James 1:25, “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.”
“This man shall be blessed in his deed.”
Do you want to be blessed of God? Do you want God’s generosity poured out on your life? We all want to be joyful, and certainly we want to prosper in the way God leads us. James 1:25 promises a three-part formula to receive God’s blessing in relation His Word, “the perfect law of liberty.”
Of course, this perfect law of liberty is a great blessing in itself. Under the Mosaic law, we are all guilty before God. In no way can we hold the standard of perfection required by the law because of the truth that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Yet, because we fall short, Jesus offered a new law, this perfect law of liberty. When Jesus atoned for our sin with His death on the cross, He liberated all who call on His name for salvation from the law and from the wages of sin which is death. We who are saved are free from the slavery of sin, free from the guilt of sin, and free from the wrath of God!
Notice also that this law of liberty is perfect or, in other words, complete. What Jesus did by dying on the cross and rising from the grave pays in full the penalty of our sins and offers us eternal life. Nothing can be or needs to be added. We who are born again are certainly blessed by the truth of this perfect law of liberty.
God also promises here a special blessing by the three-step formula of James 1:25.
1. “Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty.”
How can you expect to receive blessing from God’s Word if you never look into it? It should be no surprise to note that we must open God’s Word and read in order to be blessed. By the hearing of God’s Word, we are able to look into the perfect law of liberty. As we look, we learn. We learn what we are and what we need, we learn Who God is and what He has done, and we learn how to obtain the grace that God offers. We must hear the Word of God in order to believe. Romans 10:17 teaches us that, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We must observe God’s Word, taking it into our hearts, in order to receive God’s blessing. We need to study so that we show ourselves approved unto God, leaving no reason to be ashamed.
2. “And continueth therein”
Looking is a wonderful first step, but then we should continue therein. We must meditate on God’s Word. We ought to reflect on what we learn. The word translated continueth has two great, complimentary meanings.
First, continueth means “to remain beside, continue always near.” Once we have looked into God’s Word, we then need to remain beside it throughout the day. God’s Word should always be close to our lips so that we can “be ready always to give an answer,” and it should always be near our heart to allow us to “draw near…in full assurance of faith.” (1 Peter 3:15; Hebrews 10:22) We need Scripture close.
Second, continueth means “to survive, remain alive.” God’s Word gives life to the Christian: it is necessary for our survival. When we neglect to spend time in God’s Word, we become dead Christians. We need revival in God’s Word to make us alive again. God’s Word brings us vitality.
3. “Being…a doer of the work.”
Then we take what we have meditated upon in Scripture and act upon it. We make the change that we saw in the mirror of God’s Word. We don’t become forgetful hearers, but we allow ourselves to be molded. God gave us His Word so that we can learn doctrine, receive the reproof to show our error, understand the correction to show us how to get right, and follow the instruction in order to stay right (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We look, we continue, and we do: this is how we receive this promised blessing from God’s Word. What God has for us by following this simple formula far outweighs anything the world can offer us. But we can’t do as God leads from His Word if we don’t take the time to meditate on it. We cannot learn all things at once. We must not quench the work of the Spirit as He teaches us. Furthermore, we cannot meditate on Scripture if we aren’t looking into it. Take time each day to look a little more. This small effort gives much-needed reward. We need God’s blessing!