James 1:25 reads:
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Instead of looking at ourselves, as in the previous two verses, we must carefully look into the law. That is to say, we must be less self-absorbed, and more focused on what God has provided for us in his written word — the gospel. God’s perfect word is complete and sufficient. The bible lacks nothing needed for our living and salvation.
The gospel is also law, having authority and binding the conscience. When one is obedient to the law, it provides liberty. The hearer and doer of the law is free from the bondage of sin. The Christian obeys not because of fear of punishment, but from our love of God and our “born again” nature. When we follow the law as provided in the bible, we are free to live a more rich life, less constrained by the shackles of sin.
This verse also makes it clear that following the law is work. To read and understand the bible takes time and effort. Further, to act on its teachings can seem heavy indeed. However, God provides every man with sufficient understanding to follow the law, and He provides the Holy Spirit to help us in our efforts. These great and powerful helpers, when combined with our true and earnest efforts, can transform our lives to ones of obedience.
Finally, the promise is that man is blessed in the doing. We are blessed in the afterlife, because by placing our faith in God’s law, and by his foretold Son, who is the propitiation for our sins, we are granted forgiveness and afterlife. I believe there are also manifold temporal blessings as well; our lives in this realm are also made richer.
I think this is a fitting verse for Independence Day weekend. While our country is great, God is the ultimate provider of the perfect law of liberty.
