James
1:23-25
Anyone who
listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at
his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately
forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law
that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard,
but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
The
exhortation here is that whoever looks intently and obeys the word of
God when it is revealed will be blessed if they continue obeying the word of God
till the end. They must not forget all their lives what God has commanded
through Christ our Lord.
The “mirror”
will show how ugly you are before God or to what extent you are defiled by the
sinful nature of the Devil in you. When
you know how ugly you are with the sinful nature of the Devil still found in
you, what must you do?
You must
make every effort to put to death it’s misdeeds by the power of God the Holy
Spirit in you. You cannot put it to death with your own human strength. You
need the power of God in your life but you must first surrender your life to
Him with the obedience of Christ that is formed in you.
