”But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” | James 1: 22-24

Hearing Christ preached — which is looking into the perfect law of liberty – is compared to a man looking at his natural face in a mirror.

Those who are “doers of the word” behold their unrighteousness when compared to the impeccable righteousness of Christ.

They behold themselves as being as incapable of providing eternal life, perfect righteousness, justification, and preserving grace as they are of resurrecting themselves from the dead.

Yet, those who are “hearers only” go back to their day-to-day lives, immediately forgetting the pollution they saw in themselves and the liberty they beheld in Christ.

Though they beheld the all-sufficient grace of God for salvation and for every trial, yet they do not continue trusting Christ alone, looking to Christ alone, walking in the Spirit of Christ alone.

Instead, “hearers only” deceive themselves into thinking they have strength.

They draw the sword of the flesh at every turn.

They live by their own hands in their homes, in their work place, in their communities and especially in their religious activities.

They have turned from the law of perfect freedom which is Christ our Peace, to trust the unstable, decaying, corpse called ‘self’.

Through all their works they prove themselves to be “hearers only”.

Before the all-seeing eye of God, this man’s deeds are really no deeds at all.

He is deceived.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “How We Know Christ Is All”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 14 February, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey