[But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only] Obey the gospel, and do not merely listen to it. Compare Matt 7:21.
–Barnes
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. –Matthew 7:21
[But be ye doers of the word] They had heard this doctrine; they had believed it; but they had put it to no practical use. They were downright Antinomians*, who put a sort of stupid, inactive faith in the place of all moral righteousness. This is sufficiently evident from the second chapter.
–Clarke
*Antinomianism: The doctrine or belief that
the Gospel frees Christians from required obedience to any law, whether
scriptural, civil, or moral, and that salvation is attained solely through faith
and the gift of divine grace.
James 1:21-22
Christianity is a religion of action. As important as it is to listen (cf. James 1:19), one must not stop there. Doing must follow listening. To be a hearer only is a form of self-deception.
–Wycliffe
Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only-not merely 'do,' but 'be doers' systematically and continually, as your regular business. James again refers to the sermon on the mount (Matt 7:21-29).
–JFB
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. –Matthew 7:21-29
The word "be ye" has the meaning of "keep on
becoming", so this is indicative of a process. Everything in the Salvation
Process is a process. Being a doer of the Word does not mean performing
human works but is talking about allowing God to perform in and through you by
the power of the Holy Spirit. See
our
paper on the two kinds of works mentioned in the Bible. To build the
character of Christ, one must work. All the elements of the Salvation
Process are about the firstfruit taking action by power of the Holy Spirit.
They include keeping the Law, invoking the power of the Holy Spirit, overcoming
sin helping in the spread of the Gospel. This is being a doer.
Lessons 36:
Instructions
1) Be a hearer AND a doer of the Word of God.
2) Understand the difference between physical works and spiritual works.
3) Obey God.
4) Be a performance Christian. Allow Christ to live in and through you.