James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
This verse is a significant challenge to every honest believer and anyone who attends a church fellowship. Many of us live in a situation where we are saturated with teachings from the Bible. We hear so many sermons in person, on the radio. We may even (occasionally) read the Bible ourselves. For many people, having access to a Bible is not a major problem. There are phone apps that allow us to have easy access to the Bible any time we want. The difficult part is that we begin to think we are being righteous because we hear sermons or even read the Bible. By far, the biggest challenge we have as believers is obedience to God’s Word. We are no different than ancient Israel who struggled to obey God’s laws and directions. We may look down on the many struggles in the Old Testament, but if we are honest, we will realize that we are like them.
What makes obedience so difficult? The biggest reason is that we try to obey out of the wrong power source. We see obedience as an obligation and a heavy weight to bear because we are doing it through our own strength. In this regard, the law is a heavy burden to bear. Some Jews of Jesus’ day experienced obedience this way. Psalms 19 and 119 call us to see obedience to God’s words as a joyous experience that should be freedom and happiness. How can this happen? First, we must see obedience as a reflection of our faith and commitment to God. Obedience is the other side of love, hope, and faith. Second, we obey because our minds are being transformed into the mind of Christ. We see the world differently and allow the Bible to be the primary lens through which we see the world. Third, obedience is the proper response of worship. We obey God by doing what God wants because God is number one in our lives.
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