Listen ... and ... Obey!

In v.21 we are told to receive the Word, and in vv.22-25 James expands on that and shows that receiving involves two components: hearing and doing. All Christians seek to obey to some degree, but it’s easy to get out of balance with way more learning than doing. When we learn things and don’t do them, that has a deceiving effect on the soul – making us think we are doing much better than we are spiritually. This is a huge theme in Scripture and especially in Jesus’ teaching. The way to become a doer is to avoid forgetting (the kind of forgetting where you can still recall it if you try, but it doesn’t spring to mind at the moment it’s needed). That is done by making sure the truth is ingrained in your belief system like your belief in gravity. That way it will come to mind when you need it.