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Back in the 90s I ordered a box of Patrick Morley’s book, Man In the Mirror, and read it with a number of men. In the preface R. C. Sproul wrote, “Mirrors are marvelous contraptions…. The human race has been fascinated by mirrors.” If you look closely into a mirror you will see things that surprise you, even scare you. But the mirror doesn’t lie. It calls for close examination.
In chapter two of the book, Morley discusses self-examination. There he tells the story of Louis Agassiz, a famous naturalist and zoologist at Harvard University in the 1800s. One day one of his students, Mr. Scudder, came into Mr. Agassiz’s classroom and said he wanted to learn from him. So the professor took a fish out of a jar of yellow alcohol and said, “Take this fish and look at it. In a little while I’ll ask you what you saw.” Then he left the room. Obeying the professor’s orders, Mr. Scudder looked at the fish for ten minutes and thought he’d looked at the fish enough. But he hadn’t even begun. He looked again, pushed his fingers down its throat, counted a row of scales, held it up this way and that, getting all views of the fish. Then he took a pencil and started drawing the fish. Finally Professor Agassiz returned, commended him on using a pencil, but said he hadn’t looked very carefully. “Look again, look again. Look, look, look.” Poor Mr. Scudder looked at that loathsome fish for three long days. “Look at your fish,” he heard over and over. The student finished his course with deepest appreciation for Mr. Agassiz’s method of instruction.
Look intently at the fish, that’s one thing. But what about looking intently into your Bible? What are you finding in it? What is it doing for you? Are you seeing yourself there? And what are you doing about what you find? That’s James’ great concern in the passage before us. Not just to look, but to do something with what we see. First James introduces us to two types of people. Let’s refer to them as Harold the Hearer and Donald the Doer.
HAROLD THE HEARER, ON THE FAST TRACK TO SELF-DECEPTION – vv. 22-24
James 1:22-24, But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
James begins with “but.” We saw in verse 21 that in order to profit from God’s Word, you have to pull the weeds of filthiness and wickedness, prepare your heart’s soil with humility, and then plant the seeds for a good harvest. But James knows, like we all do, that it’s too easy to just hear the Word and let it end there. It is important to hear. We need to hear – in Bible reading, sermons, Bible studies, perhaps YouTube sermons – but what are you doing with what you hear? Are you only hearing, but not doing? Ezekiel had the same problem with hearers in his day:
Ezekiel 33:31-32, “They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. 32 “Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them.
Harold the hearer thinks he is doing all God requires by merely hearing. He wants to know more theology. He likes the stories the preacher tells. He likes people to see him carrying his Bible and faithfully going to church and listening. But God says folks who are only hearers deceive themselves. They have convinced themselves that hearing the Bible is all that is necessary. They never consider that God is calling them to examine their own hearts and actually respond to God’s Word and do what it says.
Verse 23 gives this famous picture of the man looking at himself, his natural, (Greek – “genesis”) face in the mirror. Many have pointed out that the word “man” is specifically speaking of a male. James, they say, understood the difference between men and women. Thomas Manton explains, “Women are more diligent and curious. They view themselves again and again, that they may do away every spot and deformity. But,” he adds, “this is more witty than solid.” That’s not really James’ point. So this guy takes a look at his face. He sees some problems. He needs a shave. His eyebrows are overgrown and his mustache needs trimming. His hair is a mess and he’s got food between his teeth. Lots of improvements are needed. But what does he do? He looks, turns away, and immediately forgets. He does absolutely nothing about the situation.
He’s like an auditor of a class. He can enjoy the lecture, maybe even ask questions, but that’s it. He takes no quizzes or tests, writes no papers, and probably doesn’t even pay for the course. There he sits, listens, and then leaves. That’s it. No accountability. Or it is like someone being taught how to play a clarinet. He arrives in class, takes out the clarinet, listens to the teacher’s instructions, but after class he puts the clarinet back in the case and doesn’t bring it out until the next class. That’s Harold the Hearer.
