Hearing and Doing

MEMORY SELECTION: “Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” —James 1:22

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:43-49; 8:19-21

THE words of Jesus as recorded in John 6:44,45 are as follows: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

This text tells us that many will be exposed to a message concerning the Heavenly Father and his arrangements. Those whom the Lord calls are permitted to “hear” or understand something of God and his plans and purposes. And when they hear they come to Jesus as the divinely provided access to the Heavenly Father.

Then, in Matthew 13:16,17 we read another statement by Jesus: “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” These words were directed to his disciples and apostles, indicating that seeing and hearing the secrets of God is a privilege that is granted only to those whom the Heavenly Father selects.

The Apostle Paul, in I Corinthians 2:10, speaking of the mysteries and hidden wisdom of God, states, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

This enlightenment of mind is given to those whom the Lord has called and who have dedicated themselves to God and have therefore agreed to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. This special revealment of God’s secrets is for a purpose. It is the Heavenly Father’s design that this consecrated enlightened group will find in his Word the instructions and guidelines necessary to lead them in the path of righteousness and instruct them as to their privileges and responsibilities in the Lord’s service.

The cluster of texts surrounding our memory text carries the thought of our lesson. “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. But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into 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 deed.”—James 1:18-25

We believe that the illustration used by the Apostle James of a man looking in a mirror and beholding himself, and then straightway forgetting what manner of man he was, pictures most clearly the hearer of the Word only. The learning process operates best when there is both hearing and doing. And as the illustration suggests, it is only by doing that a lasting impression is made.

The purpose of our calling and enlightenment is that we are, through experiences, to be conformed to the character-likeness of Jesus. We receive these experiences when we are in the process of doing the Word.

In the 4th chapter, verses 12-14, of I Peter, the apostle describes these experiences as follows: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.” Suffering, as used here, means being submissive in the experiences, endeavoring to be rightly exercised and to develop a Christlike character.

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