James 2:8-13

“The Royal Law and The Triumph of Mercy”

Read James 2:8-13

Pray- Impartiality, God’s mercy, be like Christ

Dismiss the Children

Introduction

(Context) Just some quick context; James, who is the overseer of the church in Jerusalem, is the author of this letter. This letter is sent out to the church at large who is in that day suffering. This letter is dealing with sanctification; Being set apart, how a believer is to order their lives.

(Disclaimer)-We are saved by Grace alone through Faith alone in Christ alone. Therefore…(next recap)

(Recap) Partiality<Impartiality— Rich man, Poor man—contribute to you—The Lord of glory

Partiality is a sin against God, and you and I might say to ourselves that it is a minor sin compared to murdering someone or committing adultery on your spouse, which undoubtedly it is not as severe. But all sin will send you to Hell. 

(Illustration) Imagine for a moment you came into this church and slapped me in my face. You didn’t murder me and you didn’t steal my car, just slapped me in the face. What might I do? I might say “Why did you do that?” Let’s say that while I am offended about you slapping me and I call the cops, and they send an officier. The Cop comes in and then you slap that cop in the face. What is going to happen to you then? You’re going to jail. Let’s then say while you are in jail that you slap a fellow prisoner, what is going to happen to you? You might get shanked on the prison yard for what you did. Let’s say you then get the opportunity to go before a judge, and when you arrive to the court you slap the judge in the face, what is going to happen to you? You are going to jail the maximum amount of time that that judge could send you there for. What if then, the president of the United States hears about this and decides to visit you in jail. And when the president gets there you slap him in the face… What is going to happen to you? A tweet on X will be made and you are probably going to be in jail for the rest of your life.

Notice that the action of you slap someone never changed, but the person whom you slap changed thus result on severer reprocussions….What would happen in you slapped God in the face? Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23

ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

It does not matter what sin it is, even though some sins maybe worse than others, all sin earns the judgment of death because it is violating the law of a God who is eternal, and who’s judgment is final.

(Proposition) This is the proposition that we will discuss: God’s law is good, but it demands perfection. So what do we, those who violate this law need? Mercy (Sermon title) “The Royal Law and The Triumph of mercy”. 

To prove this we will be examine these three things; 1) What is the Royal Law? 2) How can we so speak and so act according to the Law of Liberty? 3) and why does mercy triumph? 

Royal Law

(Read) James 2:8-11

“If you really fulfill the royal law”

So what is the Royal law? The Law of Liberty, the law that James says is the perfect law? (Read James 1:25) The law that James says that we as believers look into and continually gaze at? This is the Moral Law 

(Read) James 2:8.

“You shall love your neighbor”- James when saying that we are to fulfill the royal law, where does James make his appeal from? Does James say the Royal Law is according to himself and his own desires? James appeals to scriptures, that reveal the Law of God and quotes directly from Leviticus 19:18 Which says

Leviticus 19:18

ESV

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. 

(Read) Matthew 22:34-40. 

What is the Law of God? If we boiled down the moral Law, we would walk away with these two precepts, one of James tells us. To love God and to love our Neighbor. (Convict) How are you doing? How have you loved God with you mind this week? How have you loved the Lord, the Lord of Glory with you, with your heart? How have you loved the triune God who has shed Him mercy and grace upon you, how have you loved him with you soul? 

Because Brothers and Sisters, we think slapping someone is insultful, we owe all our love and adoration to our King, just because of who He is, yet how often does our love fall short? How often does our love miss the mark? How does our love fail to achieve the height and depths for maker and sustainer? 

The more I think about this, the more I realize; that if the chief law is to love God, more love to God is failing continually so in the ultimate sense, I ask myself have I ever done something is pleaseing to the Lord for what He is fully deserving of? We don’t just slap God in the face with our sin, no, we ar spewing venom at His Character to the degree that blapshes His name. You want to honor God, love Him, yet you fail!!!

While you chew on that for a moment, James specifically discuses the second table of the moral law, dealing with loving our Neighbor. Consider 4 exhortations regarding loving those around us; 

Luke 6:27-31 Love your enemy 

Luke 6:27–31

ESV

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 

Romans 12:20-21 feed your enemy 

Romans 12:20–21

ESV

To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

Matt 5:22 Pray for your enemy 

Matthew 5:22

ESV

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 

1 Peter 3:9 bless your enemy 

1 Peter 3:9

ESV

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 

(Pray) Lord help us love, Lord help us love, Lord help us love. 