The saddest truth is he thinks listening is all God requires. He never examines himself in the light of Scripture, never repents of sin, never calls out for Christ to save him, and never applies the Word in his life. He hardly even thinks of the Bible until next Sunday. He immediately forgets what kind of person he is. People in Bible teaching churches can easily fall into this deception. If the Word isn’t taking root, getting traction, digging in, and actually changing your life, you are committing a fatal error. If you try to confront Harold the Hearer, he’ll probably get offended and defensive. “Hey, I’m at church every Sunday!” James says if all this person is doing is hearing, he’s on the fast-track to deadly self-deception. He has convinced his own heart he’s a good Christian.
DONALD THE DOER, BLESSED IN HIS DOING – vv.25
James 1:25, But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
Here’s Mr. Scudder looking carefully at the fish. Donald the Doer looks carefully at God’s Word. The word “looks intently” means he is stooping over and carefully looking to see what it says and how it applies to him. The word was used of John in John 20:5. He ran to Jesus’ tomb, stooped down to “look carefully” to see if Jesus body was there. Donald the Doer isn’t taking a quick look and then forgetting; he’s taking an intent look. The Holy Spirit is motivating him to learn what it says and means for him.
He’s looking at “the perfect law of liberty.” That’s a beautiful description of God’s Word. When God gives you a new heart, the Bible becomes a new book. Have you experienced that? You want to learn more and more about what God says. Your neck is bent over, you are really studying, and you are eagerly listening. You are concerned about what it says and how it applies to your life. In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul describes your Bible as God-breathed, inspired, inerrant, authoritative. Your Bible is profitable. That means it is God’s instrument to change your life. It teaches you. It convicts you. It corrects you. It trains you in godliness.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
James calls it the perfect law, full and complete – just exactly what we need. It is sufficient for your entire Christian life. Do you want to know what God says? Open your Bible. And keep opening it. The Donald the Doer abides by it. He continues in God’s Word; he doesn’t just look and then walk away. His character is a doer, one whose life is oriented toward seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. When he blows it and sins, he is quick to confess to God and maybe to others if necessary. Remember, he has received God’s word with humility.
James also calls God’s Word the law of liberty. He’s not talking about legalism. He’s talking about the freedom God’s word brings as you trust in Christ and learn from the Bible. It’s the liberty that love for Christ brings. Jesus said, “If you love Me you’ll keep my commandments” (John 14:15). It’s the freedom that the Holy Spirit gives you as He teaches you to will and do of God’s good pleasure. Donald the Doer knows this freedom. True, there are hard things in the Bible. To deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Christ isn’t easy. But it’s that road of freedom from sin’s slavery and self to the freedom which enables us to please God that brings joy and blessing. James says exactly that at the end of verse 25. “This man will be blessed in what he does.” It actually reads he’ll be blest “in the doing of the deed.”
As you submit to God’s Word and actually apply it to your life, as you are doing what God says, you are blessed. Have you ever opened a conversation about the Lord with someone? As you are confessing Christ before men, you have a sense of blessing. Not self-righteousness, but you’re doing what God says! You do something nice for your husband or wife, and you sense that blessing. You’ve read Ephesians 4:28, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification, that it may give grace to your hearers.” You ponder or meditate on that. “Have my words been unwholesome, cutting others down, or grace-filled words, building people up?” So you chew on it, asking yourself how this verse applies to your life, and you actually do what it says. That’s Donald the Doer. But James describer a third professing Christian who is self-deceived.
MR. TALKATIVE’S WORTHLESS RELIGION – v. 26
James 1:26, If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
In a fascinating portion of Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan introduces us to Mr. Talkative. He joins Faithful on the path to the Celestial City. Faithful is impressed with his religious knowledge. He can talk circles around most people about theology. He will discuss with you the hypostatic union and the difference between supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism and the Pre, Post, and Amil eschatology. He tells you how valuable spiritual talk is, the importance of Reformed theology, how to repent, how to discern falsehood, and so much more. However, Christian has to inform Faithful that all Talkative has “lies in his tongue, and his religion is to make a noise therewith.” He’s “a saint abroad and a devil at home.”
