THE ROYAL LAW

Not only is the mature Christian patient in testing (James 1), but he also practices the truth. This is the theme of James 2. Immature people talk about their beliefs, but the mature person lives his faith. Hearing God's Word (James 1:22-25) and talking about God's Word can never substitute for doing God's Word.

Every believer has some statement of faith or personal expression of what he believes. Most churches have such statements, and members are asked to subscribe to the statement and practice it. Most churches also have a "covenant" that they read publicly, often when they observe the Lord's Supper. Statements of faith and church covenants are good and useful, but they are not substitutes for doing God's will. As a pastor, I have heard believers read the church covenant and then come to a business meeting and act in ways completely contrary to the covenant.

Theme: "The Sin of Partiality and the Royal Law of Love"

The book of James is one of the most practical books in all of Scripture. If Romans tells us what faith is, James tells us what faith does. James is concerned with genuine Christianity—faith that is not merely professed but practiced.

As we come to James 2:1–11, James addresses a problem that has plagued humanity from the beginning: the tendency to judge people by outward appearances. In every society there are divisions based upon wealth, status, education, race, influence, or appearance. The first-century church was not immune to this temptation.

The churches to whom James wrote were made up of both rich and poor believers. Wealthy merchants, laborers, landowners, widows, servants, and tradesmen often gathered together in the same assembly. In a culture where social rank determined how a person was treated, there was a danger that the church would adopt the world's standards instead of Christ's standards.

James confronts that danger directly.

He presents a vivid picture: a wealthy man enters the assembly wearing expensive clothing and gold rings. A poor man enters wearing worn-out garments. The rich man is given the best seat while the poor man is told to stand in the back or sit on the floor. James asks a piercing question: "Have ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?" (James 2:4).

This passage reminds us that the church is the one place where earthly distinctions should disappear in the light of the cross. At Calvary, every person stands on equal ground—equally sinful, equally needy, and equally dependent upon the grace of God.

Historical Background

In the ancient world, favoritism was expected. Roman society was built upon class distinctions. Wealth brought privilege, influence, and honor. Poor people often had little legal protection and few opportunities. The wealthy were commonly given special treatment wherever they went.

But Christianity introduced a revolutionary idea: every believer is equally valuable because every believer bears the image of God and has been purchased by the blood of Christ.

James therefore challenges believers to examine whether they are treating people according to God's values or the world's values.

Why This Passage Matters Today

Though our culture may look different, the temptation remains the same.

People are often judged by:

Their income

Their education

Their occupation

Their race or nationality

Their appearance

Their influence

Their social standing

Churches can unknowingly honor successful people while overlooking those who seem insignificant.

James reminds us that God often chooses those whom the world overlooks.

The Central Question

As we study James 2:1–11, we should ask ourselves:

Do I see people the way Christ sees them?

The Lord Jesus never measured a person by wealth, clothing, or social position. He welcomed fishermen, tax collectors, widows, beggars, children, and outcasts. The same Savior who sat with Nicodemus also sat with the woman at the well.

The gospel destroys pride because it teaches that every believer came to Christ as a sinner saved by grace.

Key Truth

James teaches that showing favoritism is not a minor social mistake—it is a violation of the "royal law" of love:

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (James 2:8, KJV)

When we show partiality, we are not merely dishonoring people; we are failing to love them as Christ commands.

Transition Into the Lesson

As we walk through James 2:1–11, we will discover:

The prohibition against partiality (vv. 1–4)

The inconsistency of partiality (vv. 5–7)

The royal law that condemns partiality (vv. 8–11)

James calls believers to look beyond outward appearances and see every person through the lens of God's grace. For the church that truly understands the gospel will be a place where rich and poor, strong and weak, honored and overlooked all find the same welcome at the feet of Jesus Christ.1 John 4:20).

In this section, James examined four basic Christian doctrines in the light of the way we treat other people. 

1. REFLECT THE NATURE OF CHRIST

James 2:1–4 KJV 1900

1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Jewish people in that day coveted recognition and honor, and vied with one another for praise. Our Lord's parables in Luke 14:7-14 deal with the problem, and also His denunciation of the Pharisees in Matthew 23.

