2 Cor. 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

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. James 1:23-24 NKJV

22.But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 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.

22.But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. DOERS OF THE WORD Faith in action “poet” = creative action NOT HEARERS ONLY Matt.7:21 “he that doeth the will of my Father” DECEIVING YOUR OWN SELVES Deluding – not reasoning correctly

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: {mirror} 24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. Looking in mirror to see what needs changing Read the Bible and ask “How does this apply to me?”

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. Law = the New Testament Perfect Law = Complete, last, or end Perfect Law of Liberty = “To obey God is Liberty” Doer of the work = Blessed

Importance of the Divine Mirror To have God’s approval 2 Cor. 10:18 1 John 3:22 Come to have His approval and Keeping his approval How can we tell if we are approved of God “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim. 2:15

Purpose of the Divine Mirror See how we look Added – Subtracted – Changed Improve our image Look in Divine Mirror - To see how we look Added – Subtracted – Changed Improve our Spiritual image add things missing take away things wrong make life better

Reflections of the Divine Mirror God demands certain things  Study  Pray  Attend  Working  Teaching  Giving  Helping Others

Reflections of the Divine Mirror 26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Reflections of the Divine Mirror  Our Mouth is out of control  Go places we ought not go  Do things we should not do  Thinking thoughts we ought not think We can be dirty spiritually – need to make changes

How do you Look ?

Have you obeyed the Gospel ? Have you departed from the Faith ? Are you living Righteously ?

Sermon by Arthur Pigman Evans Church of Christ 515 Gibbs Road Evans, Ga Sunday Morning February 10, 2013