OUR MIRROR.

The Bible provides with us a mirror of spiritual revelation.

James 1:23-25

(23) "For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

(24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his, way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

(25) 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." (KJV)

Jam 1:23-27 AMP

For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

(24) For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

(25) But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

(26) If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren).

(27) External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

Two basic conditions: we must receive it with meekness - that is, with the proper attitude of heart and mind; second, we must be doers of the word, and not hearers only, we must immediately proceed to apply it in a practical way in our daily lives.

If we fail to do this, we shall be deceiving ourselves - we shall not be experiencing any of the practical blessings and benefits of which the Bible speaks.

The Bible works practically in those who apply it practical.

James 1:23 -25

(23) "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

(24) for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

(25) But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (NKJV)

The mirror of God's Word reveals nature and condition. Remember that while you are reading your Bible, your bible is also reading you.

Through the mirror of his Word, God was showing me the truth concerning my own inner need and emptiness.

The bible is a mirror of the soul. The result which it produces in us depends to a large extent upon our reaction to it. If we see that our hair is untidy, we brush it; if we see that our face is dirty, we wash it; if our clothes are in disorder, we adjust them.

To receive the benefits of the mirror of God's Word, we must act in a similar way. If the mirror reveals a condition of spiritual uncleanness, we must without delay seek the cleansing which comes to us through the blood of Christ.

Only by acting practically and without delay upon that which the mirror of God's Word reveals to us, can we receive the forgiveness, the cleansing, the healing, and all the other blessings which God has provided for us.

The mirror of God's Word can reveal not only the unpleasant, but also the pleasant. It can reveal not merely the corruption and the imperfections of the ‘old man' without Christ, but also the holiness and the perfections of ‘the new man' in Christ.

If, when God's mirror first reveals to us the truth of our own sin and uncleanness, we immediately act upon this revelation - if we repent, if we believe and obey the gospel - then the next time we look into the mirror, we no longer see our own sinful nature, bur instead we see ourselves as God now sees us in Christ: forgiven, cleansed, justified, an new creation.

2 Cor. 5:17-18

(17) "therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, al things have become new.

(18) Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ."

God Himself accepts responsibility for every feature and aspect of the new creation in Christ.

2 Cor. 5:21 "For He made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him".

God's righteousness is a righteousness without blemish and without spot; a righteousness which has never known sin. We need to gaze long and earnestly at this in God's mirror until we see ourselves there as God sees us.

Song 3:18 "You are all fair, my love. And there is no spot in you".

Keep continually looking in the mirror of God's Word.

2 Cor 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord".

Paul emphasizes that is while we are thus looking into the mirror and beholding there the glories of the Lord, that the Spirit of God is able to work upon us and to transform us into the very image of those glories which we behold.

It is while we are look into the mirror of the Word of God that the Spirit works upon us and changes us unto the likeness of what the mirror reveals.

2 Cor 4:17-18

(17) "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

(18) while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal".

Heb 11:27 "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible".

It was Moses' vision of the eternal, invisible God and Saviour of his people that gave him faith and courage to endure and to triumph over all his afflictions.

The secret both of transforming grace and of victorious living lies here - in the use that we make of God's mirror. While we use the mirror aright, God's Spirit works out these effects in our lives.

OUR JUDGE

God's Word is also our Judge.

Abraham says to the Lord:

Gen. 18:25 "... shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?'

And again Jeptah said in:

Judges 11:27 "May the Lord, the Judge, render judgment this day..."

We read in

PS.58:11 "Surely he is God who judges in the earth".

And in:

Is. 33:22: "For the Lord is our Judge".

The Lord says in:

John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the word, but that the world through Him might be saved".

And again we read in:

2 Pet. 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance".

God delights to administer mercy and salvation, but that He is reluctant to administer wrath and judgment.

The apostle says in:

1 Pet. 1:17 "...the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work..."

Judgment of all men is plainly stated to be the office of God the Father. In John Chapter 5, Christ reveals that the Father has chosen in His sovereign wisdom to commit all judgment to the Son.

John 5:22-23; 26-27

(22) "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,

(23) that all should honour the son just as they honour the Father..."

(26) "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.

(27) and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man".

The office of judgment has been transferred from the Father to the Son.

With the office of judge goes also the honour due to the judge; and in this way all men will be obliged to show the same honour toward God the Son, as they would toward God the Father.

Second, Christ is also the son of Man, as well as the Son of God, that is, He partakes of the human as well as of the divine nature, and thus in His judgment He is able to make allowance, from His own experience, for all the infirmities and temptations of human flesh.

He in turn has transferred the final authority of judgment from His own Person to the Word of God.

John 12:47-48

(47) "And if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

(48) He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words has that which judges him - the Word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day".

This reveals that the final authority of all judgment is vested in the Word of God.

The Lord says in:

IS 66:2: "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My Word."

Already revealed to those who will receive them, are unfolded the principles and standards of divine judgment for the whole human race.

Mat. 24:35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away".

The apostle John unfolds the scene in:

Rev. 20: 11-13

(11) "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

(12) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

Christ has assured us there will be one, and only one, standard of judgment: the eternal, unchanging Word of God.

Ps, 119:160 "The entirety of Your Word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures for ever".

1 Cor 11:31 "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged".

How may we judge ourselves? By applying to every aspect and detail of our lives the judgments of God's Word. By repentance and faith accept God's provision of forgiveness and mercy, God Himself will never bring judgment upon us

John 5:24: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed form death into life".

Rom. 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.."

What must we do to escape God's condemnation? We must hear His Word. In humility and repentance we must accept every one of its righteous judgments, as applied to our lives. In faith, we must accept its record that Christ took our condemnation and suffered our punishment. Accepting these truths of God's Word, we are acquitted, we are justified, we pass out from under condemnation and death into pardon and everlasting life.

Accepted and obeyed, it assures us already of perfect pardon and full salvation through a righteousness which is not ours, but the righteousness of God Himself.