Title James 01:22-25 Audience
Contents
Auditorium (James 1:22-25)
Meet the freedom hidden in obedience Don't become a 'audible student of faith' who hears the word of God and does not act
I went to a whole church retreat at the church where I worked before. I played water polo in the swimming pool, and a butler in his 40s tried to take off my swimming panties with a strong desire to win. My mind is young, but when I try to do it, I realize that my body is not like that. It seems like it will do everything, but unless you actually do it, you don't know the true state of your body. Today's text compares those who hear the word of God and do not do it with those who do it. Let's see what the difference is. 1. Those who hear and do not act (verses 23-24)
Let's think about the kind of person who listens and doesn't act. In the text, it is called 'a person who looks at himself in a mirror and turns away and forgets'. The Word is like a mirror, and when the light of the Word shines on you, you will know your condition. Therefore, he is a person who knows God's grace but turns away from it. To receive grace while listening to a sermon is to look in a mirror. However, in order for that grace to continue, we must act according to the Word. Only then will you realize the meaning of the words you have received. Previously, in a copy of a TV commercial, there was a saying, 'You have to eat to know the taste!' Reading the menu in a restaurant is ultimately meant to be eaten later. When you are sick, you get a prescription from the hospital, but it only works when you take the medicine. Likewise, reading the Bible will benefit you when you do what it says.
After realizing the grace of the Lord anew, someone testified. He went to a Christian school. I also attended the chapel and got good grades on the Bible exam. However, he confessed that his faith did not grow. After all, at that time, he was a being who deceived himself. As my knowledge of the Bible increased, I mistakenly thought that I was also growing spiritually. I made a lot of judgments about my faith like this and that, but after experiencing God's grace, I found out that he said a lot of ignorant words back then.
1) looker
This means looking into your face as if you were going into a mirror when you looked in the mirror. This close examination of the law implies that it is possible only through works. When we actually put the Word of God into practice, we come to understand the true meaning of the Word. Understanding the Bible intellectually and making decisions is the lowest level of understanding, and you can understand the Bible in the deepest way by actually doing it. 2) Look into the law that sets you free.
The Old Testament law makes us despair and makes us realize that we are sinners, but after Jesus comes, the law is fulfilled in Christ. For us in Jesus, the law is the guide for our lives as saints. Now, keeping that law is not a condition of salvation for us, but it is a blessing given to the saved people. The more we keep it, the more abundant our life becomes. Those who know the law only by knowledge are those who know it only on the surface. To us, the law is a 'tool of blessing'. Although we know this, we cannot obey, and we do not enjoy the true blessings of the law. Because we all hate the law emotionally. However, once I make a decision and keep observing the law and experimenting one by one, I realize that this is not trying to bind me, but rather, it is giving freedom to my life and my heart. 3) Blessed One
Once you realize the liberating power of the law, you will be able to keep it one by one with joy. Obedience gives you freedom, not bondage. If you look at a university or graduate school, there are auditors in class. These are students who do not listen to receive credit for a specific subject, but simply observe the class freely. At first, I went to lectures and sat down because I wanted to learn. Then, by the end of the semester, they are almost gone and you can no longer see them in the classroom. Why? Because I don't do my homework. You seem to understand during lectures, but you have to do your homework to understand the next lecture. I don't understand it because I haven't actually tried it, and it's not even fun. Those who hear the word of God and do not act are these 'audience students of faith'. If you study the Bible for a little bit, you will get bored. At first I thought the words were good, but they all sound similar. You don't even look at the Bible anymore. It's a tragedy. It's just looking at the menu of delicious food and not eating it.
??Sermon notes
It is well known to Christians that we must obey the Word. However, although I admit it's justification, in my real heart, I often have an unwillingness to obey. In this text, I tried to explain with an example of life so that I can sensibly understand that obedience gives me freedom and is a blessing to me.