James 1:23-25 - The Mirror of God's Law.
James 1:23-25 (NLT) For if you listen to the
word and dont obey, it is like glancing at
your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk
away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you
look carefully into the perfect law that sets you
free, and if you do what it says and dont
forget what you heard, then God will bless you for
doing it.
COMMENTARY SUPREME
Will I learn what God intends? If I
listen, I will. A little girl returned from her
first day at school. Her mom asked, Did you
learn anything? I guess not, the girl
responded. I have to go back tomorrow and the next
day and the next day...
Such is the case with learning. And such
is the case with Bible study.
Understanding comes a little at a time
over a lifetime. James said: The man who looks
into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and
makes a habit of doing so is not the man who hears
and forgets. He puts that law into practice and
wins true happiness. (James 1:25).
The Bible is not a newspaper to be
skimmed but rather a mine to be quarried. Proverbs
2:4 says to search for it like silver, and
hunt for it like hidden treasure.
And we need to do it today, and the next
day, and the next From Just Like Jesus by Max
Lucado
COMMENTARY PEARL
Some people really like mirrors. They are
always looking in them. When they are driving
along, they have their rearview mirror pointed at
themselves instead of the road behind them. If they are
in a restaurant that has a mirror on the wall,
they want to be seated across from it so they can
look at themselves. They never miss an
opportunity to catch a quick glance at themselves if a
mirror is nearby. On the other hand, some of us
don't like mirrors that much. In fact, we have
come to dislike mirrors, especially first thing
in the morning.
A mirror reflects your image, and that
isn't necessarily a bad thing. For example,
imagine that you're leaving a restaurant on your way
back to work, and you notice everyone is smiling
at you. You think, I'm feeling good! Everyone
loves me. Then you catch a glimpse of yourself in
a mirror, and you find out why they're
smiling. You didn't just eat your lunch - you're
wearing it. A piece of pasta is affixed to your
chin, marinara sauce and all. It's embarrassing.
But better that you saw it in the mirror and
dealt with the problem than spend the rest of the
day with that noodle on your chin. The mirror
showed you something about yourself that needed to
be fixed.
In the same way, the law of God is like a
moral mirror. When we look in the mirror of God's
law, we see that major changes need to take
place. We also realize that we can't keep things as
they were. So that mirror drives us to Jesus.
[Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie]
COMMENTARY
The Bible is Gods Word to you. Did you
know that it contains thousands and thousands of
promises? Can you name one of them? If you cant,
then how in the world can you claim the promise?
If you have an insurance policy but you dont
know what it covers, then you wont know what
you can claim if you have an accident.
Gods Word is the policy on your life,
and if you dont ever read it, you dont
know what God has promised to do in your life.
When you dont know what God has offered to do
if youll trust him, its inevitable that
youll be stressed out and worried.
The Bible says in James 1:25, If you
look carefully into the perfect law that sets you
free, and if you do what it says and dont
forget what you heard, then God will bless you for
doing it (NLT).
Do you want to be stressed, or do you
want to be blessed?
The key to being blessed is to read,
study, and remember Gods Word, and then you do
what it says. The more you obey, the more you
will be blessed.
Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow evil mens advice, who do not hang around
with sinners, scoffing at the things of God. But
they delight in doing everything God wants them
to, and day and night are always meditating on
his laws and thinking about ways to follow him
more closely. They are like trees along a
riverbank bearing luscious fruit each season without
fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all
they do shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-3 TLB).
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
Why God Speaks
God is not one to speak in generalities.
When He whispers from the pages of Scripture or
confronts through a friend's words, the Father
directly addresses issues in His children's lives.
With that in mind, let's look at His three goals
for communicating with believers - namely, for
us to:
1. Comprehend the truth. God wants us to
learn His ways and principles, to recognize our
own frailty, and to identify the needs of
others. He does more than offer this as head
knowledge - He makes truth applicable to our lives.
For example, the Lord assured Paul that His
strength was sufficient to carry the apostle through
anything (2 Cor. 12:9). Circumstances taught the
apostle that God's Word was true.
2. Conform to the truth. Our lives are
shaped by our belief system. What we hold as true
influences our thinking. In turn, how we think affects
our character, conduct, and conversation. God is
determined to mold His children into Christlikeness so
that they reflect His gospel to the world.
3. Communicate the truth. Every child of
God is called to make disciples (Matt. 28:19).
Believers can know the Lord and walk in His light but
still fall short of this expectation. We must
share the gospel by sharing God's truth with
others and explaining how His words played out in
our lives.
Notice that each goal builds on the one
preceding it. Christians are a light reflecting God's
glory to this world. We shine brightly by being
attentive to God's voice and following His will. And
when someone takes an interest in the source of
our light, we are prepared to share the good
news of Christ. [In Touch Daily Devotional by
Charles Stanley at www.intouch.org]
ILLUSTRATION
The Law That Liberates
One afternoon, A brightly colored little
bird landed in my backyard. My German Shepherd
was a few feet away, and I knew the moment he
saw that bird, it would become an appetizer for
him. So I went over to the bird and bent down. It
was shaking, with its feathers fluffed. When I
held out my finger, the little bird hopped on.
I walked into the house and said to my
wife, "Cathe, look at this little bird." She
turned around to see it perched on my finger.
"Where did you get that?"
"Our backyard."
"It must be someone's pet."
"Yeah, but I don't know who it belongs
to."
Just then, my son Jonathan walked in. He
told us about a girl down the street who had a
bird that died. He offered to run and get the
cage. When he brought it back, we put it on the
kitchen counter, opened the door, and placed the
bird inside. The bird, which had stayed frozen on
my finger all this time, suddenly came alive.
He started chirping and hopping from perch to
perch. His feathers smoothed down. It was obvious
that he liked his new surroundings. Then it
dawned on me: what we saw as a means to contain
this little bird was, from his standpoint, a
means of security and protection.
In the same way, God gives us His law. He
gives us His standards. While we might see them as
restrictive, they are, in reality, our source of
protection. This is "the perfect law of liberty" that
James is speaking of. [Every Day with Jesus by
Greg Laurie]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Gods Word: What You Believe, You Do
Many people know the Bible, but in order
to be blessed by it, we need to do what it
says.
You act on what you believe, meaning your
behavior and attitudes are a reflection of what you
think is true. So think about it this way: The
only parts of the Bible you truly believe are the
parts you put into practice.
If what you say you believe doesnt
change how you live your life, then you probably
dont really believe it. Thats why when you
have a difficult decision to make, you need to
remember: Gods way is perfect. All the LORDs
promises prove true (2 Samuel 22:31 NLT).
When you follow Gods Word and do things his
way, youll be able to do the right thing at
the right time.
Now, in order to put Gods Word into
practice, you need to know it. That means you cant
just skim through the Bible and hope something
sticks. You need to make time for Bible study every
day.
There are many ways for you to learn
Gods Word. For instance, you can write Bible
verses on cards and put them in places where
youll see them throughout the day. You can gather
verses into your heart by memorizing them, or you
can listen to Scripture on your cell phone.
It doesnt matter what methods you use
to learn Gods Word. The important thing is
that youre studying, memorizing, and applying
it to your life. When you do that, youll
experience a freedom that cannot be diminished by the
problems and challenges we face today. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
James 1:22 - Living the Word:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200421-0954.html
John 13:17 - Humble Obedience Brings
Blessing:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20100523-1019.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
