Good
morning! After a two week break from this study, I hope that you are ready to
get back into the book of James as we dig into God’s Truth together.
As you
read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: keeps, guilty,
transgressor, law of liberty, and mercy.
Passage
for the day: James 2:10-13 (NASB)
10 For
whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For
He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now
if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a
transgressor of the law.
12 So
speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For
judgment will be merciless to
one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Questions for thought: Take
a few moments to answer these questions before you go on to the next section.
How can you be guilty of violating the entire law if you only
broke one of the commandments?
What is the law of liberty?
Since
we will be judged by the law of liberty, how should we act toward others?
What
are 2 ways that you can show mercy to others this week?
Meditate on this:
Sometimes we think that if we keep most of God’s
commands, then we are okay. James
explains to us that there is no middle ground.
James tells us
in this passage that if we violate even one of God’s commands, then we are
guilty of all of them. How is this
possible? Think of it this way. Sin is never a question of breaking a single
command but of violating the integrity of the whole law. Each of the Ten Commandments are connected,
like links in a chain. We offend the
whole law through every single sin because we are actually refusing to submit
to the Law-Giver, God Himself. The two
extreme examples of adultery and murder show how this works. If someone says, “Well, I only committed
adultery, but at least I did not kill anybody,” then they have missed the
entire point of obeying God’s commands.
It is not the carrying out of the command but the heart attitude of
submission that is required. Every time
we sin, we are refusing to submit to God and are in opposition to God’s plan
for our lives.
Instead,
James tells us to speak and act as those who are to be judged by a law that
makes them free. The law of liberty does not condemn – it liberates us! This law sets free those who obey it when
they, in turn, set free those who are oppressed by the world. We obey this law of freedom through including
the poor and unfortunate as people God has called us to serve. God will delight in showing His mercy to
those who do this. However, if you
refuse to show mercy and love your neighbor as yourself, then you will be in
danger of judgment. Love and mercy
define the “law of liberty.” Rejecting this liberating law means falling under
judgment of the whole law.
It is
interesting to me that James is so harsh about this concept of showing love and
mercy. He does not come down on the
adulterers and murderers in this passage (although they too will be
judged). Instead, James’ focus is on
getting us to see life from God’s perspective.
Showing favoritism and refusing to show mercy to others is a very serious
sin! It is not something that we can
just overlook or take lightly. Failure
to show mercy to those in need calls into question whether there has been any
true act of repentance in face of God’s mercy to us. We have been shown great mercy and love from
our God – why should we withhold that same mercy and love to others who are in
need?
As we
go throughout the day, let us remember to be Christians who submit to God’s
commands with a heart of submission and be marked by our love and mercy toward
those God has called us to serve!
Praying for that you would Love Christ
PASSIONATELY, Know Christ DEEPLY, and Enjoy Christ FULLY!!!
Pastor Stephen
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