Truth Without Application Brings Deception

James 1:22-25~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. 


We first have a command..
Be doers of the word, not hearers only


We have a consequence for not obeying the command..
I will deceive myself


We have an example..
A man who wakes up in the morning and takes a peek at himself in the mirror. He spends no time studying his reflection. No time reflecting on things he sees. No time thinking about what he saw when he leaves. He no sooner walks away, and has already forgotten if his hair was done or not. Forgotten if his teeth were clean or not. He needs to go back again to take another look. But after he looks, he will soon return again looking the same way he left.

We have an application of the command, and the example..
If you are like that man with the word of God, and you hear the word preached, and do not spend any time reflecting, or thinking about it at all; do not apply what you heard preached, you will be deceived. If you are not like that man, but you do think about the word you heard preached, you do act on the truth you heard, you apply and do what was required of you from God; you will not only not be deceived, but you will be blessed in what you do.

May you not be deceived today as you sit under the preaching of the Word of God!