Topic: The Perfect Law of Liberty [Archbishop Margaret E. Benson Idahosa] Above Only Daily Devotional 21 March 2020

James 1:22-25 Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For it any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 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.

It is important that we take note of the context in which our text above is written. There is an illustration being used about a man looking at the mirror, but after leaving where the mirror is, he forgets what he looks like. The idea is that the man in unable to retain the real picture of himself in his mind and as such, he is unable to live or act in line with the real image of himself. This man is therefore bound to misbehave or malfunction. A believer who is unable to retain the real image of who he or she is in Christ is bound to misbehave or malfunction. The perfect law of liberty that we need to keep looking into to live and function the right way we should, is the revelation of Christ. Christ came to set us free from sin, the devil and all evil and limitations and to make us have His life so we can live and function like Him. Only Christ can give us a perfect picture of ourselves.

Because we are in Christ, we must keep our eyes on Christ so that the perfect picture of who we are will be fresh in our consciousness and it will continue to influence our thoughts, words and actions. Instead of conforming to this world, our minds will be renewed and we will be transformed by the Spirit of God. The Amplified Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit”. As we act in line with our true image in Christ the power, glory and blessings of God will be activated in our lives.

Prayer:

I receive your grace Heavenly Father, to keep my eyes fully on the perfect picture of who I am in Christ.

Bible in one year reading plan: Joshua 10-12, Luke 1:39-56.