James 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
James makes it clear that to be a Christian who is only a hearer of the Word, without action, is a deceived Christian (v. 22). In today's verse, we are instructed on how to be a doer of the Word, and the benefit of being a Christian who puts feet to their faith. First, we must be in the Word. We cannot live out God's Word effectively if we don't know what it says. Our reading and study of the Scriptures must be done purposely. There are so many things in life that we do on purpose, that hold no eternal value at all. We must purpose in our hearts to make God and His Word a priority. Secondly, we must not be forgetful. The word "forgetful" used here means negligence. In other words, when we read the Word of God, but then walk away from it not allowing it to take root or have effect, and refusing to put it to action in our life, the Lord says that we are being negligent. Those are very strong words, as it means that we are being careless and have breached our duties as soldiers in God's army. On the flip side of this truth, God tells us that if we are not forgetful, and we actually take action to put His Word to work in our life, He promises that we will be blessed. The word "blessed" here means "supremely blessed", "fortunate", or "well off", "happy". This is not a "name it, claim it" promise, and it is not a promise of monetary blessings. Blessings come in all shapes and sizes, and the greatest blessings are the ones that yield heavenly reward. Real blessings are ones that yield true joy, and the peace that passes all understanding. Real blessings are those which leave us knowing that God was glorified, and that He is using us to be a blessing to others. Can they possibly yield material blessings? Yes, absolutely. The Lord can choose to allow us to reap some of the material wealth of this world, so long as those things don't become our gods. Nonetheless, true blessings come from applying the Word of God to our lives on purpose and with diligence. In Matthew 7:21-27, Jesus told us that there will be some that will stand before Him claiming that they did many things in His Name, but He will reply that He never knew them. He then goes on to stress that the one who fails to build their house upon the truths of His Word is a foolish person, and their life will end in ruin. On the other hand, the wise person that builds their life on God's Word, that person will always stand because their life is built on the Rock, Jesus Himself. True success and blessings in this life, and the next, come from being doers of God's Word, and not just hearers.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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