Listener Only?

For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.
-Romans 2:13 (NLT)

When it comes to your reading and study of the Bible, are you merely listening and reading the words, or are you obeying what you see or hear in the Word? There is a big difference.

Paul writes in Romans 2:13, "For merely listening to the law doesn't make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight." So many people that I've come in contact with merely listen to the Word of God. They hear the message the Pastor preaches, they read the Bible on their own, they listen to Christian radio-but they are unchanged. Paul makes it clear that just listening to the Word doesn't make us right with God. Look at it like this. I'm hungry, and I order a cheeseburger at McDonald's. If someone tells me that I must unwrap the cheeseburger to eat it, and I do nothing, then the cheeseburger will not satisfy my hunger. Do you see where I'm going? Just hearing the Word will not make you right with God. What does, then?

"It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight." It's obeying what we've heard and read in the Bible. It's putting the Word into action in our lives. James writes about this in James 1:22-24, " But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. ²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."

Are you fooling yourself into thinking you're right with God, while ignoring what His Word says to do? Think About It.