1:22-25 To whom is this teaching directed?
1:22-25 To whom is this teaching directed?
This is directed to everyone in the church who professes faith in Christ and His blood atonement, believing that is all that is necessary for salvation. V 22 clearly refutes that thinking. Whoever thinks that is deceiving themselves.
Merely hearing God's word will not get one to heaven; it must be acted upon - only doers of the word will be saved (CP Psa 119:9; Pr 4:4; Mt 7:21-27 (also Lu 6:46-49) 12:30, 46-50; Ro 2:13; Jas 2:14-26; Rev 1:3).
Jesus makes it very clear in Mt 12:30 that there is no neutrality in Christianity. If believers are not actively involved in doing the work of the word for Christ, then they are actively involved in doing the work of the devil in opposition to Him.
Many Christians do not properly understand that what Jesus teaches here applies to every professing Christians who is not doing the work of God's word. It does not apply to those outside the church but to those inside the church who profess to love Christ but do not obey His commandments.
They will forfeit their salvation. We cannot play down this meaning because, apart from the preceding scriptures, that is what is taught throughout the New Testament (CP also Mt 19:17; Jn 14:15, 21; 15:5-10; Ro 2:7-11; 1 Cor 7:19; Ga 6:7-8; 1 Jn 2:3-5; 3:22-24; 2 Jn 6; Rev 22:14).
Jas 1:24 teaches that those who merely hear God's word quickly forget it, like the man who looks at himself in the mirror and then walks away and soon forgets what he looked like. Only those who hear the word and do it are blessed of God.
This blessing does not refer to temporal prosperity but future approval, when the kingdom of God is established on earth (CP Psa 1:1-3; Mt 5:3-9; Jas 1:12; 2:5 with Jas 5:7-11). See also comments on Jas 5:14-16.
The law of liberty in Jas 1:25 is so-called because believers have been freed from sin's bondage, and desire to do the will of God (CP Jn 8:34-36 with Psa 119:45).
The law of liberty must never be seen as a licence to sin but rather, as the freedom and power to obey Christ's commands (CP Jas 2:10-12).