But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves…not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
—James 1:22, 25
It is a terrible delusion to delight in hearing the Word and yet not do it. Multitudes of Christians listen to the Word of God regularly and yet do not do it. If their own children were to hear but not do what they said, they would be greatly disturbed. However, the delusion is so complete that some never know they are not living good Christian lives. What deludes us in this way?
One cause for this delusion is that people often mistake hearing the Word for religion or worship. The mind delights in having truth explained, and their imaginations are pleased with clever illustrations. To an active mind, knowledge gives pleasure. A man may study electricity for the enjoyment the knowledge gives him, without the least intention of applying it practically. Some people go to church, enjoy the preaching, and yet do not do what God asks. The unconverted and the converted man alike are content to continue listening and saying, yet still doing the things they should not do.
Another reason for this delusion centers on our private Bible reading. The reading of the Bible is often regarded as a duty. We spend our five or ten minutes in the morning, reading thoughtfully and trying to understand what we have read. It is a duty faithfully performed that eases the conscience. We do not realize how this attitude of duty can cause us to become hardened toward God’s Word. To avoid this delusion, we must approach our daily Bible reading with the desire to do and be all that God would have us to be. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
This delusion must be conquered during our morning quiet time. This new approach may disturb our regular Bible reading schedule. However, the important thing is that we decide to do what we read. Our Lord Jesus said, “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God” (John 7:17). If we delight in God’s law and set our wills on doing it, then we can receive divine illumination. Without this will to do, our knowledge has little value. It is simply head knowledge.