Verses 22-24: But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
It is important to note that the ‘hearer’ James is referring to is a believer who is content to read and listen to God’s Word without it motivating them to produce the righteousness of God. Following this self-imposed ritual, they are deluded into believing that they are doers of the Word and have done all that is necessary for successfully living the Christian life. This self-delusion constitutes a reasoning against what is truth and hence a distortion of Scripture. For James maintains that the Christian must not be simply a hearer but also a doer of the Word. That means specifically allowing Scripture its work of transforming and renewing the mind (Romans 12:2) enabling the believer to apply the doctrines of Scripture to the events of their lives. This takes self-discipline by submitting to the teaching of doctrine from a pastor-teacher and personal study and not by merely reading Scripture. No believer is an island in Christianity. The role of the pastor-teacher has been divinely instituted for a specific purpose: that believer should be prepared for the work of service, specifically producing the righteousness of God.
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12)
This sets the stage for what will be explained further, but our response to trials is the point being made now—that a doer of the Word should know that God is not to be blamed of or accused of causing the trials of our lives.
The Mirror of Delusion
James likens the believer who is merely a hearer of the Word and not a doer as a man who not just ‘looks’ but is considering and contemplating his natural face in a mirror. An enhanced translation of this phrase ‘natural face’ can be rendered: the face he was born with.1 What does James means by this? The face of his birth is a face of innocence; the belief of having no guilt and no conviction of wrong-doing. It is true that once a person has accepted Christ as his Savior they are forgiven of all past sins. But this man has deluded himself, he believes that he continually has a clean slate, just like he did on the day he was born innocent of all sinful activity.
Now we see that once this man has contemplated his ‘face of birth’ in the mirror and gone away he instantly forgets what kind of person he was. The word was is the key to understanding this verse. What kind of person ‘was’ this man? He may have been innocent of sinful behavior on the day he was born, but after salvation this may be a different story. For James asserts that now, as a Christian, he is still acting out his unbelief status: unable to overcome trials; being admonished to put aside various evils; and to be slow to anger in response trials. These are not examples of a changed life. These represent the kind of man that he ‘was.’ What he has forgotten is the kind of man that needs to be by being changed into a new man in the likeness of Christ.This is exactly what the Apostle Paul proclaimed:
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18; read the entire chapter 3)
It is unfortunate that many who have professed faith in Christ as their Savior, never move on to that phase in their Christian life, the renewing of the kind of person that they once were. This is the result of a gospel message that only emphasizes insurance from eternal damnation and neglects a complete delineation of Biblical salvation. It is not merely ‘fire’ insurance; it is more than that—it is a relationship with the Creator. And like all relationships in life, it must be cultivated. If we are truly desirous of knowing God and cultivating our relationship with Him, we must do so on God’s terms. He has revealed Himself is through His Word and therefore, it is vitally essential for the believer to study His Word. This is the intent of His Word: “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). And the writer to the Hebrews stated:
For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
These two citations explain the purpose and the method employed by God’s Word in the life of the believer, to enable him to become an effective doer of the Word.
But if the believer is only a hearer (reads Scripture, listens to the Sunday lessons, etc.) and considers that that is all there is to living the Christian life, he remains ignorant of the purpose of Scripture. It is meant to convince the believer that he is not innocent and that he must contemplate the character of Christ and seek to emulate Him by his life, by being a doer of the Word. For Paul clearly explains that this is God’s desired outcome for the study of Scripture:
So that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:17)
In contrast, the ‘mirror’ we should be looking into is the Word of God. When we look into His Word it ought to reflect the renewed man, who now replicates the righteous character of Christ.2 And if we do not measure up to His character, we should become motivated to seek God’s instructions for training in righteousness.
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