Becoming Doers Of The Word Through Obedience
The biblical call to be "doers of the Word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22 LITV) emphasizes that genuine faith involves active obedience to God's revealed will. This concept is central to Christian understanding of discipleship and spiritual maturity.
Obedience to God is explicitly commanded throughout Scripture [3]. It involves heeding God's voice, obeying His law, following Christ, and submitting to the Gospel [3]. The Westminster Confession of Faith defines good works as "only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word," distinguishing them from actions motivated by "blind zeal" or "good intention" without divine warrant [4]. These good works, performed in obedience, serve as "fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith," demonstrating thankfulness, strengthening assurance, edifying fellow believers, and glorifying God [4].
The New Testament frequently links hearing the Word with believing and acting upon it. John Calvin notes that "to hear" is often synonymous with "to believe" in Scripture, and that believers are distinguished by being "taught of the Lord" [6]. The ministry of the Word, alongside prayer, is a primary means through which faith is ordinarily wrought and strengthened by the Spirit [2, 7]. However, merely hearing the Word is insufficient; James warns against self-deception for those who are hearers but not doers [1].
The Catholic tradition, as articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, describes faith as man's "adequate response" to God's invitation, involving a complete submission of intellect and will. This response is termed "the obedience of faith" [8]. Similarly, Thomas Aquinas discusses obedience as essential to religious perfection, likening it to disciples following a master to attain a specific end [5].
Sources
- James “James 1:22 (LITV) — But become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
- Acts “Acts 6:4 (Darby) — but we will give ourselves up to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Obedience to God — Commanded -- De 13:4. Without faith, is impossible -- Heb 11:6. Includes Obeying his voice. -- Ex 19:5; Jer 7:23. Obeying his law. -- De 11:27; Isa 42:24. Obeying Christ. -- Ex 23:21; 2Co 10:5. Obeying the gospel. -- Ro 1:5; 6:17; 10:16,17. Keeping his commandments. -- Ec 12:13. Submission to higher powers. -- Ro 13:1. Better than sacrifice -- 1Sa 15:22. Justification obtained by that of Christ -- Ro 5:19. Christ, an example of -- Mt 3:15; Joh 15:20; Php 2:5-8; Heb 5:8. Angles engaged in -- Ps 103:20. A characteristic of saints -- 1Pe 1:14. Saints ”
- Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 16 (part 1): CHAPTER 16 Of Good Works 1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention. 2. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, wh”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Those Things in Which the Religious State Properly Consists, Art. 5: Article: Whether obedience belongs to religious perfection? I answer that, As stated above (Articles [2],3) the religious state is a school and exercise for tending to perfection. Now those who are being instructed or exercised in order to attain a certain end must needs follow the direction of someone under whose control they are instructed or exercised so as to attain that end as disciples under a master. Hence religious need to be placed under”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 57: ), to hear being uniformly taken for to believe . In fine, in Isaiah the Lord distinguishes the members of the Church from strangers by this mark, “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord,” ( Is. 54:13 ); for if the benefit was indiscriminate, why should he address his words only to a few? Corresponding with this, the Evangelists uniformly employ the terms believers and disciples as synonymous. This is done especially by Luke in several passages of the Acts. He even applies the term disciple to a woman ( Acts 9:36 ). Wherefore”
- Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 14: CHAPTER 14 Of Saving Faith 1. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened. 2. By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage th”
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catholic) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, CHAPTER THREE (part 1): CHAPTER THREE MAN'S RESPONSE TO GOD 142 By his Revelation, "the invisible God, from the fullness of his love, addresses men as his friends, and moves among them, in order to invite and receive them into his own company."1 The adequate response to this invitation is faith. 143 By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God.2 With his whole being man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, "the obedience of faith".3 1 DV 2; cf. Col 1:15; I Tim 1”