| The Christian Life | October 1943 |
Works Also Necessary
Be Not Hearers Only
“And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.”—Matthew 7:26
THE hopes built upon the Lord’s promises and unaccompanied by works are hopes built upon the sand. This fundamental truth is reiterated over and over again in the Scriptures. The Apostle James taking his cue from these words of the Master, admonishes that we be not hearers of the Word only, but doers also. To be a hearer only, he explains, is to be like a man who looks at himself in the mirror, walks away, and forgets what he looks like.—James 1:22-24
The purpose of looking in a mirror is to take note of one’s appearance with the view of improving it, if possible. We take it, then, that this is an illustration of the manner in which we should be doers of the word; namely, that obeying what we hear should make a change in our lives.
In II Corinthians 3:18 we read of beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, and that God’s Spirit is gradually transforming us into that same image. The illustration in this case is different, in that the mirror reflects the glory of God, whereas in the other illustration we look at ourselves.
Both thoughts are important, and both related to the matter of our being doers of the Word. In the first place, it is important that we get a close-up view of our own imperfections as only God can reveal them to us through His Word; and then we are to keep our eyes fixed upon the perfect pattern, the glory of God, as we strive, through obedience, to be conformed thereto.
If we could remember every text in the Bible and explain its meaning, and be able to discuss intelligently all the finer points of Christian doctrine, and yet were not conforming our thoughts, words and deeds to the divine will thereby revealed, our lives would be wasted. Knowledge of the truth is essential only because it reveals the will of God to us. If we fail to do that will, our acquiring of the knowledge has been in vain.
Jesus says that one who makes such a tragic mistake could be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sands. Naturally a house built upon the sands cannot stand up against the elements and is swept away. We, as Christians, can build our hopes upon a rock foundation simply by obeying the Word as well as learning about it.
“These sayings” of Jesus which it is necessary to obey are all-comprehensive. Many of them are to be found in His Sermon on the Mount. They include the practice of justice, a self-sacrificing love for the brethren, and letting our light shine before men. It requires real effort to obey, but it pays good dividends at the end of the way.