James 1:22 (JB Phillips) Don’t only hear the message, but put it into practice; otherwise you are merely deluding yourselves. 23 The man who simply hears and does nothing about it is like a man catching the reflection of his natural face in a mirror. 24 He sees himself, it is true, but he goes off without the slightest recollection of what sort of person he saw in the mirror. 25 But the man who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who hears and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true happiness.
There is a message indicated here that many often misinterpret what the message should be. They see the word law and then it clouds their ability to see anything else. They emphasize that this is saying we should keep the commandments. They are well meaning but they are wrong.
The message referred to here has to do with a different law. The law of liberty.
What is the law of liberty? Well, in another place in Scripture we read that there is a law of liberty of life in Christ Jesus.
So what is it I am being encouraged to look into? It is the good news! it is the gospel I am being encouraged to look into! I can look into the law and see myself as undone in the mirror. I go away and forget what manner of man I was made in Christ. I no longer identify with the new creature He supernaturally designed me to be in Himself. So I go out and begin to live as the man in the mirror. I will live as a man undone, a failure.
But when I look into the perfect law of liberty I am released to identify with something far greater than an image marred by the standard of the law. I get to see Christ!
I do not know what you might prefer, but I personally would much rather see Him than see sin all the time. His law of liberty has set me free from condemnation and identification with a past so regrettable and miserable it could never produce anything good.
I get to stand in thanksgiving and praise before Him with open arms boldly approaching His throne of grace because of what He has done!
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
