God’s Word Reflects What and Who You Are - further discussion with Yipeng

Your view:

A man looking at a mirror will see who he is. I personally think that a Christian when looking through a mirror will see and remember his true identity in Christ – He will see a Christian.

My view:

Here, Charles Capps IMHO is reminding us to remember whose we are and to possess an active faith - meaning you listen/read to the Word and respond according to the Word in your daily walk with Christ. When we look at the mirror it is not merely a Christian we see, we see that "Christ in us the hope of glory."

I like what Dr.Neil Anderson said -

"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!"

=D We are not mere Christians who go to church, read the bible, and pray. We are overcomers of our daily trials and heirs to the promises of Abraham through Christ. That is the identity we must carry with us in our hearts and recall.

Bible warns us not to be double minded. This means we can either choose to believe or not to believe that we have the victory and perfect provision in every area.

Sometimes when trials come our way, we can easily despair. And the bible asks us not to be double-minded but to ask in faith (James 1:5-6).

"Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open."

That is what Charles Capp is talking about. We must know whose we are and we must not be double minded- we either believe or we don't. God will bless us according to the level of trust we have in His faithfulness.


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Your view:

Capps says that facing the circumstances of life, we may forget that we are joint-heirs unless we decide to act on what the Word of God says about you. This seems similar to v24 but deviates from v25 which tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus (Jesus is the Word – John 1:14 and the perfect law of freedom / liberty - Gal 5:11, 14) and do what He tells us.

My view:

Let's look at the verses again in NIRV translation:

23 Suppose you listen to the word but don't do what it says. Then you are like a man who looks at his face in a mirror. 24 After looking at himself, he leaves. Right away he forgets what he looks like.

25 But suppose you take a good look at the perfect law that gives freedom. You keep looking at it. You don't forget what you've heard, but you do what the law says. Then you will be blessed in what you do.

Basically v24 talks about people who are focused on the self and whose heart soil (like in the parable of the sower) is stony ground. The Word falls on it but cannot take root, and then it dies.


This is followed by v25 which does not deviate, but rather continues the comparison. Here v25 of the Scriptures is referring to those who are focused on Christ and His saving grace; whose heart soil had been readied to receive the Word of God - the seed (Word) falls upon it, is able to take root and is able to grow and bear fruit.

Those in v24 may be Christians, but the Word is not firmly rooted in them which is why they experience defeat and disappointment. They are the ones talked about in Hosea where it says - "My people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)

Those in v25 are Christians who have an understanding that is firmly founded on Christ the solid rock. They stand on it. They believe it. They walk it out in every areas of their lives. They bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their lives and are victorious through Christ. =)