As James says, his tongue is like an unbridled bucking bronco. He can talk a good line, depending on his audience, but at the same time his tongue will flip out lies, swearing, boasting, anger, complaining, griping words, telling people off. People who know him think, “And this guy is a Christian?”
His Unbridled Tongue Deceives Himself. Notice two fatal problems with this guy with the unbridled tongue. First, he deceives himself. We saw this with Harold the Hearer, but here it’s even stronger. He begins to think that because he knows so much theology and can talk a good talk, he’s good with God. But he’s deceiving his own heart. I Corinthians 4:20 says the kingdom of God is not in word but in power, the power of the Spirit that changes a man’s life.
His Religion is Worthless. Plus, James says his religion is worthless. Worthless, of no value, like taking Monopoly money to the bank thinking they’ll accept it. He thinks his so-called “faith” and religious talk will get him to heaven, even though his tongue betrays a dead, unregenerate heart. James is warning us. Look carefully into the perfect Law; see your sin and your need for salvation. See how God calls you to repent of your sins and humbly submit to Christ in obedience as your Lord and Savior. Don’t trust in a worthless, useless religiosity. Don’t be too proud to look carefully and come to Christ before it’s too late.
THE FRUIT OF GENUINE LIVING FAITH v. 27
James 1:2, Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Let’s be sure we understand that James isn’t teaching legalism or salvation by works. He is working hard to show us what a true faith looks like. True faith or living faith is demonstrated by God’s working in your life by the power of the Spirit. True faith results in being a doer of the Word because true faith loves Christ because He first loved you. So don’t think if you just do some good works you’re good to go. No, you’re good to go when you see how sinful you really are, that you don’t deserve salvation, and your only hope is through your heart-trust in Christ alone. James ends this section by giving us a couple examples of what a true, living faith looks like.
A Living Faith Has a Concern for Others. You’ll have a genuine love and concern for others and will deny yourself and be ready to help others in distress – like orphans and widows, people who are helpless to help themselves. John says the same thing.
1 John 3:16-18, We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
It is truly beautiful to see God’s church loving others with this kind of self-denying, sacrificial love.
A Living Faith Has a Concern for Holiness. Another evidence of a living, genuine faith is how you walk through this filthy, sin-blotched world. One author describes the godless world around us as “full of dirt and slime that bespatters the best of men.” James says, “Keep yourself unstained by the world.” Be aware of how this world wants to stain you. It is constantly slinging moral filth and ideological poison at you. You must wear a “stain shield.” You’re scrolling through a website and the slick marketers throw this clickbait at you, perhaps a lewd picture including luring words, “You’ll never guess what else was going on.” Some of them are close to pornography, and it’s like the world is throwing dirt, slime, filth at your heart. You know it’s all about the money. In our woke corporate world you can expect anything. Suddenly two girls are kissing or as I saw on a Pandora commercial recently, two guys and a baby. This world is slick with dirty slime. Unless you are careful, it will bespatter your soul!
SO WHAT?
Remember Mr. Scudder and how he looked at that fish. Look intently at the Scripture and then examine yourself. Are you a relative of Harold the Hearer or a brother of Donald the Doer? How about Mr. Talkative? Is your religion all in your tongue, but your heart is empty of God’s Spirit? Is your religion worthless, or does your life show that you truly are a redeemed, born again child of God? Do you need to take this passage and meditate on it, asking God to apply it to your life? Or maybe you’re like the lady I read about who shook the pastor’s hand after the message, “Wonderful sermon. Everything you said applies to someone I know.” Be a doer of the Word and not merely a hearer.