Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God

Heart Preparation - 5 of 7

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2006-11-26

Synopsis: In this fifth message on heart preparation, John Weaver expounds James 1:22–27 to show that true reception of God's Word is evidenced by being a doer, not merely a hearer. He contrasts the forgetful hearer, who looks into the mirror of the Word but fails to apply it, with the blessed doer who stoops with meekness, continues in the perfect law of liberty, and obeys. Practical tests include bridling the tongue, showing mercy to widows and orphans, and keeping unspotted from the world. The sermon emphasizes that obedience makes the Word uniquely ours and that God sets apart the godly for Himself.

[John Weaver] We are thankful that you're here, and we do want you to open your Bibles again today, if you would please, to 2 Chronicles chapter 12 and also James chapter 1. And we're going to continue our study on heart preparation. And may I remind you today we're on the fifth message of heart preparation. I am going to take a few moments to review. But let's begin by reading 2 Chronicles chapter 12 and verse 14. This is where we started, and he, that is King Rehoboam, did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. And then if you will turn to the book of James chapter 1 beginning with verse 16, James writes, Do not err, my beloved brethren.

[John Weaver] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, With whom is no bearableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first roots of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. 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.

[John Weaver] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what man or man he was. But whoso looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deeds. If any man among you seem to be religious and prideful of not his tongue, but deceive with his own heart, this man's religion is in vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

[John Weaver] Now let me take just a few moments to review and let me just, this thought came to my mind, explain to you, first of all, why I review. I learned a long time ago that if you could see the connection between what precedes and what follows, it's a whole lot easier tied together. When I was in college, I went to school full-time and I worked full-time. I had very little time to study.

[John Weaver] So, what I tried to do was always get to class at least five minutes early if possible. I would sit down, I would review all of my notes and especially everything that had been going over that week and particularly what had been going over the day before. I would have that fresh in my mind so when the instructor taught, I could tie together what he taught yesterday with what he's teaching today. And once you begin to see the whole picture and see how it ties together, it's a whole lot easier to assimilate. So that's why I Always try to review.

[John Weaver] Remember now, first of all, the very first message we looked at was the importance of heart preparation. And the importance of heart preparation really boils down to this. If our hearts are not prepared, we're going to do evil. The Bible says that Rehoboam did evil. Why? Because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. So unprepared hearts are hearts that are bent on evil very clearly. Secondly, I dealt with how do I prepare my heart?

[John Weaver] And I gave you three actual steps. There must be first of all realization, that is that God alone is the one who has the ability to prepare our hearts. There is determination where we realize that we have a responsibility and we determine to fulfill that responsibility by seeking Him. And then thirdly, actualization. That is where we actually do that and apply the truths of God to our hearts. So, the three steps in heart preparation are realization, determination, and actualization. And then we move to James chapter 1 because The last two messages have really dealt with this principle, preparing your heart to receive the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just very quickly review so I can tie together today's message with what has preceded. First of all, if you look in verse 16, you remember here is an admonition. Do not err, my beloved brethren. In other words, you better make sure that you do not err concerning this truth. So, James is admonishing you, do not be deceived, do not be led astray, do not err in this particular truth. Secondly, in verse 17, there is a declaration. And that declaration is that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variable, is neither shadow turning. And under this point, indicated and showed you from Scripture that it's not just common gifts that God gives us, such as air and health and breath, but it is a special gift of God that He gives us in hearing and understanding the Word of God. You remember He told His disciples, to you it is given, but to them it is not given.

[John Weaver] So very clearly then we have a declaration that everything comes from God. And then thirdly, in verse 18, we have an illustration, and under this illustration, He gives us God's sovereignty, and especially God's sovereignty in salvation. And we saw under this point the sovereign's will, the sovereign's word, the sovereign's work, and of course the sovereign's word. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. And I was emphasizing under this point how everything depends upon the will of God. I've pointed out to you that God was under no duress He was under no coercion.

[John Weaver] He was under no pressure to create, to redeem, or to save. The very fact that God created the world is He chose to create the world. The very fact that He sent Christ, He chose to send Christ. And the very fact that He saves, He chooses to save. Everything hinges upon the will of God. The will of God is the source of all things. That's what the Bible tells us in Psalm 115, verse 3. But our God is in the heavens.

[John Weaver] He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. That is, God is absolutely, totally sovereign. Then last week, we look beginning at verse 19 through verse 21, and I showed you the connection between verses 18 and then 19, 20 and 21. And the connection was simply this, as God is absolutely sovereign in salvation and is under no obligation to save. So God is equally sovereign in illumination and is under no obligation to teach or to enlighten or to show. Whenever God does move, whenever God does teach, we must be prepared. That is why he says in verse 19, wherefore, and remember wherefore is a conclusion, it is based upon what precedes, wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, and here's why, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. So whenever God speaks, we better be swift to hear, slow to speak, Don't interrupt God. Let him speak and slow to wrath. Don't get angry at what he says, because if we do, we must understand the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.

[John Weaver] And then the next application is found in verse 21. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. So God then tells us we have a responsibility. Not only be swift to hear, but we have a responsibility with meekness to lay apart any and everything that in our lives are contrary to God and His Word and receive that Word with meekness.

[John Weaver] Now, in light of all the explanation that I've given you last week, there is still a connection that must be seen and a question that still must be answered. So let's ask this question, how do I know if my heart is prepared? Or let me ask it another way. How do I know that I have received the engrafted Word with meekness? How do I know that I've laid apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and really, really responded to the Word of God as the wholehearted hearer responded? Well, the answer to that is given to us in verses 22 through 27. I've got one point today. It's the fifth point in this outline. And that is an exhortation and an explanation. So we're going to see in verses 22 through 27 an exhortation and an explanation.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in verse 22, he says, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Now, the old Puritan Thomas Manton, and I must admit, I love the way the old Puritans talked and the way they wrote. But the old Puritan, Thomas Manton, said this concerning verse 22. He says, this verse catcheth upon the heel of the former. In other words, you better get ready. So there's a connection just like it was Jacob who grabbed, was it Esau by the heel? And so this verse then grabs the former by the heel as well. This section is certainly connected to the other truths we've already exhorted. So here we are exhorted to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Now, the word doer is a very interesting word.

[John Weaver] The Greek word is poientes, which refers to a maker, a producer, an author, a poet, poientes, or one who obeys the law. In other words, a doer is someone who does something. So he says, be you a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. Now, in the context of verse 22, the doer is the one who not only hears the Word of God, but he embraces and receives that Word and testifies to it by his life that he is really believed and really received.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just give you, you don't have to turn to these passages, but let me just give you what our Lord is saying. Do you remember Luke 11 in verse 28? He said this, blessed are those who hear God's word and keep it. There's more than just simply audible hearing. He said, Blessed are those who hear God's Word and keep it. And then our Lord said this in Matthew 7 and verse 24, Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a man who built his house upon a rock. But notice what He said, Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and what? Doeth them. You remember the man who heard and did not. was the man who built his house upon the sand. But the man who hears and does is the man who builds his house upon the rock. And it's almost like the question our Lord asked in Luke 6 and verse 46 when he said, Why call ye me, Lord, Lord?

[John Weaver] I do not the things which I say unto you. In other words, if I'm truly, genuinely your Lord, you will evidence that by obedience.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you what James is telling us. James is telling us that we must not content ourselves simply with the hearing of the Word of God, even if we are sure that the preacher is faithful in his exposition of the Word of God. I'm going to tell you it is indeed a matter of rejoicing to have the Word of God faithfully preached and expounded. You should indeed be thankful for that. But there is more than just having the Word of God faithfully preached and expounded. It must be made a part of our lives by application, implementation, and by habitual practicing of the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, in this passage, if you will look back in verse 22, he says, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. The doer is here contrasted with the hearer.

[John Weaver] Now listen to what I'm about to say. The hearer may hear faithfully, regularly, intently, and carefully, but it does him absolutely no good if all he does is hear it. There must be an application and an implementation of the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm going to come back to James 1, but I do want you to hold that passage and turn, if you would please, to Mark 4. Now, you remember in the previous messages, I've gone over this passage, the parable of the sower. You remember I told you that parable is found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. And let me just take the time to remind you that our Lord spoke of four types of hearers. I'm not going to re-preach the message, but he talked about the wayside hearer, who is a hard-hearted hearer. He talked about the stony ground hearer, who is a shallow-hearted hearer. He talked about the thorny ground hearer, who is the half-hearted hearer. And then finally he talked about the good ground hearer, who was the wholehearted hearer. And it was the good ground hearer, the wholehearted hearer, was the only one who brought forth fruit. In fact, Luke 8 and verse 15 says that he received the Word in a good and honest heart. So it was the good ground hearer who only was a doer of the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, the others were hearers, but they were not doers. Now if you look in Mark chapter 4 and verse 24, in fact we'll begin with verse 23, our Lord is giving us some applications based upon the parable of the sower. In verse 23 he says this, if any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

[John Weaver] Now all he's telling us is simply this, if we have ears, if we have the ability to hear, then we are obligated and we're responsible as well as commanded to hear the Word of God. If God has given you the ability to hear, you are obligated, you're responsible as well as commanded to hear the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, look in verse 24. And He said unto them, Take heed what you hear. With what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you, And unto you that hear shall more be given." Now let's stop there. And he said, take heed what you hear. So you have a responsibility to make sure that whatever you're hearing is indeed the Word of God. Okay? Take heed what you hear. Watch verse 24 again. Take heed what you hear. And then he says, with what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you the principle that our Lord is enunciating. If I read it just a little differently, I think you'll understand it. He said, with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you. So here's the principle. Our Lord says to the same degree or to the same measure that you give to understanding the Word of God, to studying the Word of God, to that same degree, to that same measure, God's going to measure truth back to you. Now let me put it where we can understand it. Here's what God is saying. You're not going to study your Bible 10 minutes and get an hour's worth of knowledge. You're not going to study your Bible an hour and get 24 hours worth of knowledge. No. God said He's going to measure truth back to you to the same measure that you give in seeking the truth.

[John Weaver] So what does that mean? That means if you want to read your Bible, Five minutes a week. That's all you're going to get five minutes worth of truth if you get that much. Depends on how you read the Bible. OK, now watch this. Then he makes an astounding statement in verse 24 in the latter part. Then he says, and unto you that hear shall more be given. And unto you that hear shall more be given.

[John Weaver] Now, before I tell you, you must recall that there are basically two essential ways to hear the Word of God. The first way you hear the Word of God is just audibly. Everyone in this room who has the ability to hear is hearing the Word of God audibly. But the second way that you hear the Word of God is internally and spiritually. It is only the internal and spiritual hearing that moves us to obey, that moves us to heed the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, without you turning there, I'm just going to remind you of 1 Samuel chapter 15. Do you remember that passage where God sent Saul to slay the Amalekites? Do you remember Saul spared Agag the king and the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen. And when Samuel came, it was Saul who said, Blessed be thou of the Lord. I performed all the commandments of God.

[John Weaver] And about that time, something went baa, moo. And Samuel said, If you've obeyed God, what meaneth the blading of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the cattle? In other words, if you'd obeyed God, everything would be dead. And what did Saul say? Saul said, The people spared them. that may I sacrifice them to God. And then Samuel came with this tremendous truth. Listen. In 1 Samuel 15 and verse 22, Samuel asked this question.

[John Weaver] Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Now listen. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. And to hearken is better than the fat of rams. I want you to note that in 1 Samuel 15, verse 22, hearkening and obeying are synonymous. They're one and the same. That is why I told you no one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God. No one ever really hears it until he heeds it. When he says, behold, In verse 22, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams. The fat of rams was the cheapest part of the sacrifice, which was always given to God. So it says hearkening and obedience are basically one and the same.

[John Weaver] Now, why am I emphasizing this? Let me tell you why. Because it is the doing of the Word of God that makes it uniquely our own. That is why James said, be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only. It is the doing, it is the implementing, it is the applying, it is the practicing of the Word of God that makes it our own. Hobie has been learning Greek.

[John Weaver] And we've been on Lua. Any Greek student knows Lua. Any Greek student knows the alphabet, Greek alphabet. And you have to know it instantaneously. I told Hobie, I said, you've got to be where you can say this thing in your sleep, alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and just spit it out. You've got to be able to say Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua,

[John Weaver] L Have it like that in your life. It is not yours. That is the same thing with the Word of God. It is where it becomes part of us that we can spit it out and we do it naturally and normally. Why? Because it is in us. It is doing the Word of God that makes it uniquely ours.

