“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.” James 1:25 KJV.

When I consider the final part of this discussion, three words/phrases readily come to mind. The first is to be a doer. Surprisingly, it originates from a word that means ‘to be a performer or an actor’. It reminds me of a theatre or movie script with the director simply saying “Play your part”. The script is not something you play lip service to but you ought to act accordingly because you are now assuming the role given to you. You don’t see the bad guy suddenly try to be Mr Nice guy in the movie all of a sudden unless the script says so.

For us as Christians, God is calling us to play out the part assigned to us. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel – Phil 1:27. The word of God is not something to be chanted, simply turned into some lovely slogan or simply hung up on our walls etc The word of God reveals the lovely role/identity of the Christian, believer or new creature Christ paid by His blood to give freely to us.

Now note that this time it does not speak of a moment’s act of goodness. It speaks of our life. God is saying,’Play your part as the Christian you have been called.’ To be a doer is not to try to lace your own deeds with some few goodness of the Lord; like Ketchup on spaghetti. Rather, to be a doer is to live in the ever constant reality of who God has made us in Christ Jesus.

The second word or phrase is ‘to be blessed.’ This stems from the Greek word meaning to be well off or happier. The man who is a doer of the word of God is well off. He is better off. He is happier. He is fulfilled. He is content. He is living the life – the real life. He is not supposed to be the object of pity as the world would have us assume. He is living out destiny and purpose. He is fully equipped and fitted accordingly. I wish space would allow me to say more. The man living in accordance with the reality of who he has been made is reigning in this life. Because he operates in a dimension that is foreign even to certain spiritual beings as he is in harmony with the Father of spirits.

My searching out God’s word is to turn the blessedness I have received on the Cross of Calvary to reality. It ought to be an eye – opener into ever-constant realities.

I remember a brother who was always having regular bouts of illnesses that always seemed to coincide with the beginning of a new season. It kept happening again and again but while he was still contending as it were, he remained diligent in the study of the word. Then he fell sick again. This time he decided to pray to God as before for a healing. Still agonising over prayers, he remembered that God’s Word says he is the healed of God. It struck him all of a sudden that this is who God has called him and he ought not to view himself in some other light in spite of whatever contradictions his body might be telling him. Armed with that knowledge, his seasonal ailment is now a thing of the past. I see in him now a rare boldness. I see him now well off and better than he was in the past.

Permit me to say the blessedness is not in something extra. It is right there. While giving heed to the word, you seemingly draw it out. This reminds me of the expression ‘out of his bellies shall flow/burst forth rivers of living water’.

Lastly, let us take a look at the final word/phrase – Continue. This does not suggest a start – stop – start – stop order.  Instead, it speaks of remaining or dwelling. Simply put: you and I ought to make living out the reality of who we have been made, a constant, permanent thing.

This reminds me of a cat fish my pastor had that leaped out of the local aquarium it was kept in while nobody was home. The poor thing didn’t make it. It was worse off. It was messed up. It lost out. It got frustrated and its poor frame was all that was left to tell the story. If only it had remained/dwelt/stayed in the locally-made aquarium.

The believer can be likened to that. The call to live in the reality of who you have been called is not a call because there isn’t any other thing to say or do. It is because you are wired to live as so. You can’t be content any other way. I find most people who are passionate about their profession find it difficult to stay in any other place. Call the doctor to the museum; that is a big -time stress. Call the accountant to the farm or the farmer to the hospital; you have some major depression coming soon. Bible says ‘If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the Spirit’ Colossians 5:25. I love the song writer that goes to say,’ I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold.’

‘There is a blessedness that comes from a constant, in – depth study of the word of God.  Tap into this today. Seek this above all else. Things would soon start falling off you and you would be dazed to realise what you have now become or turned out to be.

Cheers

-Dr. Bolaji Akanni