We have this same problem with us today. Social ladder climbers are among us, not only in politics, industry, and society, but also in the church. Almost every church has its cliques, and often, new Christians find it difficult to get in. Some church members use their offices to enhance their own images of importance. Many of the believers James wrote to were trying to seize spiritual offices, and James had to warn them ( James 3:1).

Jesus did not respect persons. Even His enemies admitted, "You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are" (Matt. 22:16 NI). Our Lord did not look at the outward appearance; He looked at the heart. He was not impressed with riches or social status.

The poor widow who gave her mite was greater in His eyes than the rich Pharisee who boastfully gave his large donation. Furthermore, He saw the potential in the lives of sinners. In Simon, He saw a rock. In Matthew, the publican, He saw a faithful disciple who would one day write one of the four gospels. The disciples were amazed to see Jesus talking with the sinful woman at the well of Sychar, but Jesus saw in her an instrument for reaping a great harvest.

We are prone to judge people by their past, not their future. When Saul of Tarsus was converted, the church in Jerusalem was afraid to receive him!

It took Barnabas, who believed in Saul's conversion, to break down the walls (Acts 9:26-28). We are also prone to judge by outward appearance rather than by the inner attitude of the heart. We do not enjoy sitting with certain people in church because they are not our kind of people." Jesus was the friend of sinners, though He disapproved of their sins. It was not compromise, but compassion, that caused Him to welcome them, and when they trusted Him, forgive them.

Jesus was despised and rejected. This fact was prophesied in Isaiah 53:1-3. He was "the poor man" who was rejected by the self-righteous nation. Unlike the foxes and the birds, He had no home. He grew up in the despised city of Nazareth in a home that knew the feeling of poverty. Had you and I met Him while He was ministering on earth, we would have seen nothing physically or materially that would attract us.

Yet, He is the very glory of God! In the Old Testament, God's glory dwelt first in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38) and then in the temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). When Jesus came to earth, God's glory resided in Him (John 1:14).

Today, the glory of God dwells in the believer individually (1 Cor. 6: 19-20) and the church collectively (Eph. 2:21-22).

The religious experts in Christ's day judged Him by their human standards, and they rejected Him. He came from the wrong city, Nazareth of Galilee. He was not a graduate of their accepted schools. He did not have the official approval of the people in power. He had no wealth. His followers were a nondescript mob and included publicans and sinners. Yet He was the very glory of God! No wonder Jesus warned the religious leaders, "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment" (John 7:24 NIV).

Sad to say, we often make the same mistakes. When visitors come into our churches, we tend to judge them on what we see outwardly rather than what they are inwardly. Dress, color of skin, fashion, and other superficial things carry more weight than the fruit of the Spirit that may be manifest in their lives. We cater to the rich because we hope to get something out of them, and we avoid the poor because they embarrass us. Jesus did not do this, and He cannot approve of it.

How do we practice the deity of Christ in our human relationships? It is really quite simple: Look at everyone through the eyes of Christ. If the visitor is a Christian, we can accept him because Christ lives in him. If he is not a Christian, we can receive him because Christ died for him. It is Christ who is the link between us and others, and He is a link of love. The basis for relationship with others is the person and work of Jesus Christ. Any other basis is not going to work. Furthermore, God can use even the most unlikely person to bring glory to His name. He used Peter and Zacchaeus and John Mark, and He can use that poor man whom we might reject.

2. UNDERSTAND THE GRACE OF GOD (James 2:5-7

James 2:5–7 KJV 1900

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

The emphasis here is on God's choice, and this involves the grace of God.

If salvation were based on merit, it would not be by grace. Grace implies God's sovereign choice of those who cannot earn and do not deserve His salvation (Eph. 1:4-7; 2:8-10). God saves us completely based on the work of Christ on the cross and not because of anything that we are or have.

God ignores national differences (Acts 10:34). The Jewish believers were shocked when Peter went to the Gentile household of Cornelius, preached to the Gentiles, and even ate with them. The topic of the first church council was "Must a Gentile become a Jew to become a Christian?" (Acts 15).