[John Weaver] Now look at verse 24 again. He said, in the latter part, and to you that hear shall more be given. Watch verse 25. For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. How many of you have ever memorized the Greek alphabet? Anybody in here? Besides Toby. Alright. Henry. Henry, can you still say it? Slowly.

[John Weaver] Well, you left out one or two, but that was pretty good. That was pretty good. But you understand what I'm saying. But if you took a few minutes and went over that several times, you could spit it out just like that. You follow what I'm saying? If you don't have it, yeah, he gets the lollipop. Thank you, Lolly. He gets the sucker. He won. If you don't have it in you, you can't spit it out.

[John Weaver] And if you learned it 20 years ago and have never used it, guess what? You still will not be able to say it. Why? If you don't use the truth, you lose the truth.

[John Weaver] Now look what he said in verse 25. For he that hath to him shall be given, and he that hath not from him shall be taken, even that which he hath.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something, folks. I could take my right hand and reach down and pick up a 50-pound barbell or a 100-pound barbell and take it and curl it and even stick it over my head. Guess what? You could then take my right arm, tie it to my chest for three months and then untie it at the end of three months. And you think I can pick up that 50-pound barbell and put it over my head? No. Why? I've lost the strength in this arm.

[John Weaver] If you don't use it, you lose it. And it's the same principle right here. And what God is saying is this. If you do not make the Word of God uniquely yours, if you do not implement it, if you do not apply it, inevitably, it's going to be taken from you. It's going to fall by the wayside.

[John Weaver] Now, look what our Lord said. Our Lord said, and unto you that hear shall more be given. Do you realize this is the main reason most professing Christians never, ever grow in grace and knowledge? Let me ask you, think about this. Why in the world should God ever give you more truth if you're not going to obey the truth that He's already given you? And to you that hear, that is to you that hearken, to you that obey, shall more be given. But if you don't obey, from you shall be taken even that which you seemeth to have." You don't really have it if you do not implement it in your life.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look back in your Bible at James 1 and verse 22, he says, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. deceiving your own selves. The interesting thing is this. God is saying that the man who only hears, but does not do, is only deceiving himself. The Greek word for deceive here is paralogizomai, which means, listen, to beguile, to deceive, to reckon wrongly, to miscount, to cheat by false reckoning, to deceive by false reasoning. What is our Lord saying? The man who only hears the Word of God, listen, no matter how intently, no matter how carefully, no matter how regularly hears, but if he does not do, if he does not apply, he is only deceiving himself. He's not deceiving God. He's not deceiving the other saints. No, he's the one that's being deceived. He is not obeying the word of God. And he's thinking that hearing only is sufficient. So he's falsely reckoning and he's falsely reasoning. And thus he's cheating himself. Now, let me show you how James explains the difference.

[John Weaver] Look in verses 22 and 23. After he said in verse 22, 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. Let's go into verse 24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. Now, let me ask you, This question, why do you look into a mirror? Let me answer it. Is it not to check and see if you look presentable? It could also be that there's a blemish on your face and you need to cover it or medicate it. You look into a mirror to see and to ascertain what, if anything, needs correcting. You want to see yourself as others see you.

[John Weaver] Listen, what good does it do you to wake up in the morning, look into a mirror, if you never shave, you never comb your hair, you never brush your teeth, you never blow your nose, you never put on makeup, you just look and turn around and walk off. What good has it done you to look into a mirror? The answer is absolutely none. Why? Because you look and you walk out without ever correcting one thing.

[John Weaver] In essence, you will have forgotten that you need help and that you need it desperately. Someone asked Dr. Bob Jones one time, should women wear makeup? He said, well, I think any old barn looks better with a new coat of paint. I'm not advocating it, but you understand. Why in the world would you look up and say, ah, there's a pimple on my face, and I need to put some medicine on it, or I need to cover it. Why would you even look if you're not going to do anything about it?

[John Weaver] Let me ask it like this. What is the purpose of looking into the mirror of the Word of God? Is it not to see all of our blemishes, our cuts, our bruises, our abrasions, our scratches, our ugliness, our sins, our lack of conformity to the Word of God? Is it not to look and see what we need to correct and medicate and take care of in order that we might be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ?

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you one verse, whole James 1. But look in your Bibles to Romans 8 and verse 29, and I want to show you the will of God for every child of God. I don't care who you are. I don't care where you are. This is the will of God for every child of God. It's part and parcel of it. I'm not telling you that God's calling you to preach. I'm not telling you that God's calling you to be an engineer. I'm just showing you this is God's will for every child of God. Romans 8 verse 29, for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate, what?

[John Weaver] To be conformed to the image of His Son. God desires that every one of us become more and more like Jesus Christ. We're to become more obedient in our lives. We're to become more holy, more godly, more honoring the Father. This is the will of God. Now, we know that in eternity we shall be perfectly like Him. But the question has to be asked, how do we become like Him now in time and in history?

[John Weaver] Well, the Bible has the answer. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and look at verse 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18. Here's how we become like Him now in time and in history. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 18. The Apostle Paul writes, But we all, that is all of us Christians, with open face, beholding as in a glass or as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Now what is Paul saying? Paul is saying as we look into the mirror of the Word of God, And we see the perfection of Jesus Christ. And we see the grace and the glory of Jesus Christ as we behold that in the mirror of His Word. and we see our own deficiencies and our own sins and our own faults and our own failings, we come to Him in the Word and say, Lord, change us, make us holy, make us godly. And He says, as we implement that by the power of the Spirit of God, we are changed from glory unto glory.

[John Weaver] In other words, we grow in grace as we bring our lives to the Word of God and we see what is lacking, we see where we are failing, and we change it. Now let me ask you a question, just for practicality. If you wake up in the morning, and you've got five big pimples on your face, and you look in the mirror, maybe one's just starting, the second one's, you know, a little bigger, the third, fourth, and fifth one's headed out. Are you going to be able to correct all of those pimples at one time? Are you? What's the answer? No. What you ought to do is take the worst one and work on it and then try to stop the others from developing. You follow me?

[John Weaver] All I'm trying to show you is you can sit back and say, well, Brother Weaver, there's so many things wrong in my life. Man, well, hey, you just look in the Word and you start working on the worst thing that you have. And then when you see that you're becoming a little more unscriptural in some other areas, you try to stop that and prevent it from becoming a full-blown pimple. Do you follow me? That's what he's saying. As you continue to look, and I'll point that out in just a moment, you are changed or are to be changed from glory to glory. So it is by His Word, are you listening, through the power of the Holy Spirit that we're to be constantly and continually changed into greater and greater conformity to Jesus Christ. We should never be content with just hearing the truth. We must make the truth ours with an experimental application. We must implement that truth. We must experience the transforming power of the Gospel and the transforming power of the Word of God.

[John Weaver] There is a verse in 1 John 4 and verse 17 that we need to hear. In fact, turn there. I can quote it, but I want you to see it. Look in 1 John 4 and verse 17. 1 John 4, verse 17. Here is our goal. 1 John 4, verse 17. Look carefully. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Boy, wait a minute.

[John Weaver] Stop and think about that. Boldness in the day of judgment. The day of judgment is coming. Hear my Lord, I'm ready. Judge me first. How many of you want to be judged first? What would give us boldness in the day of judgment? Here it is. Because as He is, so are we in this world. What? Yeah, we lived as He lived. Oh, we're not going to be perfect the way He is. I understand that. But our lives have been constantly and continually changed and brought in greater and greater conformity to Christ, it will give us boldness in the day of judgment. Why? Because we're living the way He lived.

[John Weaver] Now, looking into a mirror and forgetting straightway is an apt description of someone who hears the Word of God, but he does not apply it and he does not obey it. I've known people in the ministry, unsaved people, who will come and hear the Word of God preached. I've seen them weep. I've seen them tremble. I've seen them shake. And yet they go out, get involved in their sins again, and totally and completely forget whatever happened under the preaching of the Word of God.

[John Weaver] You know, a lot of Christians are like that. I'm absolutely amazed at the number of Christians who will hear the Word of God and they know that things are not right in their lives. They think about their sins. They think about turning from their sins. They wish to live right. And then after the preaching is over, after the service is over, they go and straightway forget everything they heard. What have they done?

[John Weaver] They looked in the mirror. and forgotten they have pimples, uncombed hair, unbrushed teeth, no makeup. They've totally forgotten everything.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to notice how James confirms this interpretation. Go back in your Bibles to the book of James. I'm keeping on this passage because it's a very important passage. Verse 22. He says, 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 likened to a man beholding his natural face in a glass or mirror. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way in a straight way, forgetteth what man or man he was. Now that is the hearer. Watch the doer. Verse 25. But whoso looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, This man shall be blessed in his deed. Wow. Now, James 1 in verse 25 confirms the interpretation that I've just given you from verses 22 through 24. He said, But whosoever looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continue therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look. at verse 25, at the word looketh. You see that word? But who so looketh? The word looketh is a special word. It is parakupto of the Greek, and it really means more than just to look. You would have to know the word. Here's what it literally means. It means to stoop to a thing to look at it. It means to look with the head bowed forward, to look with the body bent, or to stoop down and look into.

[John Weaver] What does that remind you of? If you would go back and look with verse 21. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with what? With meekness. With meekness.

[John Weaver] Now, the word looked means to stoop down or to bow the head. In other words, God is demanding meekness and humility as well as a teachable spirit as we look into the Word of God. You remember I've quoted this passage to you several times, but James 4 and verse 10, the Bible says, humble yourselves in the sight of God and the Lord shall lift you up. In 1 Peter 5 and verse 6, Peter says a little differently, but the same thing, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. So what God is saying is this, are you listening? God does not place His best gifts on the highest shelf so that as we grow taller and grow in grace, we can reach up and get those best things. No, no, no. God says, I put my best on the bottom. Or you have to humble yourself and reach down to get it. So you have to stoop to look into the Word of God.

[John Weaver] That is, you lay aside your arrogance, your pride, your haughtiness, your headiness, your high-mindedness, your know-it-all attitude. You have to come with meekness.

[John Weaver] Now, look what James says, But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein. Ah, let me tell you. The doer of the word is the man who not only stoops down and looks into, but he continues therein. That is, he continues looking into the word of God. Are you listening? Until he has it. And it has him. Until he has it. And it has him.

[John Weaver] In other words, He does not and will not forget. He applies and he obeys.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note in this passage that God's law is here called the perfect law of liberty. This does not just simply refer to what you and I would call the Old Testament or the Mosaic law. It refers to the totality of the Word of God. In fact, in Romans 3 and verse 27, Paul refers to the gospel as the law of faith. Now, the law, God's Word, is our perfect standard. You remember the Bible in Psalm 19 in verse 7 says, the law of the Lord is what? Perfect.

[John Weaver] Converting the soul, making wise the simple. It's called the perfect law of liberty. It is our perfect standard of conduct. And, I might add, it is called the law of liberty because it frees us from our sin and our lusts and our evil passions that we might obey God and be holy and godly.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. How do I know whether I am a hearer of the Word of God or a doer of the Word of God? Wow. How do I know whether I am just a hearer of the Word of God or if I'm a doer of the Word of God?

[John Weaver] Now listen, that question may properly be answered by asking other questions. Are you listening? Here is how I can tell the difference as to whether or not I'm a doer or a hearer. Do I constantly and continually add to my life or am I simply one of those who are forever learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth? Am I obedient? Do I incorporate in my life the teaching of the Word of God? Do I implement the truths of God? Do I practice the things of God? Do I think about the Word of God and how it should affect my life? In case we have not quite caught on to what James is teaching, James gives us a wonderful illustration between a hearer and a doer.

[John Weaver] I want you to look at what he says. Verse 26, If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain. Wow! By the way, He says in verse 26, look at the word, if any man among you seem, seem. The interesting thing is the word seem is the Greek word dokeo, which merely means to appear. Or for one to suppose or to account, so if someone appears to be religious or he's accounted or he's supposed to be a religious man, But God says he bridleth not his own tongue, that man's religion is in vain. In other words, he's a hypocrite. His worship, his religion is worthless. And the evidence that it is worthless is he can't control his own tongue. Now.

[John Weaver] Let me just kind of explain that. And I'm not going to go to James Chapter 3 where there's a lot in that passage concerning the tongue. There's a lot throughout the Bible concerning the tongue. But here's what God is saying. The hypocrite. May have heard the teaching. About the tongue. He may have heard James 3 expounded, but it didn't change anything in his life. He continues to use his tongue to walk through heavens and to say ungodly and wicked and unchristian things. The hypocrite does not bridle his tongue. His tongue is used in an unbiblical and ungodly manner.

