Fruit – Living the Gospel through the Word
James 1:22–27 – Listening and Responding to God through His Word
Introduction
What’s the first thing you turn to when you wake up…your phone, the news, your to-do list? What fills the gaps in your day? We often speak of “addiction” in negative terms, but what if we reframed it? What if the one thing we craved, the one thing we couldn’t stop thinking about, was the Gospel?
James 1 shows us that true discipleship, pure religion, is not just about hearing God’s Word but doing it. The one who loves the Gospel can’t help but live it. And the one who lives it will also give it. Today, we’ll see that gospel-shaped living is like fruit on a tree, an outflow of what we’re rooted in: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Gospel Exposition: James 1:22–27
James begins with a warning: if you only hear the word and don’t respond to it, you’re deceiving yourself (v. 22). That kind of religion (James calls it worthless) is disconnected from Christ. It looks like external conformity but lacks inward transformation.
Those who hear without responding are like people who glance in a mirror but walk away unchanged. We might see our sin for a moment, feel conviction, even nod in agreement. But if we’re not consumed with the Gospel, if it’s not the central reality of our lives, we forget what we’ve seen. We fall into gospel amnesia.
What happens when we forget the Gospel?
- We become self-deceived, thinking we’re spiritual just because we’ve heard the truth.
- We become loose-tongued, failing to bridle our words because we’ve lost sight of grace.
- We become uncompassionate, missing the heart of God for the weak, the marginalized, and the afflicted.
But James also paints a different picture: the one who intently looks into the perfect law of liberty (the Gospel of Christ) and acts on it (v. 25). This person doesn’t forget. They’re blessed not because of mere hearing, but because of active, joyful obedience. The Word has been implanted in them. They are Gospel-lovers, Gospel-livers, and Gospel-givers.
This is pure and undefiled religion (v. 27). Loving God. Loving others. Remaining unstained by the world. Not in order to be accepted, but because we already have been, through the blood of Christ.
Jesus is the perfect law of liberty. He is the Word made flesh. He is the mirror that reveals who we truly are, and the One who transforms us. In Him, we are adopted, loved, and empowered by the Spirit to live lives of mercy, holiness, and gospel-saturated obedience.
The Fruit of a Gospel-Addicted Life
James doesn’t give us a checklist—he gives us a vision of what flows from a life captivated by Christ:
- We look intently at the Gospel, not with occasional glances, but with sustained hunger.
- We respond by acting…obeying, loving, repenting, praying, worshiping.
- We care for the weak not out of guilt or pride, but because we were once the weak ones Christ came to save.
- We live unstained from the world…not in fear or legalism, but as those who belong to another Kingdom.
Gospel fruit is what grows when we’re rooted in Gospel grace.
Worshipping Jesus
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Worship Jesus as the Living Word who reveals our hearts and makes us whole.
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Thank Him for planting His Word in you through new birth.
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Ask the Spirit to help you live out the Gospel in obedience, mercy, and purity.
Reflection and Response
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Are you glancing at the Gospel occasionally or gazing at it daily?
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In what areas of your life are you hearing but not responding to God’s Word?
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How might you intentionally build a rhythm of listening and responding to Scripture this week?
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the perfect law of liberty. You have saved me by grace and implanted Your Word in my heart. Forgive me for hearing but not doing, for loving comfort more than obedience. Help me become a Gospel addict: to love Your Word, to live it daily, and to give it freely. Let my life bear the fruit of Your Spirit, shaped by Your mercy and holiness. Amen.
Discipleship Challenge
This week, choose one section of Scripture each day and read it slowly. Before you read, pray: “Lord, speak to me.” As you read, ask: “What are You revealing?” After you read, respond: Is God calling me to obey, trust, repent, worship, or pray? End by asking, “Who can I share this with today?”
“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres… will be blessed in his doing.” – James 1:25