19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 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. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:19-27
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/JAS.1.19-27

What do you like about this passage?

Verse 25 “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.” That if we persevere and act on His word we can be blessed in the things we do for Him. Blessed means to be consecrated – endowed with divine favor and protection. As we serve Him He will protect us and His favor will be in our lives.

James was talking to believers in Jesus as the messiah. In the first century, the new testament was not completely written or compiled, so the believers would have been looking at the only scriptures that were available the old testament.

So we have to look at the old testament to see how we have to persevere and act. At the beginning of the verse, you see we have to “look into the perfect law”, the law that God gave would be perfect and give us liberty. We can not be true Christians, in the first century and beyond, if we don’t look at the Law for His guidance. This Law is what defines what sin is and what thing to avoid to have a grace-filled life.

What is difficult about this passage?

Verse 21 “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Putting away the negative action (sin) in our loves is always hard. Some of these actions have been part of our lives for years.

When I accepted Jesus at the age of 22 there was one sin that continued to haunt me for the next 8 years. I was a believer and served Jesus with my whole heart. I tried so many ways to expel this sin from my life.

One day I was given some wisdom that I had to hear from years only difference was I never acted on it. I was told, “That the word says ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ‘ John 1:5. If were to bring our sins into the light then the darkness would not overcome.”

Verse 28 ‘being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts’, for years I was a hearer of forgot. So I decided to act upon this word so a proceeded to sit down with my wife and share this area of sin, bringing it into the light. I have not struggled with that sin for over 28 years, what is reviled to God, He will heal.

What does this passage tell me about God?

God has made a way of escape for us, He desires to bless (endowed with divine favor and protection) us. We just need to stay in a relationship with Him, and apply the whole Bible, both the old and new, to our lives.

What does the passage tell us about People?

If left to our own desires we will follow our own path and allow the filthiness and rampant wickedness to lead us and in turn, will harm others.

What are you going to do with this passage / your personal revelation?

I need to daily examine my life and see if there is anything then is keeping me from being a doer (acting) of his work and not just a hearer. This will take being in God’s word, the whole bible, and spending time with God in prayer and worship daily.