But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (James 1:22, ESV)
When the weather is too poor to play or practice, most golf nuts will spend time on YouTube checking out the latest tidbits from golf’s most current gurus.
For hours, we’ll watch short clips of instructors giving insights on how to pitch the ball better, or drive it farther, or make more putts inside 5 feet.
We’ll pause the video, get up from our chairs, and emulate what we just learned. Just how many backswings have you taken in your living room in your lifetime?
As we jump from one video to the next, we are learning more and more mechanics and feel to advance a golf ball closer to the hole. We are taking in loads of golf instruction, and our hope rises that this year is the year.
How odd would it be to absorb all this instruction and never take it to the driving range? How puzzling would it be to learn how to hit more fairways and never make it to the first tee?
The letter of James was written to Christians who had fled Jerusalem due to the persecution they were suffering at the hands of King Agrippa. In this letter, James urges full commitment to their faith in Christ, despite the attacks from the king.
He outlines how they should respond to adversity (1:2-12), temptation (1:13-18), and the Word of God (1:19-27). Verses 19-27 are considered the mandate for practical Christianity, as revealed in the full canon of Scripture.
In other words, to live out Christianity, one must learn the Bible by being a hearer of it. We must search and know the Bible (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:105). Absolutely, 1000%! Additionally, James cautions them not only to know the Bible but also to do it. Look again at our focal text.
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Obtaining vast amounts of biblical knowledge is admirable and wise, but doing nothing with it is foolish. To prove is to do something continuously, to continually do the Word.
James says that not doing so deludes us. It is misleading; it defrauds (vs. 23-25). Be cautious about being satisfied with biblical knowledge while failing to live and act on what you’ve learned. A sponge that is not regularly wrung out will become musty. We are not called to be musty Christians!
Live out the Scripture through obedience. Continuously pour into others (see Philippians 2:17) what God is teaching you. Serve the Lord by obeying His Word—at the club and at the grill. Especially live out the Word with those you regularly tee it up with.
To improve our golf game, we take the lessons and tidbits and work on them at the range or the putting green. To be obedient in our walk with Christ, we take what we learn in personal bible study, in sermons, and in devotions, and through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, we live it out so that God is exalted and more will come to know the Lord Jesus as Savior.
Time to get to it.
Prayer: Father, as my hearing of your Word becomes more frequent and intentional, may my doing of your Word bring you glory and draw others to look to you for salvation.