[John Weaver] He boasts of his works. He speaks ill of his brethren. He backbites them. He hurts their names and characters by private insinuations and public charges without any foundation. In other words, he uses his tongue with liberty. He just says things regardless of who it hurts or whether it's true or not. He has no control over his tongue. What is God saying? He's refusing to act scripturally and biblically in that area. There are a multitude of areas in which God demands that we act biblically and scripturally. That is just simply one of them.

[John Weaver] There are times that we must pay special attention to our tongues. You know what David said in Psalm 39 and verse 1? Listen to what he said. I said I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue, I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me." David said, I want to make sure I don't sin with my tongue. And by the way, I hope you understand you can sin a whole lot more with your tongue without outright lying, without outright cussing.

[John Weaver] All you've got to do is insinuate. All you've got to do is flatter yourself. One of the problems with so many people is they think that the way they elevate themselves is by attacking someone else and cutting them down. David said, I'm going to watch my tongue at all times, but I'm especially going to watch it when the wicked is in front of me. You know, God gave us a promise in Psalm 32.

[John Weaver] I want to just read to you verses 8 and 9. I don't want you to listen to what God says. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go. Whoa, stop and think about that promise. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye. And then the next verse is this.

[John Weaver] Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, who have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto you." Now, what has God just said? God said, if you will listen to me, I will instruct you. I will teach you. I will guide you. But if you don't listen to me, said God, I can put a bit and bridle in your mouth. If you don't act dumb. I know how to control you when you're acting dumb. But God said I'd rather just teach you. I'd rather just instruct you. I'd rather just guide you. Don't act stupid. Don't make me put a bit and bridle in your mouth. That's what God is saying. Why would you put a bitten bridle on a horse? To restrain him. Why would you put a bitten bridle on an ox? To restrain him. And God is just simply saying, the hearer only is one who shows no biblical restraint. He just says what he wants to say. He does what he wants to do.

[John Weaver] So the hearer then, is one over whom the Word of God really has not had an effect. He may have heard it, but he's not implemented it. He's not applied it. And then if you look in verse 27, this verse applies to the doer of the Word. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world. Now, what does the doer recognize that the hearer does? First of all, the doer recognizes that all things are to be done before God and for God's honor and God's glory.

[John Weaver] Secondly, the doer is willing to apply God's law by showing mercy and compassion to those who are around him. He's willing to help the widow. He's willing to help the orphans. He's willing to do whatever needs to be done. And thirdly, the doer is willing to live a holy, godly life. He keeps himself unspotted from the world.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you one last verse. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 4. If there was nothing else that would encourage you to apply the Word of God, if there was nothing else to encourage you to make the correct applications in your life, this should do it. This should motivate you to holiness, to godliness, to obedience, In fact, let's read the first three verses. David said in Psalm 4, Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness.

[John Weaver] Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer. So he's asking for mercy. And then David talks about the ungodly. He says, Oh, you sons of men, how long would you turn my glory into shame? That is God's glory. How long would you love vanity, idolatry and seek after leasing? And leasing is the word for lying. And then David makes this astounding statement.

[John Weaver] But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself. The Lord will hear what I call upon him. Did you hear that? But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself. Are you listening? I said it is doing the Word of God that makes it uniquely ours. And as we obey and conform our lives to Jesus Christ, God in His grace makes us uniquely His. But know that the Lord has set apart Him that is godly for Himself. How do I know whether or not I'm a hearer or a doer? My obedience or my disobedience demonstrates whether or not I'm a hearer or the doer of the Word of God. Your obedience or your disobedience demonstrates whether or not you are a doer or a hearer only. We must prepare our hearts, said James, to receive the Word of God. We must understand that God is sovereign in illumination. We must be swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to rap. We must lay aside all superfluity of naughtiness and all filthiness and receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save our souls.

[John Weaver] And the way that we know that we really genuinely receive the Word of God is we become a doer of that Word. And not just someone that says, yeah, I heard that. Yeah, I know that. No, we do it. It becomes ours. We grab a hold of it. And it grabs a hold of us. And we bring our lives in conformity to Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ today that you would indeed help us to have prepared hearts, prepared hearts to receive the Word. We pray and ask for enlightenment, but Lord, enlightenment comes from Thee and through Thy Word. We pray for understanding, that You would open our understanding, that You would give us truth and enable us to see truth. Enable us, Lord, to be more godly. Enable us to apply the Word of God. And above all, to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That we may know for surely that God has set apart those who are godly for himself. Make us uniquely yours by enabling us to make the Word of God uniquely ours.

[John Weaver] May it grab us and may we grab it and live by it. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

Heart Preparation - 5 of 7

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	21107164739
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2006-11-26
Dictation Name
Book	Book 162: Heart Preparation — Chapter 5
Source Timed Segments	80

Formatted Transcript

Review of Previous Messages

Weaver reviews the series: the importance of heart preparation (Rehoboam did evil because he prepared not his heart), the three steps (realization, determination, actualization), and the need to prepare to receive the Word (James 1:16–21).

We are thankful that you're here, and we do want you to open your Bibles again today, if you would please, to 2 Chronicles chapter 12 and also James chapter 1. And we're going to continue our study on heart preparation. And may I remind you today we're on the fifth message of heart preparation. I am going to take a few moments to review. But let's begin by reading 2 Chronicles chapter 12 and verse 14. This is where we started, and he, that is King Rehoboam, did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. And then if you will turn to the book of James chapter 1 beginning with verse 16, James writes, Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. 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. But whoso looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deeds. If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Now let me take just a few moments to review and let me just, this thought came to my mind, explain to you, first of all, why I review. I learned a long time ago that if you could see the connection between what precedes and what follows, it's a whole lot easier tied together. When I was in college, I went to school full-time and I worked full-time. I had very little time to study.

So, what I tried to do was always get to class at least five minutes early if possible. I would sit down, I would review all of my notes and especially everything that had been going over that week and particularly what had been going over the day before. I would have that fresh in my mind so when the instructor taught, I could tie together what he taught yesterday with what he's teaching today. And once you begin to see the whole picture and see how it ties together, it's a whole lot easier to assimilate. So that's why I always try to review. Remember now, first of all, the very first message we looked at was the importance of heart preparation. And the importance of heart preparation really boils down to this. If our hearts are not prepared, we're going to do evil. The Bible says that Rehoboam did evil. Why? Because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. So unprepared hearts are hearts that are bent on evil very clearly. Secondly, I dealt with how do I prepare my heart?

And I gave you three actual steps. There must be first of all realization, that is that God alone is the one who has the ability to prepare our hearts. There is determination where we realize that we have a responsibility and we determine to fulfill that responsibility by seeking Him. And then thirdly, actualization. That is where we actually do that and apply the truths of God to our hearts. So, the three steps in heart preparation are realization, determination, and actualization. And then we move to James chapter 1 because the last two messages have really dealt with this principle, preparing your heart to receive the Word of God.

Now, let me just very quickly review so I can tie together today's message with what has preceded. First of all, if you look in verse 16, you remember here is an admonition. "Do not err, my beloved brethren." In other words, you better make sure that you do not err concerning this truth. So, James is admonishing you, do not be deceived, do not be led astray, do not err in this particular truth. Secondly, in verse 17, there is a declaration. And that declaration is that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. And under this point, I indicated and showed you from Scripture that it's not just common gifts that God gives us, such as air and health and breath, but it is a special gift of God that He gives us in hearing and understanding the Word of God. You remember He told His disciples, "To you it is given, but to them it is not given."

So very clearly then we have a declaration that everything comes from God. And then thirdly, in verse 18, we have an illustration, and under this illustration, He gives us God's sovereignty, and especially God's sovereignty in salvation. And we saw under this point the sovereign's will, the sovereign's word, the sovereign's work, and of course the sovereign's word. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." And I was emphasizing under this point how everything depends upon the will of God. I've pointed out to you that God was under no duress. He was under no coercion. He was under no pressure to create, to redeem, or to save. The very fact that God created the world is He chose to create the world. The very fact that He sent Christ, He chose to send Christ. And the very fact that He saves, He chooses to save. Everything hinges upon the will of God. The will of God is the source of all things. That's what the Bible tells us in Psalm 115, verse 3:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 115:3

"But our God is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

That is, God is absolutely, totally sovereign.

Then last week, we looked beginning at verse 19 through verse 21, and I showed you the connection between verses 18 and then 19, 20 and 21. And the connection was simply this: as God is absolutely sovereign in salvation and is under no obligation to save, so God is equally sovereign in illumination and is under no obligation to teach or to enlighten or to show. Whenever God does move, whenever God does teach, we must be prepared. That is why he says in verse 19, "Wherefore"—and remember "wherefore" is a conclusion, it is based upon what precedes—"wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." So whenever God speaks, we better be swift to hear, slow to speak. Don't interrupt God. Let him speak and slow to wrath. Don't get angry at what he says, because if we do, we must understand the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.

And then the next application is found in verse 21: "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." So God then tells us we have a responsibility. Not only be swift to hear, but we have a responsibility with meekness to lay apart any and everything that in our lives are contrary to God and His Word and receive that Word with meekness. Now, in light of all the explanation that I've given you last week, there is still a connection that must be seen and a question that still must be answered. So let's ask this question: How do I know if my heart is prepared? Or let me ask it another way. How do I know that I have received the engrafted Word with meekness? How do I know that I've laid apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and really, really responded to the Word of God as the wholehearted hearer responded? Well, the answer to that is given to us in verses 22 through 27. I've got one point today. It's the fifth point in this outline. And that is an exhortation and an explanation. So we're going to see in verses 22 through 27 an exhortation and an explanation.

The Exhortation to Be Doers

James 1:22 commands believers to be doers of the Word, not hearers only, lest they deceive themselves. The Greek word for doer (poietes) implies a maker or one who obeys.

Now, if you look in verse 22, he says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Now, the old Puritan Thomas Manton, and I must admit, I love the way the old Puritans talked and the way they wrote. But the old Puritan, Thomas Manton, said this concerning verse 22. He says, "This verse catcheth upon the heel of the former." In other words, you better get ready. So there's a connection just like it was Jacob who grabbed, was it Esau by the heel? And so this verse then grabs the former by the heel as well. This section is certainly connected to the other truths we've already exhorted. So here we are exhorted to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Now, the word "doer" is a very interesting word.

Scripture Reading — Luke 11:28

The Greek word is poietes, which refers to a maker, a producer, an author, a poet, poietes, or one who obeys the law. In other words, a doer is someone who does something. So he says, "Be you a doer of the Word and not a hearer only." Now, in the context of verse 22, the doer is the one who not only hears the Word of God, but he embraces and receives that Word and testifies to it by his life that he has really believed and really received. Now, let me just give you—you don't have to turn to these passages—but let me just give you what our Lord is saying. Do you remember Luke 11 and verse 28? He said this, "Blessed are those who hear God's word and keep it." There's more than just simply audible hearing. He said, "Blessed are those who hear God's Word and keep it." And then our Lord said this in Matthew 7 and verse 24, "Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a man who built his house upon a rock." But notice what He said, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and what? Doeth them." You remember the man who heard and did not was the man who built his house upon the sand. But the man who hears and does is the man who builds his house upon the rock. And it's almost like the question our Lord asked in Luke 6 and verse 46 when he said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord?"

"I do not the things which I say unto you." In other words, if I'm truly, genuinely your Lord, you will evidence that by obedience.

The Contrast Between Hearer and Doer

The hearer may listen intently but gains nothing without application. The doer is like the good-ground hearer in the parable of the sower who bears fruit.

Now, in this passage, if you will look back in verse 22, he says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." The doer is here contrasted with the hearer. Now listen to what I'm about to say. The hearer may hear faithfully, regularly, intently, and carefully, but it does him absolutely no good if all he does is hear it. There must be an application and an implementation of the Word of God.

Now, I'm going to come back to James 1, but I do want you to hold that passage and turn, if you would please, to Mark 4. Now, you remember in the previous messages, I've gone over this passage, the parable of the sower. You remember I told you that parable is found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. And let me just take the time to remind you that our Lord spoke of four types of hearers. I'm not going to re-preach the message, but he talked about the wayside hearer, who is a hard-hearted hearer. He talked about the stony ground hearer, who is a shallow-hearted hearer. He talked about the thorny ground hearer, who is the half-hearted hearer. And then finally he talked about the good ground hearer, who was the wholehearted hearer. And it was the good ground hearer, the wholehearted hearer, was the only one who brought forth fruit. In fact, Luke 8 and verse 15 says that he received the Word in a good and honest heart. So it was the good ground hearer who only was a doer of the Word of God.

