“Unless the soul is fed and exercised daily, it becomes weak and shriveled. It remains discontented, confused, restless.”
Billy Graham
Billy Graham
Life Wisdom from Billy Graham (p19)
The Purifier for Holy Living:
23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24for once he has looked at himself and gone away,
he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty,
and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer,
this man will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:23-25 NASB
Purity of life is not the pursuit of perfection, but rather the quest to be liberated from those things that inhibit our effectiveness for the kingdom of God. We desire to see the power of God demonstrated through our lives, so that those around us can see Christ in us.
The James text shows that the Word of God is like a mirror – a means of reflecting our true nature. The implication here is not that we simply see in the mirror, but that we allow the corrective influence of God’s Word to act upon and conform our lives to the image of Christ Jesus.
There is another implication within this divine phrase – that we should avoid the temptation to utilize the Word of God to judge the walks of others… i.e. that we remove the beam from our own eye and not be consumed with removing a speck from our brother or sisters eye.
2"For in the way you judge, you will be judged;
and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4"Or how can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,'
and behold, the log is in your own eye?”
Matthew 7:2-4 NASB
2 Corinthians 3:18 also likens the Word of God to a mirror…
18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror
the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image
from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB
…but it likens the image to the fullness of Christ Jesus Himself.
The Word of God reveals the character of Christ to us that we may measure our own progress in becoming more and more like Him – from glory to glory through His marvelous grace.
God continually is asking us to die to self, so that we may be more like His beloved Son.
29For those whom He foreknew,
He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son,
so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Romans 8:29
11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets,
and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service,
to the building up of the body of Christ;
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a mature man, to the measure of the stature
which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
14As a result, we are no longer to be children,
tossed here and there by waves
and carried about by every wind of doctrine,
by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15but speaking the truth in love,
we are to grow up in all aspects into Him
who is the head, even Christ,
16from whom the whole body,
being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies,
according to the proper working of each individual part,
causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NASB
Jeremiah 29:9 speaks of the Word of God as a fire. The fire of God has two distinct purposes in our lives. First it purges us from the things that inhibit our intimacy with Him. Secondly it ignites us for service!
12For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NASB
God’s Holy Word is a powerful cleansing and delivering agent.
The Word of God says that we are to work our salvation with fear and trembling…
(Philippians 2:12) … salvation should always lead to service. It is the height of self-deception to believe that the goal of the Christian walk is simply to attend church and hear the word each week. James implores us not simply to be hearers of the Word but doers of the Word!
“But prove yourselves doers of the word,
and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”
James 1:22 NASB
The Word must bring transformation to our lives that we may be vessels fit for the Masters use.
The Purifier for Holy Living:
23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24for once he has looked at himself and gone away,
he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty,
and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer,
this man will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:23-25 NASB
Purity of life is not the pursuit of perfection, but rather the quest to be liberated from those things that inhibit our effectiveness for the kingdom of God. We desire to see the power of God demonstrated through our lives, so that those around us can see Christ in us.
The James text shows that the Word of God is like a mirror – a means of reflecting our true nature. The implication here is not that we simply see in the mirror, but that we allow the corrective influence of God’s Word to act upon and conform our lives to the image of Christ Jesus.
There is another implication within this divine phrase – that we should avoid the temptation to utilize the Word of God to judge the walks of others… i.e. that we remove the beam from our own eye and not be consumed with removing a speck from our brother or sisters eye.
2"For in the way you judge, you will be judged;
and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4"Or how can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,'
and behold, the log is in your own eye?”
Matthew 7:2-4 NASB
2 Corinthians 3:18 also likens the Word of God to a mirror…
18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror
the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image
from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB
…but it likens the image to the fullness of Christ Jesus Himself.
The Word of God reveals the character of Christ to us that we may measure our own progress in becoming more and more like Him – from glory to glory through His marvelous grace.
God continually is asking us to die to self, so that we may be more like His beloved Son.
29For those whom He foreknew,
He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son,
so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Romans 8:29
11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets,
and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service,
to the building up of the body of Christ;
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a mature man, to the measure of the stature
which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
14As a result, we are no longer to be children,
tossed here and there by waves
and carried about by every wind of doctrine,
by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15but speaking the truth in love,
we are to grow up in all aspects into Him
who is the head, even Christ,
16from whom the whole body,
being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies,
according to the proper working of each individual part,
causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NASB
Jeremiah 29:9 speaks of the Word of God as a fire. The fire of God has two distinct purposes in our lives. First it purges us from the things that inhibit our intimacy with Him. Secondly it ignites us for service!
12For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NASB
God’s Holy Word is a powerful cleansing and delivering agent.
The Word of God says that we are to work our salvation with fear and trembling…
(Philippians 2:12) … salvation should always lead to service. It is the height of self-deception to believe that the goal of the Christian walk is simply to attend church and hear the word each week. James implores us not simply to be hearers of the Word but doers of the Word!
“But prove yourselves doers of the word,
and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”
James 1:22 NASB
The Word must bring transformation to our lives that we may be vessels fit for the Masters use.
21 “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things,
he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master,
prepared for every good work.”
2 Timothy 2:21 NASB
There are those who hear the Word, and agree with what it says… but they quickly forget about it failing to apply it to their lives. (See Matthew 13 - The Parable of the Sower)
" For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”
Luke 9:26 NASB
It is the one who hears the Word and continues in it who is blessed.
He who does the will of my Father
" He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."
John 14:21 NASB
God’s Word is the perfect law of liberty. The Scriptures never enslave or place in the bondage of legalism, but rather it frees us to keep the commands and precepts of God out of love and devotion to the One who redeemed us from sin and death!
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