Looking in the Mirror
Remember & Persevere.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 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 1:22-25, ESV).
I have been studying the book of James for several weeks now. The overarching theme is perseverance in the Faith by being ‘doers of the word, and not hearers only’. To be clear, perseverance in our works of faith proves the genuineness of our faith, not the other way around. Our works of faith do not save us. We are saved by Faith in Christ alone by grace alone.
The Doer Does Not Forget What He is Like
James compares the person who is not a doer to someone who looks intently at themselves in the mirror, sees what they are like but forgets once they walk away. The mirror is God’s Word. Friends, it is possible to spend time reading and studying God’s Word intently (with earnest and eager attention) but walk away without being transformed by the power of the Gospel. It is easy to see how this can happen with unbelievers. But even as Christians, this happens when our bible reading/studying remains purely informational and does not lead us to grow into Christ’s likeness because we are asleep, refuse to submit some part of our lives to him, refuse to repent, etc. - we forget what we are like. But by beholding the Beauty of Christ in the mirror, in and through the Gospel, we can be changed into his likeness as we see and do not forget our own likeness. This remembering is not for self-condemnation or self-flagellation but for freedom. His law is the ‘law of Liberty’. Apart from him, we see that we are dead, lost, bankrupt, broken, hopeless and lifeless. In Him, we are alive, found, and restored, with all the resources needed to freely love God and others, for His glory.
Doing the word includes outward actions such as serving, being generous, pursuing forgiveness and reconciliation, etc. But it is primarily about submitting one’s entire life and being to Christ - heart, mind, and actions, the seen and unseen parts of us. This is a process that takes a lifetime. So, if you have a more consistent prayer life as a consequence of being in the word, you are doing the word and persevering.
Looking In The Mirror: The Frustration of Unfulfilled Desires
One aspect of perseverance particularly stood out to me in James as he explains how unfulfilled desires at war within us cause quarrels and fights among Christians.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. (James 4:1-2a, ESV)
I asked myself: Does the frustration of my unfulfilled desires cause me to act in anger, jealousy, or strife against others? After some self-examination, the answer was unfortunately yes. Although I don’t often outwardly act or express them, they are definitely stored in my heart, which is just as awful. Though sorrowful, I was not discouraged; I now not only know what to watch out for in my own heart but I also know how to be a doer in this case. God provides the solution. He tells us how to persevere in loving others despite and through the frustration of unfulfilled desires.
Perseverance in Submitting Our Desires to God
You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? (James 4:2b-4b, ESV).
Notice that James is not condemning having desires. He is calling out the various ways we can sin against others when we don’t persevere in submitting our desires to God in Faith. We covet, fight, and murder (this could be referring to actual murder or to anger). What leads to sin is when these passions ‘are at war’ within us - when the law of sin is at war against the law of liberty - when our flesh refuses to bow to God’s Spirit - when we forsake loving others to succumb to what feels good in the flesh.
Who is the doer in this case? Not the one who ignores their desires but the one who perseveres in submitting themselves and their desires to God in faith, humility, and repentance:
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.[…] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:7-8; 10, ESV)
The promise here is not that God will give us exactly what we asked in the way we asked. He may or may not do that. The promises are that 1) the devil will flee from us, 2) God will draw near to us and 3) God will exalt us. The promise is that God will give us what actually addresses the longings expressed through our desires: himself. I know. I know. This sounds like a cliché answer but he is ultimately the one who satisfies all our longings, isn’t he? I will keep praying expectantly for the desires that I have. God is generous, good, and willing to give me good gifts. But I want to remember that God is ultimately the one who satisfies, even if I get those things I asked for.
This calls for growth by God’s Spirit in not forgetting what I am like as I behold the Beauty of Christ in the mirror. In him, I have infinite resources to persevere in loving others, and in bringing my desires to him instead of carrying the burden and sinning against others. Apart from him, I cannot do anything and I am left ugly and loveless. God is faithful to help me.
