Just Do It! (Part 2)

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

 

You have to love a man who flat out tells it like it is, and James is certainly that kind of man. His teaching is about as black and white as you can read it. But for the sake of over-teaching the message (grin) let me just elaborate a tad bit more on James 1:22-27.

Here’s the deal: It’s not what I don’t know; it’s what I know and don’t live. And it’s precisely the “what I know and don’t live” part that is keeping us stuck in our pits, held tight in our strongholds, captivated by our wants, and generally just repeating the same old habits we’ve always had. We claim one thing, but live another. But the claim without the reality is meaningless.

Living the message is meaning-full: It brings us blessing (John 13:6-17); it brings stability to our lives (Luke 6:46-49; it makes us true family with Jesus (Luke 8:21); and it sets us free (James 1:25). Not only that, but God sees us as righteous- living the right way, when we obey, live, practice and do His Word. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous”- Romans 2:13 (and not Romans 12:13 as I misquoted last night).

C’mon, sister, we can do this together! Let’s agree to stop just talking about it and really start living the Truth. Let’s agree to just do it, because…

…you are greatly and dearly loved by the King!

 

P.S. Here’s the definition of the Christian Life that I mentioned in class last night:

It’s the Life of Christ-
Reproduced in the believer-
By the power of the Holy Spirit-
In obedient response to the Word of God!