James says in James 1:21 to “accept the word planted in you.” Then in the next verse he lets his readers know what he means by “accept the word” when he says, “Do what it says.” Merely being a student of the word or one who listens to Bible teaching is not good enough. We must do what it says. There is transforming power in the truth, but it must be applied to our thinking and our doing, besides being heard. The Jews themselves had a saying among the teachers that made the same point about the study and teaching of their law: “Expounding is not the chief thing, but the doing.” Thus, the word has not been “received” until it has been practiced in life.

Those who merely hear or study the word without a transformation occurring in their life have not received the word, but instead are deceived. A deceived believer thinks they have received the
word by simply having heard and agreed with teaching without having manifested the fruit of
the word in their attitudes and actions.

James compares the person who hears the word but does not do it to a man who recognizes
himself when he is standing directly in front of a mirror. But, due the man’s mental weakness, or because the man lacks the ability to concentrate and pay attention, this same man forgets
what he looks like as soon as he walks away from his reflection in the mirror. This is not normal.
For a man not to recognize himself means something is seriously wrong.  That man is like a
man who nods his head in agreement with the teaching of the Word, but never applies it to his life.