Now, the others were hearers, but they were not doers. Now if you look in Mark chapter 4 and verse 24, in fact we'll begin with verse 23, our Lord is giving us some applications based upon the parable of the sower. In verse 23 he says this, "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

The Principle of Measure in Hearing

From Mark 4:24, God measures truth back to us according to the measure we give in seeking it. To those who hear (obey), more is given; to those who do not, even what they seem to have is taken.

Now all he's telling us is simply this, if we have ears, if we have the ability to hear, then we are obligated and we're responsible as well as commanded to hear the Word of God. If God has given you the ability to hear, you are obligated, you're responsible as well as commanded to hear the Word of God. Now, look in verse 24. "And He said unto them, Take heed what you hear. With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you, and unto you that hear shall more be given." Now let's stop there. And he said, "Take heed what you hear." So you have a responsibility to make sure that whatever you're hearing is indeed the Word of God. Okay? Take heed what you hear. Watch verse 24 again. "Take heed what you hear." And then he says, "With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you."

Now let me tell you the principle that our Lord is enunciating. If I read it just a little differently, I think you'll understand it. He said, "With what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you." So here's the principle. Our Lord says to the same degree or to the same measure that you give to understanding the Word of God, to studying the Word of God, to that same degree, to that same measure, God's going to measure truth back to you. Now let me put it where we can understand it. Here's what God is saying. You're not going to study your Bible 10 minutes and get an hour's worth of knowledge. You're not going to study your Bible an hour and get 24 hours worth of knowledge. No. God said He's going to measure truth back to you to the same measure that you give in seeking the truth.

So what does that mean? That means if you want to read your Bible five minutes a week, that's all you're going to get—five minutes worth of truth, if you get that much. Depends on how you read the Bible. OK, now watch this. Then he makes an astounding statement in verse 24 in the latter part. Then he says, "And unto you that hear shall more be given." And unto you that hear shall more be given.

Now, before I tell you, you must recall that there are basically two essential ways to hear the Word of God. The first way you hear the Word of God is just audibly. Everyone in this room who has the ability to hear is hearing the Word of God audibly. But the second way that you hear the Word of God is internally and spiritually. It is only the internal and spiritual hearing that moves us to obey, that moves us to heed the Word of God.

Now, without you turning there, I'm just going to remind you of 1 Samuel chapter 15. Do you remember that passage where God sent Saul to slay the Amalekites? Do you remember Saul spared Agag the king and the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen? And when Samuel came, it was Saul who said, "Blessed be thou of the Lord. I performed all the commandments of God." And about that time, something went baa, moo. And Samuel said, "If you've obeyed God, what meaneth the bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the cattle?" In other words, if you'd obeyed God, everything would be dead. And what did Saul say? Saul said, "The people spared them, that I may sacrifice them to God." And then Samuel came with this tremendous truth. Listen. In 1 Samuel 15 and verse 22, Samuel asked this question.

"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?" Now listen. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams." I want you to note that in 1 Samuel 15, verse 22, hearkening and obeying are synonymous. They're one and the same. That is why I told you no one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God. No one ever really hears it until he heeds it. When he says, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams"—the fat of rams was the choicest part of the sacrifice, which was always given to God. So it says hearkening and obedience are basically one and the same.

Now, why am I emphasizing this? Let me tell you why. Because it is the doing of the Word of God that makes it uniquely our own. That is why James said, "Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only." It is the doing, it is the implementing, it is the applying, it is the practicing of the Word of God that makes it our own. Toby has been learning Greek. And we've been on luo. Any Greek student knows luo. Any Greek student knows the Greek alphabet. And you have to know it instantaneously. I told Toby, I said, "You've got to be where you can say this thing in your sleep—alpha, beta, gamma, delta—and just spit it out. You've got to be able to say luo, luo, luo..." [repeats luo conjugations]

Have it like that in your life. It is not yours. That is the same thing with the Word of God. It is where it becomes part of us that we can spit it out and we do it naturally and normally. Why? Because it is in us. It is doing the Word of God that makes it uniquely ours.

Now look at verse 24 again. He said, in the latter part, "And to you that hear shall more be given." Watch verse 25. "For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath." How many of you have ever memorized the Greek alphabet? Anybody in here? Besides Toby. Alright. Henry. Henry, can you still say it? Slowly.

Well, you left out one or two, but that was pretty good. That was pretty good. But you understand what I'm saying. But if you took a few minutes and went over that several times, you could spit it out just like that. You follow what I'm saying? If you don't have it, yeah, he gets the lollipop. Thank you, Lolly. He gets the sucker. He won. If you don't have it in you, you can't spit it out.

And if you learned it 20 years ago and have never used it, guess what? You still will not be able to say it. Why? If you don't use the truth, you lose the truth.

Now look what he said in verse 25: "For he that hath, to him shall be given; and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath." Now, let me tell you something, folks. I could take my right hand and reach down and pick up a 50-pound barbell or a 100-pound barbell and take it and curl it and even stick it over my head. Guess what? You could then take my right arm, tie it to my chest for three months and then untie it at the end of three months. And you think I can pick up that 50-pound barbell and put it over my head? No. Why? I've lost the strength in this arm.

If you don't use it, you lose it. And it's the same principle right here. And what God is saying is this: If you do not make the Word of God uniquely yours, if you do not implement it, if you do not apply it, inevitably, it's going to be taken from you. It's going to fall by the wayside.

Now, look what our Lord said. Our Lord said, "And unto you that hear shall more be given." Do you realize this is the main reason most professing Christians never, ever grow in grace and knowledge? Let me ask you, think about this. Why in the world should God ever give you more truth if you're not going to obey the truth that He's already given you? "And to you that hear," that is, to you that hearken, to you that obey, "shall more be given. But if you don't obey, from you shall be taken even that which you seemeth to have." You don't really have it if you do not implement it in your life.

The Mirror Illustration

James 1:23–24 compares the hearer-only to a man who looks in a mirror and immediately forgets his appearance. The Word is a mirror revealing our spiritual blemishes that need correction.

Look in verses 22 and 23. After he said in verse 22, "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." Let's go into verse 24: "For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." Now, let me ask you this question: Why do you look into a mirror? Let me answer it. Is it not to check and see if you look presentable? It could also be that there's a blemish on your face and you need to cover it or medicate it. You look into a mirror to see and to ascertain what, if anything, needs correcting. You want to see yourself as others see you.

Listen, what good does it do you to wake up in the morning, look into a mirror, if you never shave, you never comb your hair, you never brush your teeth, you never blow your nose, you never put on makeup, you just look and turn around and walk off? What good has it done you to look into a mirror? The answer is absolutely none. Why? Because you look and you walk out without ever correcting one thing. In essence, you will have forgotten that you need help and that you need it desperately. Someone asked Dr. Bob Jones one time, should women wear makeup? He said, well, I think any old barn looks better with a new coat of paint. I'm not advocating it, but you understand. Why in the world would you look up and say, ah, there's a pimple on my face, and I need to put some medicine on it, or I need to cover it? Why would you even look if you're not going to do anything about it?

Let me ask it like this. What is the purpose of looking into the mirror of the Word of God? Is it not to see all of our blemishes, our cuts, our bruises, our abrasions, our scratches, our ugliness, our sins, our lack of conformity to the Word of God? Is it not to look and see what we need to correct and medicate and take care of in order that we might be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ?

Now, I want to show you one verse, whole of James 1. But look in your Bibles to Romans 8 and verse 29, and I want to show you the will of God for every child of God. I don't care who you are. I don't care where you are. This is the will of God for every child of God. It's part and parcel of it. I'm not telling you that God's calling you to preach. I'm not telling you that God's calling you to be an engineer. I'm just showing you this is God's will for every child of God. Romans 8 verse 29, for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate, what?

The Doer Who Looks and Continues

James 1:25 describes the doer as one who stoops (parakupto) with meekness into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein, not forgetting but obeying, and is blessed in his doing.

Now, I want you to look at verse 25, at the word "looketh." You see that word? "But whoso looketh?" The word "looketh" is a special word. It is parakupto in the Greek, and it really means more than just to look. You would have to know the word. Here's what it literally means. It means to stoop to a thing to look at it. It means to look with the head bowed forward, to look with the body bent, or to stoop down and look into.

What does that remind you of? If you would go back and look at verse 21. "Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with what? With meekness. With meekness."

Scripture Reading — James 4:10

Now, the word "looketh" means to stoop down or to bow the head. In other words, God is demanding meekness and humility as well as a teachable spirit as we look into the Word of God. You remember I've quoted this passage to you several times, but James 4 and verse 10, the Bible says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of God and the Lord shall lift you up." In 1 Peter 5 and verse 6, Peter says a little differently, but the same thing, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time." So what God is saying is this, are you listening? God does not place His best gifts on the highest shelf so that as we grow taller and grow in grace, we can reach up and get those best things. No, no, no. God says, "I put my best on the bottom." Or you have to humble yourself and reach down to get it. So you have to stoop to look into the Word of God.

That is, you lay aside your arrogance, your pride, your haughtiness, your headiness, your high-mindedness, your know-it-all attitude. You have to come with meekness. Now, look what James says: "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein." Ah, let me tell you. The doer of the word is the man who not only stoops down and looks into, but he continues therein. That is, he continues looking into the word of God. Are you listening? Until he has it. And it has him. Until he has it. And it has him.

Scripture Reading — Romans 3:27

In other words, he does not and will not forget. He applies and he obeys. Now, I want you to note in this passage that God's law is here called the perfect law of liberty. This does not just simply refer to what you and I would call the Old Testament or the Mosaic law. It refers to the totality of the Word of God. In fact, in Romans 3 and verse 27, Paul refers to the gospel as the law of faith. Now, the law, God's Word, is our perfect standard. You remember the Bible in Psalm 19 and verse 7 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect."

Practical Tests of a Doer

James 1:26–27 gives concrete evidence: a doer bridles his tongue, visits the fatherless and widows, and keeps himself unspotted from the world. Failure in these areas reveals vain religion.

I want you to look at what he says. Verse 26: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain." Wow! By the way, he says in verse 26, look at the word "seem." The interesting thing is the word "seem" is the Greek word dokeo, which merely means to appear, or for one to suppose or to account. So if someone appears to be religious, or he's accounted or he's supposed to be a religious man, but God says he bridleth not his own tongue, that man's religion is in vain. In other words, he's a hypocrite. His worship, his religion is worthless. And the evidence that it is worthless is he can't control his own tongue. Now.

Let me just kind of explain that. And I'm not going to go to James chapter 3, where there's a lot in that passage concerning the tongue. There's a lot throughout the Bible concerning the tongue. But here's what God is saying: The hypocrite may have heard the teaching about the tongue. He may have heard James 3 expounded, but it didn't change anything in his life. He continues to use his tongue to walk through heavens and to say ungodly and wicked and unchristian things. The hypocrite does not bridle his tongue. His tongue is used in an unbiblical and ungodly manner.

He boasts of his works. He speaks ill of his brethren. He backbites them. He hurts their names and characters by private insinuations and public charges without any foundation. In other words, he uses his tongue with liberty. He just says things regardless of who it hurts or whether it's true or not. He has no control over his tongue. What is God saying? He's refusing to act scripturally and biblically in that area. There are a multitude of areas in which God demands that we act biblically and scripturally. That is just simply one of them.

There are times that we must pay special attention to our tongues. You know what David said in Psalm 39 and verse 1? Listen to what he said:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 39:1

"I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me."

David said, "I want to make sure I don't sin with my tongue." And by the way, I hope you understand you can sin a whole lot more with your tongue without outright lying, without outright cussing. All you've got to do is insinuate. All you've got to do is flatter yourself. One of the problems with so many people is they think that the way they elevate themselves is by attacking someone else and cutting them down. David said, "I'm going to watch my tongue at all times, but I'm especially going to watch it when the wicked is in front of me." You know, God gave us a promise in Psalm 32.

I want to just read to you verses 8 and 9. I don't want you to listen to what God says. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go." Whoa, stop and think about that promise. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye." And then the next verse is this. "Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, who have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto you." Now, what has God just said? God said, if you will listen to me, I will instruct you. I will teach you. I will guide you. But if you don't listen to me, said God, I can put a bit and bridle in your mouth. If you don't act dumb. I know how to control you when you're acting dumb. But God said I'd rather just teach you. I'd rather just instruct you. I'd rather just guide you. Don't act stupid. Don't make me put a bit and bridle in your mouth. That's what God is saying. Why would you put a bit and bridle on a horse? To restrain him. Why would you put a bit and bridle on an ox? To restrain him. And God is just simply saying, the hearer only is one who shows no biblical restraint. He just says what he wants to say. He does what he wants to do.

