Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  (18) Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.  (21) Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the Implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  (22). But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; (24) for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  (25) But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it,  and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does. (26) If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. (27) Pure and undefined religion before God and the Father is this:  to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. 

James, the half brother of Jesus and the head of the early church at Jerusalem, wrote this pastoral letter to Jewish Christians admonishing them to be doers of the word, not just hearers. He illustrates this point by comparing a man giving himself a cursory glance in the mirror and turning away, satisfied with with what he sees and turning to other things with a man who looks in a mirror for self examination and repair.   James is saying that the word of God is the mirror we should study as every word has meaning and application in our lives – this mirror exposes our pride and self centered lives and uncovers all our worldly faults. It is personal.

Hearers only of the word of God forget what they hear which is the default mode of our sinful nature. The casual man in the mirror has other priorities and therefore only deceives himself/herself; he/she lives a life of dis-ease.    James warns us to be doers of the word as belief and application leads to freedom, peace and blessings.  Application of the word is life long and we will delight in the word of God which will change our conduct and character.  The faithful are to live in the world, not to be of it.  Look in the mirror and see the passing of the world – look carefully and you will see the peace of the Lord looking back at you.

There are differences between moral and social beliefs and behaviors and James is telling us to behave as we believe.  This is what he means by doers of God’s word and not just hearers of the word.  It is the difference between blessings and self deception – the difference between eternal life amd spiritual death.