It is great to aspire to be a scholar of the bible; to read it daily and to know what it says. But knowing what it says is only half the journey. The hard part is actually doing what it says. If we only hear what it says and don’t do what it says, who are we fooling? Who are we trying to impress with what we’ve learned? The bible tells us that if we don’t do what the bible says, it is just like looking into a mirror then walking away and forgetting what we look like. James 1:22-25 says:
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does."
I challenge you to give some thought to that portion of scripture. Like a mirror, the bible reflects who we really are. The bible is described as being sharper than any two-edged sword. It cuts us deep when we read it because it shows how unholy we are. The principles of the bible go against our fleshly desires and challenges the worldly norms. But what good is it if we read it and don’t do what it says? It is like ignoring the truth - ignoring what we really look like. The bible says that by actually doing what we hear, we will be blessed in what we do. I know I want that for myself and I want it for you as well.
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The key isn’t just learning what the bible says, the key is actually doing what it says. Let’s not deceive ourselves of the truth. I challenge you to find out what the bible says for yourself and let the Holy Spirit reveal its truths to you. Many people, including myself in this book, try to tell you what the bible is saying. Often times some of the most challenging scripture are not talked about often in churches, Christian songs or shows that you might listen to. We, as believers, need to educate ourselves on what the bible says, discern what we hear from others – including our pastors, and do only what the bible says even if it challenges some of what we’ve heard from others.