(Question) How are you doing? May the weight of sin crush the proud heart of man under its weight. May it crush you in remembeance for what did Christ die for

James 2:1-9 is speaking specifically about the Law of loving your neighbor regarding being partial in our judgements and actions toward others, which I promise you we are all guilty in some sense of this sin, But any sin, no matter if it lacking in your love towards God or lacking in your love towards neighbor, is vile enough to send you to Hell for eternity, because the one whom you sinned against is eternally good, eternally Just, and eternally faithful to send you to Hell for eternity for breaking the least of any commandment. 

(Question) So how are you doing? We have fallen short of the glory of the Lord. So, there are two way in which the Royal Law will operate in your life. It will either one day condemn you or it will today convict you. 

I pray that it will convict you! Sin is a serious thing, and what ever is in your mind now, may your repentance of it quickly. May no time for sin to prevail in your livesm but Confess it to the Lord. 

So Speak and So Act

(Read) James 2:12-13.

Why do I say that the Law will either condemn or convict, because there are ultimately two type of people that Christ teaches of. He says that are goats, or there are sheep. Both the goat and sheep have the Royal Moral Law above there heads, but it is the Sheep of God who in the Covenant that their mediator Christ Jesus Himself, cut on their behalf, has written the law upon the hearts. 

Turn with me to Hebrews 8 (Read) ((((Find the individual bible verse)))) 

Why do I read this in correlation to James 2:8-13? Because James exhorts to be a people who act according to our profession. 

“So Speak and So Act”

(Illistration) One thing that I learn many years ago when first pursing the career of being a Firefighter. I started out like many do, by being a volunteer Firefighter. I was apart of the Parma Fire Department roughly 10 years ago. And what I found fascinating was how many men and women came into the fire department wanting to become a firefighter. They would be given a shirt for attending one meeting and then never be seen again… They were not firefighters, they wanted a T-shirt. I hope that none of us are here today attending church for a t-shirt, for the title, for the idea. But no, we are Christina because God has moved in our lives and that they are is no way for us to deny that Jesus is My Lord and My God, who died and lived for me. 

When we are saved by God, the law that is written on our hearts shed a light on our we are to be living a life that is set apart unto the LORD. If you have been ovicted of your sin, repented of it, battle it, and so On, why would you do such a thing? Because God’s law is inside of you.

Mercy Triumph

(Read) James2:12-13. 

But there is another reason I believe that God writes his law upon our hearts. Oh Brothers, oh dear sisters, it is there to remind us that the mercy of God has prevailed in our Lives. IT reminds us that God has done what we can not. It drives us to our knees before the throne of God. Because when we are constiently reminded of our vile actions against the eternal thrice holy God of all creation, and we remember that Christ has conquered and won the victory upon which we receive ample unmerited mercy. 

But, why do I speak of the mercy of God? Because just as we have been condemn but the law, but since now God has written the law upon our hearts and upon our mind, so therefore we now try and act according to the Law, If we have been show mercy in our transgression against God, what then show we show to those who step on our toes? What should we should those who slap us on our face? What should we show to those who revile our name? What should we should to those who slander and drag our character through the mud? MERCY!!! We show mercy, because we have been shown mercy. If you so say that you have been saved through the mercy of our God, but then you are without mercy, always keep tract with a grudge of the ways someone has hurt you, or if you have think that you are better than someone else because they have sinned differently than you….Show mercy! Brothers and Sisters, I am not saying that we should not be a lover of righteousness or a lover of God’s law, No— I am not say that, but we must be a people that because God has written the law upon our hearts, we actually love God’s law in such a way we say; I am a far worst sinner than those around me, but if I have been shown mercy by an infinitely great and awesome God… well then who am I to be offended or think that this person is too far from His saving grace. 

Conclude

(Read) James 2:8-13.

If you speak of the mercy of God found in the grace and face of the LORD of glory, while holding to that faith, we are to then act with mercy. Act with an understanding of sin. Act with an understanding of justice. And act with an understanding of of Mercy. 

Grace Bible Church, where are you lacking in mercy today? Because our God has not ceased to pour out His mercy on us, while we sin against him. If God in His good character has show you mercy, might you show it to others? Might you tell it to other? I can not think of a greater message preach to yourself than the mercy of God found through the Gospel of the Lord of glory. I can’t think of a better message to tell my kids, to know Christ and Him crucified. I can not think of a better message to tell a stranger that the yoke of Christ is easy and His burden is light. I can not think of a great message to tell you, our Shepherd has saved His sheep. Hear His voice and come to Him, for He is merciful.

Pray- Mercy, open our ears, open our eyes, break our hearts, mercy mercy mercy