Bible study 3/25

[notashamed]

James 1:22-25 "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."

What parts of these verses stand out to you and why?
What focus(s) do you see here?
What applies most to your life?
How does this scripture leave you feeling? Why?

 

[Abombinabull]

"The perfect law that gives freedom"
That seems like a contradiction to our modern ears, doesn't it?
We've been trained by our culture to question authority and that religion is the opposite of freedom.
How does God's law give us freedom? What is REAL freedom?
Is it the kind of libertarian freedom that says, "if it feels good, do it?"
It seems like at the base of this verse or at least of my line of thinking here is this: Is the Christian life better than the secular life? Is it freer? Is it more abundant? If so, how?
The passages says, "he will be blessed in what he does..." Do we really believe that? What kind of life would we have to live...what would it take...for our non-christian friends to believe that?

Hehe, I've asked more questions and not really provided any answers.

 

[Kleburg]

James 1:22-25 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.

This line stands out to me because if you don't want to make a fool of yourself then you need to listen and follow the word. And in following it will bring to the ultimate freedom sitting at the throne with God. This is what I feel to be the context of this.

 

[Strong Fortress]

Sometimes we feel we are doers instead of just hearers because we speak God's Word. However, if we speak and do not act, we are speakers and not hearers. I beleive it was Saint Augustine that said, "Go into all nations and preach the gospel. Use words if neccessary."

 

[notashamed]

The idea of the "perfect law that gives freedom" and being doers of the word are what I see as the central ideas of this passage. I think they are interconnected here. That by knowing that the law gives freedom, we become doers of the word. I love Abombinabull's point of the freedom seeming like a contradication. It does seem that way, but it isn't.