James 1:24

Goeth. The moment he turns from the mirror he forgets his true appearance. The test of sincerity and purpose is in the response a man makes to the challenge of the Word of God. Those who are “hearers only,” as a result of either procrastination or “false reasoning” (see on v. 22), choose not to surrender their lives to God. The man who hears only may be compared to the “way side” hearer of Matt. 13:4.

Straightway forgetteth. The apostle does not necessarily refer to any intention to forget but to what inevitably occurs when sincerity is lacking. Without a wholehearted decision to conform to the will of God as it is made known, even the best of intentions “straightway” vanish.