So the hearer then, is one over whom the Word of God really has not had an effect. He may have heard it, but he's not implemented it. He's not applied it. And then if you look in verse 27, this verse applies to the doer of the Word. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Now, what does the doer recognize that the hearer does? First of all, the doer recognizes that all things are to be done before God and for God's honor and God's glory. Secondly, the doer is willing to apply God's law by showing mercy and compassion to those who are around him. He's willing to help the widow. He's willing to help the orphans. He's willing to do whatever needs to be done. And thirdly, the doer is willing to live a holy, godly life. He keeps himself unspotted from the world.

The Motivation: God Sets Apart the Godly

Psalm 4:3 declares that the Lord sets apart the godly for Himself. Obedience demonstrates that we are doers and makes us uniquely His.

Now, I want to show you one last verse. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 4. If there was nothing else that would encourage you to apply the Word of God, if there was nothing else to encourage you to make the correct applications in your life, this should do it. This should motivate you to holiness, to godliness, to obedience. In fact, let's read the first three verses. David said in Psalm 4,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-3

"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness." "Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer."

So he's asking for mercy. And then David talks about the ungodly. He says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-3

"Oh, you sons of men, how long would you turn my glory into shame?"

That is God's glory.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-3

"How long would you love vanity, idolatry and seek after leasing?"

And leasing is the word for lying. And then David makes this astounding statement.

"But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself. The Lord will hear when I call upon him." Did you hear that? "But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself." Are you listening? I said it is doing the Word of God that makes it uniquely ours. And as we obey and conform our lives to Jesus Christ, God in His grace makes us uniquely His. "But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself." How do I know whether or not I'm a hearer or a doer? My obedience or my disobedience demonstrates whether or not I'm a hearer or the doer of the Word of God. Your obedience or your disobedience demonstrates whether or not you are a doer or a hearer only. We must prepare our hearts, said James, to receive the Word of God. We must understand that God is sovereign in illumination. We must be swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to wrath. We must lay aside all superfluity of naughtiness and all filthiness and receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save our souls.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Obedience as the Mark of True Hearing

Summary: True hearing of God's Word is inseparable from doing it. Only those who obey have genuinely received the Word.

Evidence: James 1:22: 'But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.' Weaver emphasizes that no one really hears until he obeys.

Self-Deception of the Hearer-Only

Summary: Those who hear without doing deceive themselves by false reasoning, thinking hearing alone is sufficient.

Evidence: The Greek word paralogizomai means to cheat by false reckoning. Weaver explains the hearer-only is deceiving himself, not God or others.

The Word as a Mirror for Transformation

Summary: The Word of God reveals our sins and deficiencies so that we may be conformed to the image of Christ through obedience.

Evidence: James 1:23–24 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 show that beholding in the mirror of the Word and applying it changes us from glory to glory.

Meekness and Continuance in the Word

Summary: The doer approaches the Word with humility (stooping down) and perseveres in it until it transforms him.

Evidence: The word 'looketh' (parakupto) implies stooping with meekness, and 'continueth therein' indicates ongoing application.

Practical Religion: Tongue, Mercy, and Holiness

Summary: Genuine religion is evidenced by bridling the tongue, caring for the afflicted, and remaining unstained by the world.

Evidence: James 1:26–27 contrasts vain religion with pure religion that visits orphans and widows and keeps unspotted.

God's Setting Apart of the Godly

Summary: Obedience makes us uniquely God's, as He sets apart the godly for Himself.

Evidence: Psalm 4:3: 'But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself.' Weaver ties this to being a doer.

Key Arguments

Hearing must lead to doing to avoid self-deception.

Summary: James commands believers to be doers, not hearers only, because hearing without obedience is self-deception.

Evidence: James 1:22 and the explanation of paralogizomai as false reasoning.

God measures truth to us according to our diligence.

Summary: From Mark 4:24, the measure we give to seeking truth determines the measure we receive; obedience leads to more light.

Evidence: Mark 4:24: 'With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you.' Weaver applies this to Bible study and obedience.

The mirror of the Word demands corrective action.

Summary: Looking into the Word without applying it is as futile as seeing a blemish in a mirror and doing nothing about it.

Evidence: James 1:23–24 illustration of the man who forgets his natural face.

Continuing in the Word brings blessing.

Summary: The doer who stoops with meekness and continues in the perfect law of liberty is blessed in his doing.

Evidence: James 1:25: 'But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein... this man shall be blessed in his deed.'

An unbridled tongue proves vain religion.

Summary: If one seems religious but does not control his tongue, his religion is worthless, showing he is a hearer only.

Evidence: James 1:26: 'If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue... this man's religion is vain.'

Pure religion involves active mercy and personal holiness.

Summary: True doers visit the fatherless and widows and keep themselves unspotted from the world.

Evidence: James 1:27: 'Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows... and to keep himself unspotted from the world.'

Scripture References

2 Chronicles 12:14

Context: Rehoboam did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord; used as the starting point for the series on heart preparation.

James 1:16-27

Context: The primary passage for the message, read in full, emphasizing hearing and doing the Word.

Psalm 115:3

Context: God is in the heavens and does whatsoever He pleases, illustrating His sovereignty.

Luke 11:28

Context: Blessed are those who hear God's word and keep it, showing hearing must lead to keeping.

Matthew 7:24

Context: Whoever hears and does Christ's sayings is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Luke 6:46

Context: Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Obedience proves lordship.

Mark 4:23-25

Context: Take heed what you hear; with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you; to him that hath shall more be given.

1 Samuel 15:22

Context: To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams; hearkening and obeying are synonymous.

Romans 8:29

Context: Predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son; God's will for every believer.

2 Corinthians 3:18

Context: Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory.

1 John 4:17

Context: Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as He is, so are we in this world.

James 4:10

Context: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.

1 Peter 5:6

Context: Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

Romans 3:27

Context: Paul refers to the gospel as the law of faith, showing the Word is called law.

Psalm 19:7

Context: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Psalm 39:1

Context: David said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.

Psalm 32:8-9

Context: God will instruct and teach; be not as the horse or mule whose mouth must be held with bit and bridle.

Psalm 4:1-3

Context: The Lord has set apart him that is godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call.

Historical References

Thomas Manton (Puritan)

Context: Weaver quotes Manton's comment on James 1:22: 'This verse catcheth upon the heel of the former.'

Dr. Bob Jones (possibly Bob Jones Sr.)

Context: Weaver recounts a humorous remark about women wearing makeup: 'I think any old barn looks better with a new coat of paint.'

Important Quotes

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Significance: This is the central command of the passage, emphasizing that hearing without doing leads to self-deception.

With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you.

Significance: Weaver uses this to teach that God gives truth in proportion to our diligence in seeking and obeying it.

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams.

Significance: This Old Testament verse equates hearkening with obedience, reinforcing that true hearing is doing.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain.

Significance: A practical test of genuine religion: control of the tongue. Failure proves one's religion is worthless.

But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself.

Significance: Weaver uses this Psalm to motivate obedience, showing that God makes the obedient uniquely His own.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean to be a 'doer of the word' in practical daily life, and how can we avoid being 'hearers only'?

Context: Based on James 1:22 and the contrast between hearer and doer.

How does the principle of 'measure' in Mark 4:24 challenge our current approach to Bible study and obedience?

Context: Weaver explains that God measures truth back to us according to our diligence.

In what ways do we deceive ourselves by thinking that hearing sermons or reading the Bible is enough without application?

Context: The Greek word paralogizomai means to cheat by false reasoning.

What 'blemishes' has the mirror of God's Word recently revealed in your life, and what steps are you taking to correct them?

Context: The mirror illustration from James 1:23–24 and the call to be conformed to Christ.

What does it mean to 'stoop down' with meekness when approaching Scripture, and how does pride hinder our reception of the Word?

Context: The word 'looketh' (parakupto) implies humility; God puts His best gifts on the bottom shelf.

How does the way we use our tongue reveal whether we are doers or hearers only?

Context: James 1:26 says unbridled tongues indicate vain religion.

What are some practical ways we can 'visit the fatherless and widows' and 'keep ourselves unspotted from the world' in our current context?

Context: James 1:27 defines pure religion.

How does the promise that God sets apart the godly for Himself motivate you to pursue obedience and holiness?

Context: Psalm 4:3 is used as a closing motivation.

Applications

Examine your obedience, not just your hearing.

Summary: Evaluate whether you are applying the Word you hear; mere hearing leads to self-deception.

Evidence: James 1:22: 'Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.' Weaver stresses that hearing without doing is worthless.

Diligently seek truth to receive more from God.

Summary: The measure of effort you put into understanding and obeying God's Word determines the measure of truth you receive.

Evidence: Mark 4:24: 'With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you.'

Use the Word as a mirror for transformation.

Summary: Regularly look into Scripture to identify sins and deficiencies, then take corrective action to become more like Christ.

Evidence: James 1:23–24 and 2 Corinthians 3:18; Weaver says we must correct the 'pimples' we see.

Approach the Bible with humility and perseverance.

Summary: Stoop down with meekness, laying aside pride, and continue in the Word until it changes you.

Evidence: James 1:21, 25: 'Receive with meekness' and 'continueth therein.'

Control your tongue as evidence of genuine faith.

Summary: Bridle your tongue; if you cannot control what you say, your religion is vain.

Evidence: James 1:26; Weaver warns against backbiting, insinuations, and ungodly speech.

Practice active compassion and personal holiness.

Summary: Care for the vulnerable (widows, orphans) and keep yourself unstained by worldly values and practices.

Evidence: James 1:27: 'Pure religion... to visit the fatherless and widows... and to keep himself unspotted from the world.'

Pursue godliness to be set apart by God.

Summary: Obedience and conformity to Christ make you uniquely God's; He sets apart the godly for Himself.

Evidence: Psalm 4:3: 'The Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T13:06:52Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:35:00Z

