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"But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

James 1:25

Being born into the family of God is a wonderful privilege. It offers benefits that last forever, including the forgiveness of sins, the imputation of Christ's righteousness on the believer's account, and being given eternal life, among many. However, being part of the body of Christ isn't always about privileges; it also comes with responsibilities.

One of our duties is to continually study God's word and consciously apply its principles in everyday life. We must understand that the blessing does not come from studying, but obeying. It is one thing to know what you must do, but to do it is a whole different thing. What good does knowing that a red traffic light means stop if you ignore it anyway?

That's the idea behind the very practical epistle James wrote to the dispersed Jews. While several men were named 'James' in the New Testament, it is highly likely that James the half-brother of our Lord Jesus wrote this insightful letter.

James is instructing his readers to strive to mature in the faith by putting to practice the lessons they are learning. Contrary to what some people believe, Christian maturity isn't very much about longevity; it's about applying God's word consistently. You may be attending church for the past 20 years, but if you disregard God's words, you are still considered a spiritual babe.

To illustrate his point, James compares a person who looks at himself in a mirror, walks away, and forgets what he was like (vv. 23-24). Ancient mirrors are very much different than what we have these days. They were made not with glass but metallic materials like silver and bronze and even gold for the well-off. The image of those mirrors reflected was far from perfect.

On the other hand, James tells them that if they apply biblical principles in their lives, they will become productive and should expect a blessing. This lesson reminds me of God's word to Joshua:

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Joshua 1:8

The Bible is the "perfect law" and the "law of liberty" because its source is the Almighty God, who is perfect in every sense. It is inerrant, sufficient and necessary for both Christian doctrine and Christian duty. The more time we spend studying the Bible and obeying its principles, the higher our grasp of spiritual freedom becomes. The Holy Spirit enlightens our hearts to understand God's word and gives us the power to do what it says.

As we obey God, we become better at resisting sin. Our obedience to God's inspired word makes our freedom more tangible. In a sense, our exercise of spiritual freedom depends on how good we are at carrying out God's commands.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself in terms of applying God's word to your life? May the freedom you have in Christ cause you to obey God and make you a fruitful believer.

Pursue the Saviour today!