James 1:24

Here we have what happens to the man who only hears the word mentioned in verse 23.

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; James 1:23

Remember in verse 23 we observed that the word hearer is used of one of the audience versus  the doer of the word being the performer.

The hearer is like a person who contemplates himself in the mirror for a time, satisfies his curiosity and walks away, forgetting what he looked like.

The moment this person walks away from what the mirror reveals, it becomes out of mind, forgotten. We also see here that the sort of quality the person is was not revealed by the mirror, only his outward appearance. If you want to see a book’s content, don’t just look at the cover. It may appear one way and turn out to be quite different once you get to read it.

The hearer of the word is a person who listens to fill his curiosity. He listens to what he wants to hear and once he has received his share, walks away with no consequence. He only looks at it superficially and momentarily.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 1 Peter 1:13-14

The hearer of the word needs a mindset change. He likes to hear a nice message preached, it warms his heart. He desires to read the word to see himself in it and satisfy a nagging. Instead of listening for the sake of listening, he should adjust his mentality, prepare to receive the word with intention, with the purpose of action. God is looking for us to walk in our identity (as obedient children) is the form of active dependence – fixing your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Let me give you an example. We hear the gospel preached. We could choose to be hearers only and decide that though it sounds nice and all, we walk away, forgetting the message.  Or by faith in the truth we heard, we receive the message and place our trust in it. This became our first step as doer of the word, we received as a result the Holy Spirit. Now, we should continue in that same mindset.

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, Colossians 2:6

Let us understand that only being hearers of the word is a natural setting for all of us to fall to. It is our default choice. Walking by faith means actively trusting God at His word.  Shifting from being a hearer only to becoming a doer is about a way of life of actively seeking God rather than a daily contemplation in the mirror to see how we look. It is a walk of continuous looking to the word and abiding in it not merely walking away from it as we will see in the next verse.

James 1:23

We have already looked at the contrast between hearers and doers in the last verse.

This verse goes connected with verses 24 and 25.

for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1:24-25

Two types of people are mentioned with two different perspectives. One looks at himself in a mirror while the other looks intently at the Word. The one who looks in at himself in a mirror is observing his outward countenance. He is concerned in regards to his outward appearance.  The irony of this person is that we find since his glance is quick,  he soon forgets what he looks like. This is the hearer of the Word, who as one of the audience only takes in a bit of the Word as one would go to see one do a performance or something. He listens for a bit, then goes on his usual way only to forget what he has heard.

For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:9

This person makes up part of the audience, a hearer only. He only watches for momentarily to fulfil his curiosity but does not apply what he has heard.

We will continue this on the next verse.