by In James 1:1-20, James deals with many issues in the church prevalent in our lives today ─ attitude, mind, will, heart, temptation, desires, deception, disobedience, self-control of our tongue, our ears, and our anger. James’ answer to overcoming these issues and being blessed of God is the “engrafted word.” engrafted means “implanted,” intimating God’s Word is a planted seed in our hearts.
For the seed of God’s Word to flourish in the hearts of believers, James 1:21-23 gives a few conditions to be met:
- “lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness” – Take off our moral defilement and the superabundance of our unashamed wickedness
- “receive with meekness the engrafted word” – With the right attitude and humble heart, replace what we took off with what is already implanted in our hearts, God’s engrafted word
- “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” – Apply what we humbly received from God’s engrafted word, otherwise, we do not deceived God nor the Devil but we deceive our selves
If we meet God’s conditions found in His engrafted word, James 1:25 tells us we “shall be blessed.” This verse makes it clear that God’s blessings don’t come simply be looking into or reading God’s engrafted word, called here “the perfect law of liberty.” Blessings come when we “continueth therein,” not becoming a “forgetful hearer” but becoming a “doer of the work” that the engrafted word reveals to us. Thus, it’s not just the reading of the engrafted word that brings joy, peace and happiness, but the application of the Word through our faithful obedience!
James is teaching what Jesus taught: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32). Many believers do not have this blessing of freedom because they have not continued in the same engrafted word that saved their soul. Consequently, though they will meet their Lord and Savior one glorious day and be eternally free from sin, they are not His disciples today.
Believer, are you blessed by the engrafted word? Are you a true disciple of the One who saved your soul? Are you continuing in His engrafted word and applying it to your life? It’s never too late while there is breath in your life.