Clean Transcript

Heart Preparation - 5 of 7

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

We are thankful that you're here, and we do want you to open your Bibles again today, if you would please, to 2 Chronicles chapter 12 and also James chapter 1. And we're going to continue our study on heart preparation. And may I remind you today we're on the fifth message of heart preparation. I am going to take a few moments to review. But let's begin by reading 2 Chronicles chapter 12 and verse 14. This is where we started, and he, that is King Rehoboam, did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. And then if you will turn to the book of James chapter 1 beginning with verse 16, James writes, Do not err, my beloved brethren.
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Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. 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.
#2 | 0:51 to 1:36 | cleaned
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deeds. If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
#3 | 1:37 to 2:09 | cleaned
Now let me take just a few moments to review and let me just, this thought came to my mind, explain to you, first of all, why I review. I learned a long time ago that if you could see the connection between what precedes and what follows, it's a whole lot easier tied together. When I was in college, I went to school full-time and I worked full-time. I had very little time to study.
#4 | 2:10 to 2:37 | cleaned
So, what I tried to do was always get to class at least five minutes early if possible. I would sit down, I would review all of my notes and especially everything that had been going over that week and particularly what had been going over the day before. I would have that fresh in my mind so when the instructor taught, I could tie together what he taught yesterday with what he's teaching today. And once you begin to see the whole picture and see how it ties together, it's a whole lot easier to assimilate. So that's why I always try to review.
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Remember now, first of all, the very first message we looked at was the importance of heart preparation. And the importance of heart preparation really boils down to this. If our hearts are not prepared, we're going to do evil. The Bible says that Rehoboam did evil. Why? Because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. So unprepared hearts are hearts that are bent on evil very clearly. Secondly, I dealt with how do I prepare my heart?
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And I gave you three actual steps. There must be first of all realization, that is that God alone is the one who has the ability to prepare our hearts. There is determination where we realize that we have a responsibility and we determine to fulfill that responsibility by seeking Him. And then thirdly, actualization. That is where we actually do that and apply the truths of God to our hearts. So, the three steps in heart preparation are realization, determination, and actualization. And then we move to James chapter 1 because the last two messages have really dealt with this principle, preparing your heart to receive the Word of God.
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Now, let me just very quickly review so I can tie together today's message with what has preceded. First of all, if you look in verse 16, you remember here is an admonition. "Do not err, my beloved brethren." In other words, you better make sure that you do not err concerning this truth. So, James is admonishing you, do not be deceived, do not be led astray, do not err in this particular truth. Secondly, in verse 17, there is a declaration. And that declaration is that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. And under this point, I indicated and showed you from Scripture that it's not just common gifts that God gives us, such as air and health and breath, but it is a special gift of God that He gives us in hearing and understanding the Word of God. You remember He told His disciples, "To you it is given, but to them it is not given."
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So very clearly then we have a declaration that everything comes from God. And then thirdly, in verse 18, we have an illustration, and under this illustration, He gives us God's sovereignty, and especially God's sovereignty in salvation. And we saw under this point the sovereign's will, the sovereign's word, the sovereign's work, and of course the sovereign's word. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." And I was emphasizing under this point how everything depends upon the will of God. I've pointed out to you that God was under no duress. He was under no coercion.
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He was under no pressure to create, to redeem, or to save. The very fact that God created the world is He chose to create the world. The very fact that He sent Christ, He chose to send Christ. And the very fact that He saves, He chooses to save. Everything hinges upon the will of God. The will of God is the source of all things. That's what the Bible tells us in Psalm 115, verse 3: "But our God is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." That is, God is absolutely, totally sovereign.
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Then last week, we looked beginning at verse 19 through verse 21, and I showed you the connection between verses 18 and then 19, 20 and 21. And the connection was simply this: as God is absolutely sovereign in salvation and is under no obligation to save, so God is equally sovereign in illumination and is under no obligation to teach or to enlighten or to show. Whenever God does move, whenever God does teach, we must be prepared. That is why he says in verse 19, "Wherefore"—and remember "wherefore" is a conclusion, it is based upon what precedes—"wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." So whenever God speaks, we better be swift to hear, slow to speak. Don't interrupt God. Let him speak and slow to wrath. Don't get angry at what he says, because if we do, we must understand the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.
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And then the next application is found in verse 21: "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." So God then tells us we have a responsibility. Not only be swift to hear, but we have a responsibility with meekness to lay apart any and everything that in our lives are contrary to God and His Word and receive that Word with meekness.
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Now, in light of all the explanation that I've given you last week, there is still a connection that must be seen and a question that still must be answered. So let's ask this question: How do I know if my heart is prepared? Or let me ask it another way. How do I know that I have received the engrafted Word with meekness? How do I know that I've laid apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and really, really responded to the Word of God as the wholehearted hearer responded? Well, the answer to that is given to us in verses 22 through 27. I've got one point today. It's the fifth point in this outline. And that is an exhortation and an explanation. So we're going to see in verses 22 through 27 an exhortation and an explanation.
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Now, if you look in verse 22, he says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Now, the old Puritan Thomas Manton, and I must admit, I love the way the old Puritans talked and the way they wrote. But the old Puritan, Thomas Manton, said this concerning verse 22. He says, "This verse catcheth upon the heel of the former." In other words, you better get ready. So there's a connection just like it was Jacob who grabbed, was it Esau by the heel? And so this verse then grabs the former by the heel as well. This section is certainly connected to the other truths we've already exhorted. So here we are exhorted to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Now, the word "doer" is a very interesting word.
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The Greek word is poietes, which refers to a maker, a producer, an author, a poet, poietes, or one who obeys the law. In other words, a doer is someone who does something. So he says, "Be you a doer of the Word and not a hearer only." Now, in the context of verse 22, the doer is the one who not only hears the Word of God, but he embraces and receives that Word and testifies to it by his life that he has really believed and really received.
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Now, let me just give you—you don't have to turn to these passages—but let me just give you what our Lord is saying. Do you remember Luke 11 and verse 28? He said this, "Blessed are those who hear God's word and keep it." There's more than just simply audible hearing. He said, "Blessed are those who hear God's Word and keep it." And then our Lord said this in Matthew 7 and verse 24, "Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a man who built his house upon a rock." But notice what He said, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and what? Doeth them." You remember the man who heard and did not was the man who built his house upon the sand. But the man who hears and does is the man who builds his house upon the rock. And it's almost like the question our Lord asked in Luke 6 and verse 46 when he said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord?"
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"I do not the things which I say unto you." In other words, if I'm truly, genuinely your Lord, you will evidence that by obedience.
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Now, let me tell you what James is telling us. James is telling us that we must not content ourselves simply with the hearing of the Word of God, even if we are sure that the preacher is faithful in his exposition of the Word of God. I'm going to tell you it is indeed a matter of rejoicing to have the Word of God faithfully preached and expounded. You should indeed be thankful for that. But there is more than just having the Word of God faithfully preached and expounded. It must be made a part of our lives by application, implementation, and by habitual practicing of the Word of God.
#18 | 12:17 to 13:04 | cleaned
Now, in this passage, if you will look back in verse 22, he says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." The doer is here contrasted with the hearer.
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Now listen to what I'm about to say. The hearer may hear faithfully, regularly, intently, and carefully, but it does him absolutely no good if all he does is hear it. There must be an application and an implementation of the Word of God.
#20 | 13:21 to 13:54 | cleaned
Now, I'm going to come back to James 1, but I do want you to hold that passage and turn, if you would please, to Mark 4. Now, you remember in the previous messages, I've gone over this passage, the parable of the sower. You remember I told you that parable is found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. And let me just take the time to remind you that our Lord spoke of four types of hearers. I'm not going to re-preach the message, but he talked about the wayside hearer, who is a hard-hearted hearer. He talked about the stony ground hearer, who is a shallow-hearted hearer. He talked about the thorny ground hearer, who is the half-hearted hearer. And then finally he talked about the good ground hearer, who was the wholehearted hearer. And it was the good ground hearer, the wholehearted hearer, was the only one who brought forth fruit. In fact, Luke 8 and verse 15 says that he received the Word in a good and honest heart. So it was the good ground hearer who only was a doer of the Word of God.
#21 | 13:54 to 15:04 | cleaned
Now, the others were hearers, but they were not doers. Now if you look in Mark chapter 4 and verse 24, in fact we'll begin with verse 23, our Lord is giving us some applications based upon the parable of the sower. In verse 23 he says this, "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."
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Now all he's telling us is simply this, if we have ears, if we have the ability to hear, then we are obligated and we're responsible as well as commanded to hear the Word of God. If God has given you the ability to hear, you are obligated, you're responsible as well as commanded to hear the Word of God.
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Now, look in verse 24. "And He said unto them, Take heed what you hear. With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you, and unto you that hear shall more be given." Now let's stop there. And he said, "Take heed what you hear." So you have a responsibility to make sure that whatever you're hearing is indeed the Word of God. Okay? Take heed what you hear. Watch verse 24 again. "Take heed what you hear." And then he says, "With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you."
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Now let me tell you the principle that our Lord is enunciating. If I read it just a little differently, I think you'll understand it. He said, "With what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you." So here's the principle. Our Lord says to the same degree or to the same measure that you give to understanding the Word of God, to studying the Word of God, to that same degree, to that same measure, God's going to measure truth back to you. Now let me put it where we can understand it. Here's what God is saying. You're not going to study your Bible 10 minutes and get an hour's worth of knowledge. You're not going to study your Bible an hour and get 24 hours worth of knowledge. No. God said He's going to measure truth back to you to the same measure that you give in seeking the truth.
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So what does that mean? That means if you want to read your Bible five minutes a week, that's all you're going to get—five minutes worth of truth, if you get that much. Depends on how you read the Bible. OK, now watch this. Then he makes an astounding statement in verse 24 in the latter part. Then he says, "And unto you that hear shall more be given." And unto you that hear shall more be given.
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Now, before I tell you, you must recall that there are basically two essential ways to hear the Word of God. The first way you hear the Word of God is just audibly. Everyone in this room who has the ability to hear is hearing the Word of God audibly. But the second way that you hear the Word of God is internally and spiritually. It is only the internal and spiritual hearing that moves us to obey, that moves us to heed the Word of God.
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Now, without you turning there, I'm just going to remind you of 1 Samuel chapter 15. Do you remember that passage where God sent Saul to slay the Amalekites? Do you remember Saul spared Agag the king and the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen? And when Samuel came, it was Saul who said, "Blessed be thou of the Lord. I performed all the commandments of God."
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And about that time, something went baa, moo. And Samuel said, "If you've obeyed God, what meaneth the bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the cattle?" In other words, if you'd obeyed God, everything would be dead. And what did Saul say? Saul said, "The people spared them, that I may sacrifice them to God." And then Samuel came with this tremendous truth. Listen. In 1 Samuel 15 and verse 22, Samuel asked this question.
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"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?" Now listen. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams." I want you to note that in 1 Samuel 15, verse 22, hearkening and obeying are synonymous. They're one and the same. That is why I told you no one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God. No one ever really hears it until he heeds it. When he says, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams"—the fat of rams was the choicest part of the sacrifice, which was always given to God. So it says hearkening and obedience are basically one and the same.
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Now, why am I emphasizing this? Let me tell you why. Because it is the doing of the Word of God that makes it uniquely our own. That is why James said, "Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only." It is the doing, it is the implementing, it is the applying, it is the practicing of the Word of God that makes it our own. Toby has been learning Greek.
#31 | 20:42 to 21:20 | cleaned
And we've been on luo. Any Greek student knows luo. Any Greek student knows the Greek alphabet. And you have to know it instantaneously. I told Toby, I said, "You've got to be where you can say this thing in your sleep—alpha, beta, gamma, delta—and just spit it out. You've got to be able to say luo, luo, luo..." [repeats luo conjugations]
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Have it like that in your life. It is not yours. That is the same thing with the Word of God. It is where it becomes part of us that we can spit it out and we do it naturally and normally. Why? Because it is in us. It is doing the Word of God that makes it uniquely ours.
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Now look at verse 24 again. He said, in the latter part, "And to you that hear shall more be given." Watch verse 25. "For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath." How many of you have ever memorized the Greek alphabet? Anybody in here? Besides Toby. Alright. Henry. Henry, can you still say it? Slowly.
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Well, you left out one or two, but that was pretty good. That was pretty good. But you understand what I'm saying. But if you took a few minutes and went over that several times, you could spit it out just like that. You follow what I'm saying? If you don't have it, yeah, he gets the lollipop. Thank you, Lolly. He gets the sucker. He won. If you don't have it in you, you can't spit it out.
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And if you learned it 20 years ago and have never used it, guess what? You still will not be able to say it. Why? If you don't use the truth, you lose the truth.
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Now look what he said in verse 25: "For he that hath, to him shall be given; and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath."
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Now, let me tell you something, folks. I could take my right hand and reach down and pick up a 50-pound barbell or a 100-pound barbell and take it and curl it and even stick it over my head. Guess what? You could then take my right arm, tie it to my chest for three months and then untie it at the end of three months. And you think I can pick up that 50-pound barbell and put it over my head? No. Why? I've lost the strength in this arm.
#38 | 23:44 to 24:15 | cleaned
If you don't use it, you lose it. And it's the same principle right here. And what God is saying is this: If you do not make the Word of God uniquely yours, if you do not implement it, if you do not apply it, inevitably, it's going to be taken from you. It's going to fall by the wayside.
#39 | 24:16 to 24:33 | cleaned
Now, look what our Lord said. Our Lord said, "And unto you that hear shall more be given." Do you realize this is the main reason most professing Christians never, ever grow in grace and knowledge? Let me ask you, think about this. Why in the world should God ever give you more truth if you're not going to obey the truth that He's already given you? "And to you that hear," that is, to you that hearken, to you that obey, "shall more be given. But if you don't obey, from you shall be taken even that which you seemeth to have." You don't really have it if you do not implement it in your life.
#40 | 24:33 to 25:21 | cleaned
Now, if you look back in your Bible at James 1 and verse 22, he says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." The interesting thing is this: God is saying that the man who only hears, but does not do, is only deceiving himself. The Greek word for deceive here is paralogizomai, which means, listen, to beguile, to deceive, to reckon wrongly, to miscount, to cheat by false reckoning, to deceive by false reasoning. What is our Lord saying? The man who only hears the Word of God, listen, no matter how intently, no matter how carefully, no matter how regularly hears, but if he does not do, if he does not apply, he is only deceiving himself. He's not deceiving God. He's not deceiving the other saints. No, he's the one that's being deceived. He is not obeying the word of God. And he's thinking that hearing only is sufficient. So he's falsely reckoning and he's falsely reasoning. And thus he's cheating himself. Now, let me show you how James explains the difference.
