Merge (James 1:22)

Devos.HipHop

Mark J || An Everyday World

“Merge how you live and what you believe.” That’s part of the hook from Mark J’s song “Merge” from his album An Everyday World. This is a dilemma for a lot of Christians. They teach and believe one thing, but live their lives in an entirely different manner. In many cases, if you ran into some Christians on the street, you would have a hard time believing their profession of faith. This is where we need to allow Scripture to grab hold and change our lives. Let’s see what the Bible has to say about people who are taught the Word but don’t live it out.

One verse that comes to mind is James 1:22, which reads, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

When we line this verse up with Mark J’s song, we can say quite a bit. First, the simple fact of the matter is this truth is contrary to the beliefs of many Christians. They love to hear the Bible preached, but refuse to live it out. This is why we have so many immature believers in our churches. Truth be told, as this verse states, the person who only hears the word is deceived into believing they can be a Christian without a changed life.

Too many Christians think they can go to church once a week and have everything they need for God to be pleased with them. They believe hearing the preacher is enough and that somehow his holiness will rub off on them. Wrong! These are the very people James is talking about. You know these people, they probably go to your church, they’re likely your friends, or it very well could be you. This kind of thinking is like the mathematician who makes a miscalculation in his work and ends up with the wrong answer. It’s a serious spiritual miscalculation that stunts your growth.

Instead, we need to be “doers of the word,” which means we are “merg[ing] how we live with what we believe,” to put it in the words of Mark J. We take what we learn and apply it to our lives. What good is a life changing message if you don’t do anything with it? That’s like having a house full of food and making the choice to starve to death. When merging takes place, we start living the Bible daily and it becomes part of who we are.

As we close, what good is it to know the Bible but never put it to use? That’s not a wise move. God has given us His Word so we can merge it into our lives, looking more like him with each passing day. Let’s not be deceived into thinking it’s enough for us to hear the Word and never do anything with it. Let’s make the Scriptures come alive as we live out the fruit of the Spirit on a daily basis. Amen? Amen!

Dig Deeper

1. Read Matthew 7:21-23. What is the fate of those who thought they were doing all kinds of work for the Lord but never placed faith in him?
2. Read James 1:22-25. What outcome can be expected for the person who studies the Bible and does what it teaches?
3. According to James 4:17, what are you doing if you know the right thing but fail to do it?

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Background music: k-Drama “When U C Me (Instrumental)” from album k-Drama Beats Vol. 1: Decade of Drama – courtesy of k-Drama Music