“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
—James 1:22
In our text, James tells us it’s not enough to just hear the Word of God, but we must do what the Word says. The phrase “hearers only” comes from an ancient term used for auditors. An auditor is one who listens but does not do the work. Jesus described the Pharisees as spiritual auditors in Matthew 23:2-3, when He said, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.” There are many spiritual auditors in churches across the world today. They show up for worship occasionally, quote a Bible verse now and again when it’s convenient (and it’s usually “judge not lest you be judged”), but they never obey the Word from the heart. And James says spiritual auditors, those who come only to listen, deceive themselves. What about you? Are you a spiritual auditor or do you strive to walk in obedience to the teaching of God’s Word? James says in our text, “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves.” In other words, if you think you can be a hearer of the Word and not a doer then you are deceived.
Jesus speaks about the person who is self-deceived by being a hearer of the Word and not a doer when He says in Matthew 7:24, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” You see, the foolish man deceived himself by thinking that the sand was good enough for the foundation of his house (the house refers to the man’s life), even though the Lord said to build the house upon the rock. We must build our lives on the rock of Christ’s Word and not the shifting sands of the opinions of the fallen world. Ultimately this issue is all about Lordship. Is Christ your Lord? If you say to Jesus, “Lord, Lord” but do not obey Christ as Lord, then you are deceiving yourself about salvation!
May the Lord be pleased to open the eyes of all those members of the church who are simply “spiritual auditors” rather than true believers in Christ.
Friday Devotional: August 28, 2026
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry