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Look in verses 22 and 23. After he said in verse 22, "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." Let's go into verse 24: "For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." Now, let me ask you this question: Why do you look into a mirror? Let me answer it. Is it not to check and see if you look presentable? It could also be that there's a blemish on your face and you need to cover it or medicate it. You look into a mirror to see and to ascertain what, if anything, needs correcting. You want to see yourself as others see you.
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Listen, what good does it do you to wake up in the morning, look into a mirror, if you never shave, you never comb your hair, you never brush your teeth, you never blow your nose, you never put on makeup, you just look and turn around and walk off? What good has it done you to look into a mirror? The answer is absolutely none. Why? Because you look and you walk out without ever correcting one thing.
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In essence, you will have forgotten that you need help and that you need it desperately. Someone asked Dr. Bob Jones one time, should women wear makeup? He said, well, I think any old barn looks better with a new coat of paint. I'm not advocating it, but you understand. Why in the world would you look up and say, ah, there's a pimple on my face, and I need to put some medicine on it, or I need to cover it? Why would you even look if you're not going to do anything about it?
#44 | 28:37 to 29:10 | cleaned
Let me ask it like this. What is the purpose of looking into the mirror of the Word of God? Is it not to see all of our blemishes, our cuts, our bruises, our abrasions, our scratches, our ugliness, our sins, our lack of conformity to the Word of God? Is it not to look and see what we need to correct and medicate and take care of in order that we might be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ?
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Now, I want to show you one verse, whole of James 1. But look in your Bibles to Romans 8 and verse 29, and I want to show you the will of God for every child of God. I don't care who you are. I don't care where you are. This is the will of God for every child of God. It's part and parcel of it. I'm not telling you that God's calling you to preach. I'm not telling you that God's calling you to be an engineer. I'm just showing you this is God's will for every child of God. Romans 8 verse 29, for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate, what?
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To be conformed to the image of His Son. God desires that every one of us become more and more like Jesus Christ. We're to become more obedient in our lives. We're to become more holy, more godly, more honoring the Father. This is the will of God. Now, we know that in eternity we shall be perfectly like Him. But the question has to be asked, how do we become like Him now in time and in history?
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Well, the Bible has the answer. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and look at verse 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18. Here's how we become like Him now in time and in history. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 18. The Apostle Paul writes, "But we all, that is all of us Christians, with open face, beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Now what is Paul saying? Paul is saying as we look into the mirror of the Word of God, and we see the perfection of Jesus Christ, and we see the grace and the glory of Jesus Christ as we behold that in the mirror of His Word, and we see our own deficiencies and our own sins and our own faults and our own failings, we come to Him in the Word and say, Lord, change us, make us holy, make us godly. And He says, as we implement that by the power of the Spirit of God, we are changed from glory unto glory.
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In other words, we grow in grace as we bring our lives to the Word of God and we see what is lacking, we see where we are failing, and we change it. Now let me ask you a question, just for practicality. If you wake up in the morning, and you've got five big pimples on your face, and you look in the mirror, maybe one's just starting, the second one's, you know, a little bigger, the third, fourth, and fifth one's headed out. Are you going to be able to correct all of those pimples at one time? Are you? What's the answer? No. What you ought to do is take the worst one and work on it and then try to stop the others from developing. You follow me?
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All I'm trying to show you is you can sit back and say, "Well, Brother Weaver, there's so many things wrong in my life." Man, well, hey, you just look in the Word and you start working on the worst thing that you have. And then when you see that you're becoming a little more unscriptural in some other areas, you try to stop that and prevent it from becoming a full-blown pimple. Do you follow me? That's what he's saying. As you continue to look, and I'll point that out in just a moment, you are changed or are to be changed from glory to glory. So it is by His Word, are you listening, through the power of the Holy Spirit that we're to be constantly and continually changed into greater and greater conformity to Jesus Christ. We should never be content with just hearing the truth. We must make the truth ours with an experimental application. We must implement that truth. We must experience the transforming power of the Gospel and the transforming power of the Word of God.
#50 | 33:12 to 34:17 | cleaned
There is a verse in 1 John 4 and verse 17 that we need to hear. In fact, turn there. I can quote it, but I want you to see it. Look in 1 John 4 and verse 17. 1 John 4, verse 17. Here is our goal. 1 John 4, verse 17. Look carefully. "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment." Boy, wait a minute.
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Stop and think about that. Boldness in the day of judgment. The day of judgment is coming. Hear my Lord, I'm ready. Judge me first. How many of you want to be judged first? What would give us boldness in the day of judgment? Here it is. "Because as He is, so are we in this world." What? Yeah, we lived as He lived. Oh, we're not going to be perfect the way He is. I understand that. But our lives have been constantly and continually changed and brought in greater and greater conformity to Christ, it will give us boldness in the day of judgment. Why? Because we're living the way He lived.
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Now, looking into a mirror and forgetting straightway is an apt description of someone who hears the Word of God, but he does not apply it and he does not obey it. I've known people in the ministry, unsaved people, who will come and hear the Word of God preached. I've seen them weep. I've seen them tremble. I've seen them shake. And yet they go out, get involved in their sins again, and totally and completely forget whatever happened under the preaching of the Word of God.
#53 | 35:46 to 36:28 | cleaned
You know, a lot of Christians are like that. I'm absolutely amazed at the number of Christians who will hear the Word of God and they know that things are not right in their lives. They think about their sins. They think about turning from their sins. They wish to live right. And then after the preaching is over, after the service is over, they go and straightway forget everything they heard. What have they done?
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They looked in the mirror and forgotten they have pimples, uncombed hair, unbrushed teeth, no makeup. They've totally forgotten everything.
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Now, I want you to notice how James confirms this interpretation. Go back in your Bibles to the book of James. I'm keeping on this passage because it's a very important passage. Verse 22. He says, "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 likened to a man beholding his natural face in a glass or mirror. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way in a straight way, forgetteth what manner of man he was." Now that is the hearer. Watch the doer. Verse 25. "But whoso looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed." Wow. Now, James 1 in verse 25 confirms the interpretation that I've just given you from verses 22 through 24. He said, "But whosoever looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continue therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
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Now, I want you to look at verse 25, at the word "looketh." You see that word? "But whoso looketh?" The word "looketh" is a special word. It is parakupto in the Greek, and it really means more than just to look. You would have to know the word. Here's what it literally means. It means to stoop to a thing to look at it. It means to look with the head bowed forward, to look with the body bent, or to stoop down and look into.
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What does that remind you of? If you would go back and look at verse 21. "Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with what? With meekness. With meekness."
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Now, the word "looketh" means to stoop down or to bow the head. In other words, God is demanding meekness and humility as well as a teachable spirit as we look into the Word of God. You remember I've quoted this passage to you several times, but James 4 and verse 10, the Bible says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of God and the Lord shall lift you up." In 1 Peter 5 and verse 6, Peter says a little differently, but the same thing, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time." So what God is saying is this, are you listening? God does not place His best gifts on the highest shelf so that as we grow taller and grow in grace, we can reach up and get those best things. No, no, no. God says, "I put my best on the bottom." Or you have to humble yourself and reach down to get it. So you have to stoop to look into the Word of God.
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That is, you lay aside your arrogance, your pride, your haughtiness, your headiness, your high-mindedness, your know-it-all attitude. You have to come with meekness.
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Now, look what James says: "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein." Ah, let me tell you. The doer of the word is the man who not only stoops down and looks into, but he continues therein. That is, he continues looking into the word of God. Are you listening? Until he has it. And it has him. Until he has it. And it has him.
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In other words, he does not and will not forget. He applies and he obeys.
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Now, I want you to note in this passage that God's law is here called the perfect law of liberty. This does not just simply refer to what you and I would call the Old Testament or the Mosaic law. It refers to the totality of the Word of God. In fact, in Romans 3 and verse 27, Paul refers to the gospel as the law of faith. Now, the law, God's Word, is our perfect standard. You remember the Bible in Psalm 19 and verse 7 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect."
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Converting the soul, making wise the simple. It's called the perfect law of liberty. It is our perfect standard of conduct. And, I might add, it is called the law of liberty because it frees us from our sin and our lusts and our evil passions that we might obey God and be holy and godly.
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Now, let me ask you a question. How do I know whether I am a hearer of the Word of God or a doer of the Word of God? Wow. How do I know whether I am just a hearer of the Word of God or if I'm a doer of the Word of God?
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Now listen, that question may properly be answered by asking other questions. Are you listening? Here is how I can tell the difference as to whether or not I'm a doer or a hearer. Do I constantly and continually add to my life or am I simply one of those who are forever learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth? Am I obedient? Do I incorporate in my life the teaching of the Word of God? Do I implement the truths of God? Do I practice the things of God? Do I think about the Word of God and how it should affect my life? In case we have not quite caught on to what James is teaching, James gives us a wonderful illustration between a hearer and a doer.
#66 | 43:32 to 44:46 | cleaned
I want you to look at what he says. Verse 26: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain." Wow! By the way, he says in verse 26, look at the word "seem." The interesting thing is the word "seem" is the Greek word dokeo, which merely means to appear, or for one to suppose or to account. So if someone appears to be religious, or he's accounted or he's supposed to be a religious man, but God says he bridleth not his own tongue, that man's religion is in vain. In other words, he's a hypocrite. His worship, his religion is worthless. And the evidence that it is worthless is he can't control his own tongue. Now.
#67 | 44:48 to 46:11 | cleaned
Let me just kind of explain that. And I'm not going to go to James chapter 3, where there's a lot in that passage concerning the tongue. There's a lot throughout the Bible concerning the tongue. But here's what God is saying: The hypocrite may have heard the teaching about the tongue. He may have heard James 3 expounded, but it didn't change anything in his life. He continues to use his tongue to walk through heavens and to say ungodly and wicked and unchristian things. The hypocrite does not bridle his tongue. His tongue is used in an unbiblical and ungodly manner.
#68 | 46:13 to 47:01 | cleaned
He boasts of his works. He speaks ill of his brethren. He backbites them. He hurts their names and characters by private insinuations and public charges without any foundation. In other words, he uses his tongue with liberty. He just says things regardless of who it hurts or whether it's true or not. He has no control over his tongue. What is God saying? He's refusing to act scripturally and biblically in that area. There are a multitude of areas in which God demands that we act biblically and scripturally. That is just simply one of them.
#69 | 47:01 to 47:43 | cleaned
There are times that we must pay special attention to our tongues. You know what David said in Psalm 39 and verse 1? Listen to what he said: "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me." David said, "I want to make sure I don't sin with my tongue." And by the way, I hope you understand you can sin a whole lot more with your tongue without outright lying, without outright cussing.
#70 | 47:44 to 48:27 | cleaned
All you've got to do is insinuate. All you've got to do is flatter yourself. One of the problems with so many people is they think that the way they elevate themselves is by attacking someone else and cutting them down. David said, "I'm going to watch my tongue at all times, but I'm especially going to watch it when the wicked is in front of me." You know, God gave us a promise in Psalm 32.
#71 | 48:28 to 48:59 | cleaned
I want to just read to you verses 8 and 9. I don't want you to listen to what God says. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go." Whoa, stop and think about that promise. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye." And then the next verse is this.
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"Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, who have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto you." Now, what has God just said? God said, if you will listen to me, I will instruct you. I will teach you. I will guide you. But if you don't listen to me, said God, I can put a bit and bridle in your mouth. If you don't act dumb. I know how to control you when you're acting dumb. But God said I'd rather just teach you. I'd rather just instruct you. I'd rather just guide you. Don't act stupid. Don't make me put a bit and bridle in your mouth. That's what God is saying. Why would you put a bit and bridle on a horse? To restrain him. Why would you put a bit and bridle on an ox? To restrain him. And God is just simply saying, the hearer only is one who shows no biblical restraint. He just says what he wants to say. He does what he wants to do.
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So the hearer then, is one over whom the Word of God really has not had an effect. He may have heard it, but he's not implemented it. He's not applied it. And then if you look in verse 27, this verse applies to the doer of the Word. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Now, what does the doer recognize that the hearer does? First of all, the doer recognizes that all things are to be done before God and for God's honor and God's glory.
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Secondly, the doer is willing to apply God's law by showing mercy and compassion to those who are around him. He's willing to help the widow. He's willing to help the orphans. He's willing to do whatever needs to be done. And thirdly, the doer is willing to live a holy, godly life. He keeps himself unspotted from the world.
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Now, I want to show you one last verse. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 4. If there was nothing else that would encourage you to apply the Word of God, if there was nothing else to encourage you to make the correct applications in your life, this should do it. This should motivate you to holiness, to godliness, to obedience. In fact, let's read the first three verses. David said in Psalm 4, "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness."
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"Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer." So he's asking for mercy. And then David talks about the ungodly. He says, "Oh, you sons of men, how long would you turn my glory into shame?" That is God's glory. "How long would you love vanity, idolatry and seek after leasing?" And leasing is the word for lying. And then David makes this astounding statement.
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"But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself. The Lord will hear when I call upon him." Did you hear that? "But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself." Are you listening? I said it is doing the Word of God that makes it uniquely ours. And as we obey and conform our lives to Jesus Christ, God in His grace makes us uniquely His. "But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself." How do I know whether or not I'm a hearer or a doer? My obedience or my disobedience demonstrates whether or not I'm a hearer or the doer of the Word of God. Your obedience or your disobedience demonstrates whether or not you are a doer or a hearer only. We must prepare our hearts, said James, to receive the Word of God. We must understand that God is sovereign in illumination. We must be swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to wrath. We must lay aside all superfluity of naughtiness and all filthiness and receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save our souls.
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And the way that we know that we really genuinely receive the Word of God is we become a doer of that Word. And not just someone that says, "Yeah, I heard that. Yeah, I know that." No, we do it. It becomes ours. We grab a hold of it, and it grabs a hold of us, and we bring our lives in conformity to Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ today that You would indeed help us to have prepared hearts, prepared hearts to receive the Word. We pray and ask for enlightenment, but Lord, enlightenment comes from Thee and through Thy Word. We pray for understanding, that You would open our understanding, that You would give us truth and enable us to see truth. Enable us, Lord, to be more godly. Enable us to apply the Word of God, and above all, to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, that we may know for surely that God has set apart those who are godly for Himself. Make us uniquely Yours by enabling us to make the Word of God uniquely ours.
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May it grab us and may we grab it and live by it. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T13:06:52Z

