The conjunction “but” tells us this verse builds on another. That another is James 1: 21, which ends, “…humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.” Sound advice for all of us! Once we receive the Word, we have a responsibility: to do.

When my girls were still living at home, they got accustomed to a certain admonition. If they told me, after given an instruction, “I know, Mom.” I would say, “It’s not enough to know; you have to DO.” That’s pretty much James 1:22 in a nutshell. If we hear the truth and we go on living as if we were never exposed to it, we’re deceiving ourselves. When we know better, we’re expected to DO better. We can’t tell God, “I didn’t know!”, because the Bible gives us all the instruction we need. It isn’t enough to “talk the talk”; we need to “walk the walk.”