being] kind, and [being] submissive to their own husbands.” Older women have not modeled this as God commands, and so young women haven’t learned it.
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). There is a lot of self-deception in our hearts.
Jesus confronts us with our self-deception. In His Word written by St. James he leads us to see who we really are. Then he reminds us, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:46-47). He calls us to repentance for our sinful actions, for our sinful lack of actions,
and for our self-deception. He then proclaims the forgiveness of your sins. You are forgiven in Him.
St. James made the point that “if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (James 1:23-24). We deserve worse than ridicule for this, we deserve hell! Yet when our reflection in the mirror is shown to God the Father, what He sees is a righteous and holy child of God.
Through faith in God’s only-begotten Son, the mirror is held up to us and what shines back is not the filth and the lack in our own lives, but the glorious, powerful, mighty works of Christ. What shines back is Christ’s perfect love in keeping the whole Law. What shines back is a holy saint wearing robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb. The powerful, undeserved, gracious love of God makes our reflection in
the mirror the pure and holy image of God’s one and only Son.
And make no mistake, it is purely by grace. St. James urges us to do, to take action, but when it comes to your salvation, it is already done. It is done by Jesus. The bread you make by the work of your hands, the wine crafted by human hands, it cannot give life everlasting. But when Christ freely gives to you bread and wine where his own true body and blood dwell, then there is forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
The life that your corruption and impurity could never win, Christ has won for you. Through faith, you have this never-ending, ever-flowing life, full of vibrancy, radiance, and yes, action!
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2). For, “the one who looks into the perfect law, the law
of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:25).
Yes, you will be blessed by doing. You will be blessed by taking up St. James’ call to action and actually doing what the Word says. Surely it will often be difficult. St. Paul wrote, “I hit my body hard and make it my slave” (1 Corinthians 9:27), and not doubt you also will have to be somewhat harsh with yourself. Old habits will die hard. Reorienting your thinking and your mindset so that you are prepared to do what the Word says will take concentration and focus. Yet you will be blessed in your doing. The Lord himself will be with you.
The next time you listen to God’s Word, rightly preached, remember St. James’ call to action. Remember to be doers of the Word. You will be blessed.
