A third text that helps us understand the need to apply God’s Word through the Sunday sermon is found in James 1:21-25. While Peter reveals that God’s divine power has given the believer everything he needs for life and godliness through the knowledge of Christ, and Paul reveals that this knowledge arrives through the proper proclamation, interpretation, and application of the inspired Scripture, James reveals that listening to God’s Word without applying it is worthless.
As James addresses the newly formed church scattered throughout the Roman Empire, he seeks to address an ongoing challenge: sinfulness within the church. Some claimed that a simple statement of faith was all that was needed to demonstrate salvation. However, in his epistle, James seeks to reveal that faith requires works to be true faith. He anchors the argument for a faith that works in the purpose of God’s Word.
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing (Jas 1:21-25, ESV).
James calls the believer to remove himself from the stain of sin and to change his life by listening to God’s Word. Immediately, James reveals that life change occurs only when God’s Word is implanted into the believer. We see from this that the early church viewed life change as the purpose for preaching. So, they centered their worship around the preaching of God’s Word.
Further, James instructs the listener to receive the Word. One cannot simply listen to the message. Instead, the message must be considered and applied. Christians reveal their faith by humbly accepting God’s Word as their authority and guide for life. By receiving the implanted Word and allowing the seed to grow, the believer can bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
The believer who receives the implanted Word then becomes a doer of the Word, not merely a hearer. We see then that the goal of preaching is not hearing. If the Christian satisfies himself with only hearing the Word, preaching God’s Word does not accomplish its goal. The implanted Word can only flourish in the soil of a heart that longs to obey.
James then uses two illustrations to picture the need for life change through God’s Word. First, James relates an illustration of the forgetful hearer. This hearer listens to the proclamation of God’s Word, sees his spiritual state, and walks away without application. James compares this man to someone who looks in a mirror and does not act upon what he sees. His hair remains out of place. The stains of filth remain on his body. Seeing himself in the mirror accomplished nothing.
However, James also relates an illustration of the Christian who hears and applies God’s Word to their life. This man is like the one who looks in the mirror and makes the necessary changes to better his appearance. The one who hears and applies the Word experiences life change. By hearing God’s Word and applying it, they strengthen their walk with God. Only this accomplishes the goal of preaching.
In this text, James reveals the purpose of biblical preaching. Preaching the Word so that crowds only listen does not accomplish God’s purposes. Instead, the goal is to hear for a life change in the listener’s heart. Nevertheless, one should note that God places the onus of acting on the heard Word on the hearer. You must do the work to take the message and apply it directly to your life. Don’t be a forgetful hearer!