GPS ENG: LISTENING IS NOT ENOUGH
Read:
True faith does not merely listen to God’s Word. It receives it, believes it, and puts it into practice. Let’s read James 1:16–18.
Observe:
According to verse 19, what three things should we do?
Why does James say we should be slow to speak and slow to become angry?
What comparison does James use to describe a person who hears the Word but does not act on it?
What does James say we should do with the Word of God in verse 21?
According to verses 26–27, how can you tell if a person is living as God commands?
Discover:
James presents a very simple yet powerful idea: It is not enough to simply listen to the Word of God. We must do what it says. In James’s day, many people gathered to listen to the Scriptures and receive teaching. But James wanted believers to understand that hearing the truth is not the same as living the truth.He uses the image of a person who looks at their face in a mirror and then walks away and forgets what they looked like. What is he trying to tell us with that example? The mirror showed them something real. But looking in the mirror didn’t change anything. In the same way, God’s Word can show us who we are, what’s wrong in our lives, what we need to change, and how God wants us to live. But if we listen and do nothing, the Word isn’t bringing about the change God wants to make in us. Why isn’t it enough just to believe in God? What is the difference between believing in God and having faith in God? Biblical faith doesn’t simply mean saying, “I believe in God.” Faith means trusting God in such a way that our trust produces a response. If I say I believe a chair can hold my weight, but I never sit on it… am I really trusting the chair? I can say I believe it. I can explain how it works. I can tell others that the chair is sturdy. But trust is demonstrated when I sit in it and put my weight on it. I’ll say it again: Faith is trusting God in such a way that that trust produces a response. When we truly trust someone, what that person says begins to influence our decisions. Obedience does not earn our salvation. We are saved by God’s grace through faith. But true faith begins to change the way we live. James says that a person may talk a lot about their faith, but if they do not control their tongue, their religion is empty. They talk a lot about what they do not live out. He speaks from his emotions but not from his convictions. The question isn’t just, “What do I know about God and His Word?” but we must also ask, “What am I doing with what I know about God and His Word?” Let’s read Luke 11:28: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” Jesus connects these three things: HEARING + KEEPING + ACTING. If we listen to the Word every week but continue to live exactly the same way, what does that say about us?
Live It:
What part of James 1:19–27 challenges you the most personally? Why?
How can we tell when we’re just listening to the Word and when we’re truly living it out?
Why do you think it’s sometimes so hard for us to listen before we respond?
Why do you think it’s easier to hear a message about God than to obey Him? Why?
What area of your life needs to move from “I know what God says” to “I’m going to do what God says”?
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A TRUTH TO REMEMBER:
“A FAITH THAT LISTENS ALSO OBEYS”
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