This is the Way: The Excellency of Love
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Introduction
Introduction
Last week, we spent our time in James thinking about what was not the way, which was a life of bias and discrimination. This week, we could say, “This is the way.” as we learn from James what is the godly alternative to partiality.
PRAY
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Love is the way, not bias.
Love is the way, not bias.
If you really fulfill the royal law according to Scripture - James introduces the proper response to the poor in this case, but to all men ultimately. The standard for Christian conduct is the supreme or royal law which is revealed in the God-breathed Bible. The contrast is clear. Instead of being governed by the wicked standards of partiality, the believing household is to live under and by the Word of the living God.
What is the royal standard specifically? You shall love your neighbor as yourself - One is to love the one near to them with an intentional, purposeful affection. This is an desire driven activity toward another person for their good. This is the royal law.
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
This is echoed and established more excellently by Jesus in :
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
You are doing well - When one obeys the royal law, they act nobly or beautifully. This is a good act. This is the way.
Love submits to the whole law of God.
Love submits to the whole law of God.
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and convicted by the law as transgressors - As a reminder, James tells his readers that bias and discrimination is a violation of the commands and standards of God. Notice he highlights the acts of sin itself and the person who violates or disregards the law. Partiality falls short of God’s glory and makes the violator guilty according to the standards of righteousness.
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it - It seems that James has concern about his readers cherry picking the law of God. In others words, they are treating some commands as less important when it comes to their treatment of the poor. Therefore, James teaches them the solidarity of the law of God.
For he who says, “Do not commit adultery.” also said, “Do not murder.” - I think there is a clue about why the law is understood as a unit. It is because of the one who grave it. The one who gave the law gave all of the law. Every command given by God comes with equal authority and equal expectations upon mankind to obey them. God gave both commands, do not leave a proper marital relationship and do not hate or hurt your neighbor. One is not more important than the other. James continues.
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
R. Kent Hughes writes, ““The law is a transcript of divine character,” and any violation of it is a violation of the character of God. The same evil that causes us to break one of God’s laws will, in different circumstances, cause us to break the others.
If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. - Jame gives a scenario. Here, a person has been faithful in his or her marriage and sexual relationship, but has committed murder. This person cannot argue, well at least I did not commit adultery as some sort of defense for committing murder. This person has broken or violated the royal law of God.
R.C.H. Lenski comments on this section, “The law is a unit, its unity is love; to violate it at one point is to violate love as such, the whole of it. We constantly tend to minimize our sins and thus to reduce our repentance and amendment of life; we need James to show us the whole damage of sin, the whole condemnation of the law, the full depth to which repentance must go.”
Love excels over judgement.
Love excels over judgement.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty - Since the law is a whole, James presents a way of acting according to the law of liberty. The Christian should consistently communicate and live according to the freedom found in God’s commandments.
J.I. Packer comments, “Behave in a way that demonstrates you have come under the banner of love and the privileges of the Gospel; and then, when you come to be judged, you will be judged according to the Gospel.
Douglas Moo, “We do need to remember, as we have shown repeatedly in this section that the law in question here is not the OT law as such, but the OT as reinterpreted and imposed by Christ on his followers. And the idea that Christians will be judged on the basis of conformity to the will of God expressed in Christ’s teaching is found in many places in the NT.”
24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Moo again, “God’s gracious acceptance of us does not end our obligation to obey him; it sets it on a new footing. No longer is God’s law a threatening, confining burden. For the will of God now confronts us as a law of liberty—an obligation we discharge in the joyful knowledge that God has both “liberated” us from the penalty of sin and given us, in his Spirit, the power to obey his will. To use James’s own description, this law is an “implanted word,” “written on the heart,” that has the power to save us (Jas. 1:21).”
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy - James presents a proverbial warning to reinforce the correct behavior among the family of God. In the final separation when our deeds our sifted whether good or bad, the one who has not expressed pity or compassion will receive from God what they have given.
9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
The inverse of this beatitude is also true, “Cursed are those who are not merciful, for they will not be shown mercy.” Favoritism and bias is an expression of a heart which has not tasted or is not savoring the mercy of Christ.
Mercy triumphs over judgement - James closes this portion with a positive assertion. Mercy or pity, which is related to the OT idea of steadfast love is victorious over judgment. This could also be translated “mercy boasts over judgment.” The idea here is that the one who is merciful gives evidence they know the mercy of God by practicing the merciful treatment of other, especially the needy. When God saves a person and they know something of the depth of mercy God has granted to them, it shapes how they treat others. Therefore, the merciful person is not fearful of judgment because they are experiencing God’s mercy.
J.I. Packer writes, “He also says that mercy finds the judgment not only tempered but overcome; that is, he who shows mercy is not in danger of damnation, for God will not condemn those who imitate his own goodness, and therefore that man may rejoice like a person who has escaped.”
Practical Application
Practical Application
Let’s consider the purpose of the law of God as it relates to conversion. New City Catechism Question #15 Since no one can keep the law, what is its purpose? That we may know the holy nature of God, and the sinful nature of our hearts; and thus our need of a Savior.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
If one does not trust in what Christ has done for us in the keeping the law perfectly, they will be condemned to stand before God based upon their performance and keeping of the law.
When are person is converted, they possess a new nature and new power to reflect God’s character and obey God’s law.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Based upon your displays of love to people in need whether it be physical or spiritual, would you say your mercy has boast over the judgement?
God’s character and actions are the pattern for us.
Are you generous?
Do you forgive wrongs done?
Have you concern for the troubles of others?
When is the last time you shared the Gospel?
Are you a peacemaker?
Is it a joy for you to be merciful to others?