Heart Preparation - 5 of 7

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this fifth message on heart preparation, John Weaver expounds James 1:22–27 to show that true reception of God's Word is evidenced by being a doer, not merely a hearer. He contrasts the forgetful hearer, who looks into the mirror of the Word but fails to apply it, with the blessed doer who stoops with meekness, continues in the perfect law of liberty, and obeys. Practical tests include bridling the tongue, showing mercy to widows and orphans, and keeping unspotted from the world. The sermon emphasizes that obedience makes the Word uniquely ours and that God sets apart the godly for Himself.

Review of Previous Messages

Scripture Reading — Psalm 115:3

"But our God is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

That is, God is absolutely, totally sovereign.

The Exhortation to Be Doers

James 1:22 commands believers to be doers of the Word, not hearers only, lest they deceive themselves. The Greek word for doer (poietes) implies a maker or one who obeys.

Scripture Reading — Luke 11:28

The Greek word is poietes, which refers to a maker, a producer, an author, a poet, poietes, or one who obeys the law. In other words, a doer is someone who does something. So he says, "Be you a doer of the Word and not a hearer only." Now, in the context of verse 22, the doer is the one who not only hears the Word of God, but he embraces and receives that Word and testifies to it by his life that he has really believed and really received. Now, let me just give you—you don't have to turn to these passages—but let me just give you what our Lord is saying. Do you remember Luke 11 and verse 28? He said this, "Blessed are those who hear God's word and keep it." There's more than just simply audible hearing. He said, "Blessed are those who hear God's Word and keep it." And then our Lord said this in Matthew 7 and verse 24, "Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a man who built his house upon a rock." But notice what He said, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and what? Doeth them." You remember the man who heard and did not was the man who built his house upon the sand. But the man who hears and does is the man who builds his house upon the rock. And it's almost like the question our Lord asked in Luke 6 and verse 46 when he said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord?"

"I do not the things which I say unto you." In other words, if I'm truly, genuinely your Lord, you will evidence that by obedience.

The Contrast Between Hearer and Doer

The hearer may listen intently but gains nothing without application. The doer is like the good-ground hearer in the parable of the sower who bears fruit.

The Principle of Measure in Hearing

From Mark 4:24, God measures truth back to us according to the measure we give in seeking it. To those who hear (obey), more is given; to those who do not, even what they seem to have is taken.

And if you learned it 20 years ago and have never used it, guess what? You still will not be able to say it. Why? If you don't use the truth, you lose the truth.

The Mirror Illustration

James 1:23–24 compares the hearer-only to a man who looks in a mirror and immediately forgets his appearance. The Word is a mirror revealing our spiritual blemishes that need correction.

The Doer Who Looks and Continues

James 1:25 describes the doer as one who stoops (parakupto) with meekness into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein, not forgetting but obeying, and is blessed in his doing.

What does that remind you of? If you would go back and look at verse 21. "Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with what? With meekness. With meekness."

Scripture Reading — James 4:10

Now, the word "looketh" means to stoop down or to bow the head. In other words, God is demanding meekness and humility as well as a teachable spirit as we look into the Word of God. You remember I've quoted this passage to you several times, but James 4 and verse 10, the Bible says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of God and the Lord shall lift you up." In 1 Peter 5 and verse 6, Peter says a little differently, but the same thing, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time." So what God is saying is this, are you listening? God does not place His best gifts on the highest shelf so that as we grow taller and grow in grace, we can reach up and get those best things. No, no, no. God says, "I put my best on the bottom." Or you have to humble yourself and reach down to get it. So you have to stoop to look into the Word of God.

Scripture Reading — Romans 3:27

In other words, he does not and will not forget. He applies and he obeys. Now, I want you to note in this passage that God's law is here called the perfect law of liberty. This does not just simply refer to what you and I would call the Old Testament or the Mosaic law. It refers to the totality of the Word of God. In fact, in Romans 3 and verse 27, Paul refers to the gospel as the law of faith. Now, the law, God's Word, is our perfect standard. You remember the Bible in Psalm 19 and verse 7 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect."

Practical Tests of a Doer

James 1:26–27 gives concrete evidence: a doer bridles his tongue, visits the fatherless and widows, and keeps himself unspotted from the world. Failure in these areas reveals vain religion.

There are times that we must pay special attention to our tongues. You know what David said in Psalm 39 and verse 1? Listen to what he said:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 39:1

"I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me."

The Motivation: God Sets Apart the Godly

Psalm 4:3 declares that the Lord sets apart the godly for Himself. Obedience demonstrates that we are doers and makes us uniquely His.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-3

"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness." "Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer."

So he's asking for mercy. And then David talks about the ungodly. He says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-3

"Oh, you sons of men, how long would you turn my glory into shame?"

That is God's glory.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-3

"How long would you love vanity, idolatry and seek after leasing?"

And leasing is the word for lying. And then David makes this astounding statement.

Heart Preparation - 5 of 7

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	21107164739
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2006-11-26
Dictation Name
Book	Book 162: Heart Preparation — Chapter 5
Source Timed Segments	80

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of Previous Messages: Weaver reviews the series: the importance of heart preparation (Rehoboam did evil because he prepared not his heart), the three steps (realization, determination, actualization), and the need to prepare to receive the Word (James 1:16–21).
The Exhortation to Be Doers: James 1:22 commands believers to be doers of the Word, not hearers only, lest they deceive themselves. The Greek word for doer (poietes) implies a maker or one who obeys.
The Contrast Between Hearer and Doer: The hearer may listen intently but gains nothing without application. The doer is like the good-ground hearer in the parable of the sower who bears fruit.
The Principle of Measure in Hearing: From Mark 4:24, God measures truth back to us according to the measure we give in seeking it. To those who hear (obey), more is given; to those who do not, even what they seem to have is taken.
The Mirror Illustration: James 1:23–24 compares the hearer-only to a man who looks in a mirror and immediately forgets his appearance. The Word is a mirror revealing our spiritual blemishes that need correction.
The Doer Who Looks and Continues: James 1:25 describes the doer as one who stoops (parakupto) with meekness into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein, not forgetting but obeying, and is blessed in his doing.
Practical Tests of a Doer: James 1:26–27 gives concrete evidence: a doer bridles his tongue, visits the fatherless and widows, and keeps himself unspotted from the world. Failure in these areas reveals vain religion.
The Motivation: God Sets Apart the Godly: Psalm 4:3 declares that the Lord sets apart the godly for Himself. Obedience demonstrates that we are doers and makes us uniquely His.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Hearing must lead to doing to avoid self-deception.

James commands believers to be doers, not hearers only, because hearing without obedience is self-deception.

James 1:22 and the explanation of paralogizomai as false reasoning.

God measures truth to us according to our diligence.

From Mark 4:24, the measure we give to seeking truth determines the measure we receive; obedience leads to more light.

Mark 4:24: 'With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you.' Weaver applies this to Bible study and obedience.

The mirror of the Word demands corrective action.

Looking into the Word without applying it is as futile as seeing a blemish in a mirror and doing nothing about it.

James 1:23–24 illustration of the man who forgets his natural face.

Continuing in the Word brings blessing.

The doer who stoops with meekness and continues in the perfect law of liberty is blessed in his doing.

James 1:25: 'But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein... this man shall be blessed in his deed.'

An unbridled tongue proves vain religion.

If one seems religious but does not control his tongue, his religion is worthless, showing he is a hearer only.

James 1:26: 'If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue... this man's religion is vain.'

Pure religion involves active mercy and personal holiness.

True doers visit the fatherless and widows and keep themselves unspotted from the world.

James 1:27: 'Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows... and to keep himself unspotted from the world.'

Scripture References

2 Chronicles 12:14: Rehoboam did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord; used as the starting point for the series on heart preparation.
James 1:16-27: The primary passage for the message, read in full, emphasizing hearing and doing the Word.
Psalm 115:3: God is in the heavens and does whatsoever He pleases, illustrating His sovereignty.
Luke 11:28: Blessed are those who hear God's word and keep it, showing hearing must lead to keeping.
Matthew 7:24: Whoever hears and does Christ's sayings is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Luke 6:46: Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Obedience proves lordship.
Mark 4:23-25: Take heed what you hear; with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you; to him that hath shall more be given.
1 Samuel 15:22: To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams; hearkening and obeying are synonymous.
Romans 8:29: Predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son; God's will for every believer.
2 Corinthians 3:18: Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory.
1 John 4:17: Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as He is, so are we in this world.
James 4:10: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.
1 Peter 5:6: Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
Romans 3:27: Paul refers to the gospel as the law of faith, showing the Word is called law.
Psalm 19:7: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.
Psalm 39:1: David said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.
Psalm 32:8-9: God will instruct and teach; be not as the horse or mule whose mouth must be held with bit and bridle.
Psalm 4:1-3: The Lord has set apart him that is godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call.

Historical References

Thomas Manton (Puritan): Weaver quotes Manton's comment on James 1:22: 'This verse catcheth upon the heel of the former.'
Dr. Bob Jones (possibly Bob Jones Sr.): Weaver recounts a humorous remark about women wearing makeup: 'I think any old barn looks better with a new coat of paint.'

Important Quotes

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

This is the central command of the passage, emphasizing that hearing without doing leads to self-deception.

With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you.

Weaver uses this to teach that God gives truth in proportion to our diligence in seeking and obeying it.

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams.

This Old Testament verse equates hearkening with obedience, reinforcing that true hearing is doing.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain.

A practical test of genuine religion: control of the tongue. Failure proves one's religion is worthless.

But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself.

Weaver uses this Psalm to motivate obedience, showing that God makes the obedient uniquely His own.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean to be a 'doer of the word' in practical daily life, and how can we avoid being 'hearers only'?

[Context]

Based on James 1:22 and the contrast between hearer and doer.

[Question]

How does the principle of 'measure' in Mark 4:24 challenge our current approach to Bible study and obedience?

[Context]

Weaver explains that God measures truth back to us according to our diligence.

[Question]

In what ways do we deceive ourselves by thinking that hearing sermons or reading the Bible is enough without application?

[Context]

The Greek word paralogizomai means to cheat by false reasoning.

[Question]

What 'blemishes' has the mirror of God's Word recently revealed in your life, and what steps are you taking to correct them?

[Context]

The mirror illustration from James 1:23–24 and the call to be conformed to Christ.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'stoop down' with meekness when approaching Scripture, and how does pride hinder our reception of the Word?

[Context]

The word 'looketh' (parakupto) implies humility; God puts His best gifts on the bottom shelf.

[Question]

How does the way we use our tongue reveal whether we are doers or hearers only?

[Context]

James 1:26 says unbridled tongues indicate vain religion.

[Question]

What are some practical ways we can 'visit the fatherless and widows' and 'keep ourselves unspotted from the world' in our current context?

[Context]

James 1:27 defines pure religion.

[Question]

How does the promise that God sets apart the godly for Himself motivate you to pursue obedience and holiness?

[Context]

Psalm 4:3 is used as a closing motivation.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:35:00Z