The answer the Holy Spirit gave them was "No!" In the sight of God, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile when it comes to condemnation (Rom. 2:6-16) or salvation (Rom. 10:1-13).

God also ignores social differences. Masters and slaves (Eph. 6:9) and rich and poor are alike to Him. James taught us that the grace of God makes the rich man poor, because he cannot depend on his wealth; and it makes the poor man rich, because he inherits the riches of grace in Christ. (Review James 1:9-11.) *The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory" (1 Sam. 2:7-8).

From the human point of view. God chooses the poor instead of the rich. "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Cor. 1:26-27). The poor of this world become rich in faith; as sons of God, they inherit the wealth of the kingdom.

It is possible to be poor in this world and rich in the next, or rich in this world and poor in the next (1 Tim. 6:17-18). Or, you could be poor both in this world and the next, or rich in this world and the next. It all depends on what you do with Christ and the material wealth He has given you. God promises the kingdom to "those that love him" (James 2:5), not to those who love this world and its riches.

James gave a stern rebuke in James 2:6-7: "When you despise the poor man. you are behaving like the unsaved rich people." In that day, it was easy for rich persons to exploit the poor, influence decisions at court, and make themselves richer. Unfortunately, we have the same sins being committed today; and these sins blaspheme the very name of Christ. Our Lord was poor, and He too was the victim of injustice perpetrated by the wealthy leaders of His day:

The doctrine of God's grace, if we really believe it, forces us to relate to people based on God's plan and not based on human merit or social status. A "class church" is not a church that magnifies the grace of God. When He died, Jesus broke down the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:11-22). But in His birth and life, Jesus broke down the walls between rich and poor, young and old, educated and uneducated. It is wrong for us to build those walls again; we cannot rebuild them if we believe in the grace of God.

3. RESPECT THE WORD OF GOD (James 2:8-11

James 2:8–11 KJV 1900

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

D. L. Moody often said, "Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather!"

James reached back into the Old Testament for one of God's laws,

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Lev. 19:18). In His parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus told us that our neighbor is anyone who needs our help (Luke 10:25-37). It is not a matter of geography, but opportunity.

The important question is not "Who is my neighbor" but "To whom can I be a neighbor?"

Why is "love thy neighbor" called "the royal law"? For one thing, it was given by the King. God the Father gave it in the law, and God the Son reaffirmed it to His disciples John 13:34). God the Spirit fills our hearts with God's love and expects us to share it with others (Rom. 5:5). True believers are "taught of God to love one another" (1 Thess. 4:9).

But "love thy neighbor" is the royal law for a second reason: Io rus all the other laws. "Love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13:10). 

There would be no need for the thousands of complex laws if each citizen truly loved his neighbors.

But the main reason why this is the royal law is that obeying it makes you a king. 

Hatred makes a person a slave, but love sets us free from self-slavery and enables us to reign like kings. Love enables us to obey the Word of God and treat people as God commands us to do. We obey His law ace out of fear, but out of love.

Showing respect for persons can lead a person into disobeying all of God’s law. Take any of the Ten Commandments, and you will find ways of breaking it if you respect a person's social or financial status. Respect of persons could make you lie, for example. It could lead to idolatry (getting money out of the rich) or even mistreatment of one's parents.

Christian love does not mean that I must like a person and agree with him on everything. I may not like his vocabulary or his habits, and I may not want him for an intimate friend. Christian love means treating others the way God treated me. It is an act of the will, not an emotion that I try to manufacture. The motive is to glorify God. The means is the power of the Spirit within (for the fruit of the Spirit is love). As I act in love toward another, I may find myself drawn more and more to him, and I may see in Him (through Christ) qualities that before were hidden to me.

Christian love does not leave the person where it finds him. Love could help the poor man do better; love should help the rich man make better use of his God-given resources. Love always builds up (1 Cor. 8:1); hatred always tears down.

We only believe as much of the Bible as we practice. If we fail to obey the most important word, "love thy neighbor as thyself"-then we will not do any good with the lesser matters of the Word. It was a glaring fault in the Pharisees that they were careful about the minor matters and careless about the fundamentals (Matt. 23:23). They broke the very law they thought they were defending!