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"A hearer of the word..."

Text: James 1:23

ADDRESSING PROBLEMS

Like many of the Apostles, James addressed problems. This is good and necessary.

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
for he observes himself, goes away,
and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”
James 1:23-24

1. A hearer and not a doer

a) The contrast is made very clear.

b) There is a huge difference between the hearer and the doer.

2. The word of God

a) It is compared to a mirror.

b) The mirror’s main function is to give a reflection of the person looking at it.

c) Two things are reflected:

i) The good aspects of a person.

ii) The bad aspects of a person.

3. The hearer

a) He observes his natural face.

i) He sees good things.

ii) He also sees bad things.

b) He goes away.

i) Naturally so (one does not spend the whole day looking at the mirror).

ii) He is supposed to address the things that are defective.

c) Immediately forgets what kind of man he is.

i) The hearer knows what he ought to do.

ii) He should be seeking to improve.

iii) He should be addressing the problems he sees in his life.

iv) But he does not do that.

v) Conveniently he forgets the problems that are in his life.

vi) The hearer would remain unchanged because he does not act on the word of God.