James Chapter 1 — Commentary on Verse 22

    Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

    This verse continues from the previous verse. He has spoken about the fruit of the Word and the salvation of the soul. In order that this may be obtained, he shows that we should not only hear it but practice it.

    Do what it says. Here doing implies receiving the work of the Word into the heart and expressing the effect of it in life. There are three things that make people doers of the Word—faith, love, and obedience.

    Donotmerelylisten. Some neither hear nor do; others hear, but they rest in it. Therefore the apostle does not discourage listening. Listen, he says, but not merely.

    Deceive. The word implies a syllogism. It appears to be true, but it is false in matter or form. The apostle refers to those false discourses that are in men’s consciences. Paul uses the same word to imply the deceit that people impose on others by plausible arguments: “I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments” (Colossians 2:4).

    Yourselves. The argument receives force from these words. If someone wants to baffle other people, he would not deceive himself in a matter of so great consequence. Or else it may be an admonition: you deceive yourselves, but you cannot deceive God.

    Notes on Verse 22

    Note1. Listening is good, but it should not stop there. The apostle says, Donotmerelylisten. Many go from sermon to sermon and hear much, but do not digest it in their thoughts. The Jews were much given to turning over the leaves of the Scriptures but did not weigh them. Therefore our Saviour reproves them in John 5:39, “You diligently study the Scriptures.” They thought it was enough to be concerned with the letter of the Scripture, and that mere reading would give them eternal life. There is a sad description of some foolish women in 2 Timothy 3:7, that they are “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.”

    Note2. The doers of the Word are the best listeners. It is good when we hear things that are to be done and do things that are to be heard. That knowledge is best that is most practical, and that hearing is best that ends in practice. David says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). It is light indeed that directs you in your paths and ways. Matthew 7:24 says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” That is wisdom, to go to the Word in order that we may leave it better people.

    The true use of ordinances is to go to them so that we may profit from them. If you cannot find immediate benefit in what you hear, consider how it may be useful for you in the future. It is good to provide for Babylon while we are in Zion, and not to reject truths as being irrelevant to us but to store them up for future use.

    Note3. Deceiveyourselves. Do not cheat yourselves with a false argument. Observe that self-deceit is founded on some false reasoning. You can help your conscience not to be deceived in the following ways:

    (1)      You may build on right principles. It is good to “hide the word in our hearts” and to fill the soul with sound knowledge. This will always rise up against vain hopes. If you want to destroy weeds, you must plant the ground with different seeds. “Bind them upon your heart forever … when you awake, they will speak to you” (Proverbs 6:21-22).

    (2)      If the witness of conscience is not to fail you, observe these rules: First, note the first sign of an aroused conscience. Sudden promptings through the Word or through prayer are the birth of conscience. The first voice of conscience is genuine. Therefore, whatever peace wicked people like to claim, their consciences truly witness to them. The artificial and second report of conscience is deceitful and partial, when it has been flattered or choked with some ungodly principles. But the first report, like a stitch in the side, is true and faithful.

    Second, wait on the Word. One of its main uses is to help the conscience in witnessing and to bring us and our hearts to know each other: “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). It reveals all those schemes through which we try to hide our actions from our own conscience.

    Third, frequently call your conscience into the presence of God. First Peter 3:21 talks of “the pledge of a good conscience toward God.” Will your conscience witness in this way to the all-seeing God? When Peter’s sincerity was questioned, he appealed to Christ’s omniscience: “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you” (John 21:17). Can you appeal to God’s omniscience and assure your hearts before him? “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:19-20). God’s omniscience is mentioned there because that is the attribute to which conscience appeals.

    (3)      For conscience to do its work as judge, you must do this: First, when conscience is silent, be suspicious of it; we are sometimes careless, and our heart grows senseless with pleasures. A dead sea is worse than a raging sea. This is not a calm but death. A tender conscience is always witnessing; so when it never asks, “What have I done?” that is a sign that it is seared. There is constant talk between a godly man and his conscience; it is either suggesting a duty or revealing defects. It is believers’ daily exercise to judge themselves. Just as God, after every day’s work, reviewed it and “saw that it was good” (Genesis 1), so they review each day and judge its actions.

    Second, if conscience does not speak to you, you must speak to your conscience. David told insolent men to “search your hearts and be silent” (Psalm 4:4). Take time to speak with yourself. The prophet complained, “No one repents of his wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’” (Jeremiah 8:6). There should be a time to ask questions of your own souls.

    Third, clarify every uncertainty. Conscience will sometimes lisp out half a word. Draw it out to full conviction. Nothing makes the work of grace so doubtful as when Christians content themselves with being half-persuaded. The Spirit delights in complete conviction: “He will convince the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Conviction comes when things are laid down so clearly that we see it is impossible that it should be otherwise. The Spirit does this whether it is in a state of sin or righteousness. God says he will deal with his people so roundly that “you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation” (Ezekiel 16:63). They will be so convinced that they will not have a word to say except “Unclean! Unclean!”

    Note4. People are easily deceived into having a good opinion of themselves because of mere listening. We are prone to latch on to the good in any action and not to consider its evil: I listen to the Word, and therefore I am doing well. Watch out for this deceit. Such a weighty structure should not be raised on so sandy a foundation: see Matthew 7:26.

    (1)      Consider the danger of such a self-deception. Listening without action brings greater judgment on you. Uriah carried letters to Joab, and he thought the contents were for his preferment in the army, but it carried the message of his own destruction. We hear many sermons and think we will point something out to God; but from those sermons will God condemn us.

    (2)      Consider how far hypocrites go in this matter. They may stop following errors and listen to the Word constantly: see Luke 6:47. They may approve of the good way and applaud it: “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you” (Luke 11:27-28). They may display a great deal

    of false affection: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). They may be endowed with gifts of prophecy and miracle-working; but see Matthew 7:22. Christ says, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down” (Matthew 7:19). There must be something positive. There may be some external conformity, but there is no effectual change; the tree is “a bad tree” (Matthew 7:18). So outward duties with partial reformation are no good.

    (3)      Consider how easily we are deceived: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Who can trace and unravel the mystery of iniquity that is in the soul? Since we lost our uprightness, we have many schemes through which we avoid the voice of conscience (see Ecclesiastes 7:29).