THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY

JAMES 1:22–27

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

(James 1:25).

James compares the Word of God to a mirror. In the ancient world, mirrors were usually made of polished metal, thus giving a reflection not as perfect as what we are used to. Even so, the reflection was adequate for His purposes. James says that when we hear God’s Word taught and preached but then go away and forget what we have heard, we are like a man who looks at himself in a mirror and then forgets what he looks like.

This is quite true to life. Even a great artist would have a hard time painting a self-portrait without a mirror handy. It is usually easier for us to remember what other people look like than to remember what we ourselves look like, even though we are one of the most mirror-using civilizations in history.

The Bible shows us what we are like and what God wants us to be like. The Law of God shows us our imperfections, setting God’s goals for our perfection before us. Unlike a real mirror, however, what the Bible shows us is confirmed in our hearts if we are real Christians. The Holy Spirit takes the reflection we see in the Bible and reminds us of it. Thus, we should not forget what we have seen and learned.

But how often we do forget. How many times have we been convicted of a certain sin, and worked on that sin for a time, and then forgotten about it—only to be reminded months or even years later that the sin is still a problem. Even with the “inner friend” of the Holy Spirit, our deceptive hearts work overtime to make us forget what we have learned from the Word about ourselves and God’s will for us.

Thus, says James, the righteous person “looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom.” We need constant exposure to the “outer friend” of Holy Scripture, to remind us of our shortcomings and to set our goals before us.

Moreover, says James, if we just study the Bible and don’t work at doing what it says, we will become forgetful. Bible study will become an intellectual game, and we will become dead Pharisees. We need to look into God’s perfect law, and also labor to obey it, in order for it to transform our lives.

CORAM DEO

Galatians 1–3

WEEKEND

Galatians 4–6

James 1–2

Using the Bible as a mirror, look up and read Galatians 5:19–21. Then go to prayer, and ask God to show you which parts of the list apply to you as you read it thoughtfully. Ask His Spirit for help in overcoming the evil tendencies in your life today. Tonight, review the list and pray again.

For further study: Ps. 19:7–11 • Matt. 7:24–27 • John 8:31–36

WEEKEND