James 1:22

And don’t just listen to that word from God, but you have to do everything it says too. If you don’t do the things it says, you will just trick yourself.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

In Context

21So you have to stop doing all those things that are dirty and wrong. You have to listen properly to the word from God, that he put right inside you, and you have to do what it says. Don’t think that you are so good that you don’t need God’s word. No. You have to do what it says, then that word will save you.

23Don’t be like a man that looks at his face in a mirror, but then he just walks away, and he forgets about it. He doesn’t do anything to make himself look any better. Well, if you hear God’s word, but you don’t do the things it says, you are just like that man, because you forget that word, and you don’t do anything to make yourself any better.

Read all of James 1

Cross References

Matthew 7:21And Jesus said, “Lots of people call me, ‘My leader and my boss,’ but some of them will never be in God’s family. God will only have people that do what he wants them to do. God will have those people in his family, but not the other people. God is my father in heaven.

Matthew 28:20You have to teach them to do everything that I told you to do. And remember this, I will be with you all the time. I will be with you to help you, right up until the time when this world will finish.”

John 13:17And I just showed you how to treat each other. So if you do that, God will make you happy.

1 Corinthians 3:18Some of you mob think you are really smart, but you are thinking wrong, like the people of this world that don’t know God. So stop tricking yourselves. Instead, you have to think God’s way. Other people might think you are fools, but really, you will be wise.

Matthew Henry on James 1:20-27

On Suppressing Corrupt Affections; The Duty of Hearers; Practical Religion. ( a. d. 61.) 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word,… Read the whole commentary →

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