But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:25

kit: Cozy Attic by Marta van Eck

Notice what "law" we believers are under - "the PERFECT law of liberty" - under which we will be judged and rewarded according to our faithful service. (Jam. 2:12, Gal. 5:13-16, 24, 6:2, John 15:12-17, Mark 12:28-34, Matt. 7:12, Rom. 13:8-10 - but don't forget Rom. 13:11-14 - 1Pet. 2:16, Matt. 25:14-30, 1Cor. 3:12-18, Rev. 11:18.) Judgment begins at the house of God and then works its way outward. (1Pet. 4:17-19, Heb. 4:12-13, 10:29-39, Rev. 22:11-15, Rom. 2:6-11, Ezek. 9:4-6, Mal. 3:13-4:3 - also see 1Pet. 2:9.)

immediate context:

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:19-27

(For more context and related passages, see Jam. 1:2-4, 12-16, 2:14-26, Gal. 6:1-10, Jam. 5:19-20, 2Tim. 2:22-26.)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:21-29

That last sentence is also a good lesson for us today. We need to listen to JESUS, through the Bible, not to people who put the teachings and traditions of men equal to or worse yet, above the word of God. We have access to the original Hebrew and Greek to clarify the meaning in cases where there is uncertainty. Scripture interprets Scripture. If someone teaches any interpretation that contradicts other teachings in the Bible, then it is to be rejected (even if it has been accepted by many, even if it's a long-standing tradition). (Acts 17:11, 2Tim. 3:14-17, John 5:39, Luke 24:25-27, 44, Mark 7:6-9, 2Pet. 2, 3:15-18, Jude 1:4-23,  Matt. 7:15-27, 1Tim. 1:5-11, Titus 1:16, Jam. 3:1)

When we "rightly divide" the word, we bear in mind that some requirements of the Old Testament were foreshadows that have now been fulfilled, and some of them are still in effect, because they are STILL being fulfilled in Jesus. (2Tim. 2:15, Heb. 8:5-6, Col. 2:16-23) If we're WISE, we'll obey our Lord during this lifetime in order to have no need to be ashamed of how we used our FREEDOM when He returns. (1Thess. 4:1-8, 1Cor. 5:7-13, 6:18-20, Heb. 12:14, 28-29, 10:26-31, 12:15-17, 6:8-9, John 15:1-10, Matt. 13:40-42, 47-50, note these next two are consecutive passages in the same "conversation" - Matt. 24:36-51, 25:1-13, Mark 13:32-37, 2Pet. 2:18-22, Eph. 5:25-27, 31-32, Rev. 19:7-8, 21:7-8, Jude 1:24-25, Eph. 6:10-20, 1John 1:5-2:6, 2:28-29, Rom. 6, Col. 3:5-17, Eph. 4:17-5:33, 1Pet. 4:3-5, 1Thess. 5:4-11)

I have written many devotionals clarifying that obedience from the heart is a work of the Spirit in us, not something we WORK for, but YIELD to and submit to HIS doing works (bearing fruit) THROUGH us. (Gal. 5:19-24, Rom. 8:13-19, 7:4-6, 6:17-22, 16:19, 8:7-9, Jam. 4:4-10, 1John 2:15-17) It's revealing outwardly the true regeneration of our spirit by the Holy Spirit and the reality that we have been adopted as children of God. (Titus 2:11-3:8, Phil. 2:12-16, Rom. 12:1-2, 1John 3:1-10, note this immediately follows 1John 2:28-29.) My point is to encourage myself and all who love Christ to hold fast to Him, examining themselves as we were told to do (2Cor. 13:5, 12:20-13:2)--not to join the crowd on the broad road, but to stick to the narrow road. (John 14:15-26, 1Pet. 1:6-9, 1John 3:23-24, 5:3, 2Cor. 5:14-15, Heb. 10:24-39, Matt. 7:13-27, Luke 6:46-49, Mark 3:35, 1Cor. 16:22)

Brothers, join in imitating me [Paul], and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:17-21

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Revelation 3:7-13 (Also see Mark 8:34-38, Heb. 12:3-13, 10:32-39, 2Tim. 2:3-7, Phil. 1:29-30, 1Pet. 2:19-21, 4:12-19, Matt. 5:10-16, Luke 6:22-23)