Become Doers by Faith that Works

James 1:21-27 

21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Because we face temptations which we allow to lead us to sin when we do not say no to them and yes to Jesus Christ and His word, we must throw off and push away temptation’s desires of fleeting pleasure.  Instead we are to humbly realize our sinful frailty and take on His word already planted in our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33, 2 Corinthians 3:3), eagerly and expectantly, that we may be further changed (sanctified) into Christ’s likeness.  This means we take to heart what is given into the heart and do what God says.  We are not only to trust for salvation, but obey all He commands to be pleasing and holy as we are called to be.  We take time to reflect on His word and put it into practice by the power of His working in us, not “letting go and letting God” choose to do what we must.  True faith then is trust that works out what God puts inside us to act accordingly.  Therefore we take time to gaze into the mirror of His word and reflect on our thoughts and actions and to have a constant reminder of our state - who we now are and what we should become.  We compare our image to the example of Christ as well,as others who followed Him well (Hebrews 13:7, 1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1).  We listen, hear, and act accordingly.  Examples here are watching our speech, helping the truly needy, and keeping purity in our lives in all things.  We do because we believe, we do not do in order to have faith.