LISTENING AND DOING

Passage: James 1:19-25

Key verse: 25

NIV

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters,(A) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak(B) and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger(C) does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of(D) all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,(E) which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(F) 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,(G) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.(H)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 (A)Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person (B)be quick to hear, (C)slow to speak, (D)slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore (E)put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with (F)meekness the implanted word, (G)which is able to save your souls.

22 But be (H)doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, (I)the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, (J)he will be blessed in his doing.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Humbly accept the planted word (19-21)

Some people don't think before they act; they just react. We must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Angry reactions to another's words or deeds can never produce a godly life; nor can a mind/heart full of moral filth produce a life that pleases God. The righteous life that God desires grows out of the word planted in our hearts. The word is planted when we hear God's word and humbly accept it. This word leads us to our Savior.

2. God's word is a mirror (22-25)

Studying God's word is like looking into a mirror. Sometimes we don't like what we see, and we had rather not look. But if we overcome our feelings and look intently into the perfect law of God and continue to do so, not forgetting what we have seen, we will find real freedom.

Prayer: Lord, help me to look into the mirror of your word every day. Help me to live according to that word. Work in me through your word until I can reflect your image.

One Word: Don't just listen; do it