** This response is biblically sound, well written, and thorough. Concepts are clearly explained and illustrated. Additional biblical support and practical application are provided. The tone is genuinely kind, displaying care for the questioner. **
Question: James 1:23+24 what if you remember the bible verses and do your best to do them but when you look into a mirror after you cant remember what you look like (but will recognize) also what are ways to remember or do them both?
Profile: Male, Asia, Christian, 19–25
Answered by: Lawrence Manning, who has been a volunteer with us since April, 2017.
Answer: Thank you so much for your question. This is a very important issue and one which seems to be a growing problem in our churches today. Let me reproduce the passage here and I will include verse 22.
James 1:22-24 (MKJV) “But become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (v.23) For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror. (v.24) For he studied himself and went his way, and immediately he forgot what he was like.”
Looking first at verse 22 we see the directive or instruction being offered by James. He says that as believers we should be sure the Word of God is a functioning part of our lives and not just pleasant daily read. He states the if we are hearing God’s Word but never allowing it to become a part of our daily lives then we are self-deceived. The Apostle Paul made a similar statement in 2 Corinthians 13:5 (MKJV) “Examine yourselves whether you are in the faith….” Paul said, as James does here, that we should examine our lives. Not live in fear, but taking a careful examination occasionally as assurance.
James helps the reader to understand his statement with the example of a mirror in verses 23-24. A man who looks into a mirror will normally be able to see any dirt or blemishes that may be there. But what good does it do to look (v.23) if he does nothing to correct the issues which he sees (v.24). By looking into the mirror, he deceived himself into believing he cared about his appearance. He obviously did not really care about the dirt and blemishes he saw because he walked away never making any effort to correct the problems.
As believers the Word of God is the mirror we use to examine ourselves. If a person is truly saved they will care about their relationship with God. It does not mean we will ever become completely sinless. But James does indicate that we should be looking for areas in our lives that need attention. When the Bible reveals a problem area, or when we are convicted of sin, or other areas of immaturity that need attention, we should strive to find ways to improve.
For each of us this can be different. None of us will become all that God intends for us to be in any short period of time. It will take most of us a lifetime to become what God wants us to be. Again, the Apostle Paul offers a very enlightening statement that helps to clarify this in Romans 7:7-25. Even Paul struggled in areas of his Christian life. But that is the point. If we are not seeing (or more accurately, if we are not concerned about) areas of weakness as we read the Word of God or hear it preached we should become concerned.
We will always have issues we are struggling with. That is normal. The Bible will point them out as we become better able to deal with them. But if we can read the Bible and sit under Christian preaching month after month or even year after year without conviction of our sin, we have a problem. Paul indicates our problem may be that we are not saved at all. James agrees as he says we may well be deceiving ourselves.
Did we get saved or did we just decide to become religious? Someone who is truly saved has the Holy Spirit of God living in them (Ephesians 1:13-14) and that same Holy Spirit is always teaching us the things of God (John 16:7-14). Which things can only be understood by those who are saved (I Corinthians 2:12-14) and we have the Holy Spirit as our teacher. Evidence that a person truly is saved is having a concern very much like you have shown here. Keep that concern. Don’t worry, but continue to strive toward godliness. Grow in grace. Holiness is a lifetime effort.
