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Blessings in James Lesson 02
Introduction:
1. In His Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), Jesus showed how certain people are "blessed." 2. Similar statements are found throughout the Bible, including the book of James. 3. Previously, we showed from James 1:12 that those who endure temptation are "blessed." 4. In this lesson we are concentrating on another blessing revealed in James 1:25 -- doers of the word will be "blessed." 5. Before we examine this verse, let us consider the context in which it appears. Discussion: I. (James 1:21-24) JAMES SHOWED HOW GOD'S WORD IS TO BE RECEIVED A. (vs.21) "The engrafted word" is to be received with "meekness." B. (vs.22a) God's people are to be "doers of the word." C. (vs.22b) We are not to be "hearers only." 1. Such a person deceives himself -- he has not fooled God. 2. Such a person is described in vs.23-24. a. One who only hears God's Word without doing what it teaches is compared to someone who looks at his face in a mirror, he sees himself as he is [he is made aware of improvements that need to be made], he goes on his way without making any changes, and he forgets the image he saw. b. James actually wrote about a person who looks into God's Word [the mirror of the soul], he sees himself as God sees him [he is made aware of sins that need to be corrected], he goes on his way with making any corrections, and he forgets his faults that God's Word has revealed. II. (James 1:25) DOERS OF THE WORD WILL BE "BLESSED" A. A doer of the Word is described as a person who: 1. looks into "the perfect law of liberty" [the Lord's New Testament -- Hebrews 9:15] 2. continues in that perfect law 3. is not a "forgetful hearer" 4. is a "doer of the work" revealed in that perfect law. B. A true doer of the Word will "be blessed in his deed." III. BLESSINGS AVAILABLE TO DOERS OF THE WORD ARE ADDRESSED IN: A. Luke 6:46-49 B. John 8:31-32 C. John 14:21-23 D. 1 John 2:5 | ||