Tuesday, November 16, 2021

"But be doers of the word...."


In fulfillment of God's own purpose God gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of God's creatures.

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for you anger does not produce God's righteousness.  Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.  But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.  For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.  But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perservere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing.

James 1: 18-25

I offer this, not as judgment on others, but as counter-point.  There are lots of people listening to the words of Christianity.  There aren't so many doing what those words say.  They are like those who look at themselves in a mirror.  Which is ever so much easier than looking at others.  Doers who act are blessed in their doing.  And doers who judge are not doing what the word says.  The anger of judgement never produces God's righteousness.  And that is the righteousness a Christian should seek.

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