Hearing and Doing - Be Doers

But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. 
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
(James 1:22 NLT)

You are only deceiving your own selves and your souls when you are just merely reading the Bible or hearing the word of God but not doing it. If you think that by reading your Bible daily, by being punctual in attending the church service, or by giving respectful attention to the sermon, you have done all that is required of you, you are laboring under a most gross self-deception.

There are multitudes that seem to imagine that they have done all that is demanded of them when they listen attentively to the word preached, or read the Bible regularly. They heard the word, they believed it, but they did not obey nor put it to practical use. They tend to forget that the main thing is that they should be obedient to the word. They put a sort of inactive faith in the place of all moral righteousness and reasoned themselves into a state of carnal security.

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. (Matthew 7:26)

Though the word should be heard quickly and eagerly, and received with humility and submission; yet it should not be just heard and accepted; but what is heard should be put in practice. You should not depend upon your hearing, as if that would save you; this is deceiving your own selves.

It is not sufficient to "hear" the word of God; they must be "obeyed."

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24)

Be ye doers of the word - And they are such, who spiritually understand it; gladly receive it; and from the heart obey it, and make a sincere and honest walk of life; and who submit to its direction, and keep them as they have been delivered.

I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. (Luke 6:47)

He is not only a hearer, but a doer of the word of God. He receives the doctrines in the love of them, and cheerfully obeys and exercises faith on them. This is the great work and calling of a true Christian; he is to do, and does do in this life because of his love for God; not to obtain eternal life but as a result of God's grace and righteousness through Christ our Lord.

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