12 James 2:8-13 - The Law of Freedom

January 29, 2023

Christopher C. Freeman

Title: The Law of Freedom Text: James 2:8-13 FCF: We often struggle finding motivation to live out the law. Prop: Because the law is the perfect standard of God’s acceptance, we must live as those judged under the Christ-Fulfilled law. Scripture Intro: LSB [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2. When I introduced the book of James to you, I readily admitted that the structure of the book is very difficult to understand. At times it is very challenging to connect what James says to what he has been saying. This is why no matter who you consult for an outline of the book – you will no doubt get a very unique outline. Since no one really knows how to divide this letter up – it makes my guess all the more valid. At least in my opinion of the structure of this book, James is coming to the end of a major section. A section that started in verse 9 of chapter 1. James began his letter by encouraging his audience to count as pure joy all the trials they are facing currently. The reason for this is because God is using all of it to perfect their faith to be an enduring faith that will eventually leave them lacking nothing. God is polishing us and perfecting us – getting us ready for His Kingdom. And the primary way He does this… is through our trials and temptations. Still, James’ audience may wonder what exactly God has to perfect in them? What isn’t ready for that Kingdom? It is my opinion that James goes into a 9-point list of items that God is working to perfect in them. 9 reasons they are experiencing trials at this very moment. He began with wisdom. They do know God’s desires for them therefore they are not living as God would have them live. This is very basic and thus James’ instruction is very basic – ask God for wisdom. The second thing they lack is a Godly perspective on various matters. Whether it is earthly wealth and status, God’s character in their trials and temptations, God’s unchanging sovereignty over their lives, or even most recently their view of self and consequently their view of others. It is the view of others influenced by an improper view of self that we have been keying in on for the last couple weeks. Today James will conclude this section, although these themes will resurface. But James will also use this closing section to introduce the next area of lack. I am in James chapter 2 and I’ll begin reading in verse 1. I am reading from the Legacy Standard Bible but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1361, or in whatever version you prefer. Transition: Alas, not a short sermon like last week. Primarily because there are teachings and doctrines ahead that require explanation if we are to understand where James is going. So, buckle up and let’s begin. I.) All men must keep the whole law without failing in one point, so we must live as those judged under the Christ-fulfilled law. (8-12) a. [Slide 2] 8 – If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” i. It is at this point that James seems to change subjects. ii. He brings, seemingly out of nowhere, the idea of keeping or obeying the royal law and then quotes a passage from the Old Testament. 1. This is a direct quote from several places. First occurring in Leviticus 19:18. 2. But the reason James calls this the “royal law” and perhaps the reason that we remember it quoted much more recently than Leviticus is because Jesus was asked by the scribes which is the greatest commandment in the law. 3. This is recorded for us in Matthew 22; Mark 12; and Luke 10. 4. Jesus replied that to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength was the greatest command. 5. Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. 6. He continues and says that the second is like it which is to love your neighbor as yourself. 7. He quotes Leviticus 19:18. 8. Then He says, “on these two commands hang all the law and the prophets.” 9. Essentially Christ summarizes the entire law of God in the commands to love God with all we are and to love others to the same degree that we already love ourselves. iii. Unfortunately, understanding the backdrop for this “royal law” does not explain to us why James is citing it here. iv. What we can reasonably conclude is that James is anticipating a possible rebuttal to his statements about showing favoritism or prejudice. But what excuse or reason does he think they will raise by citing this royal law? v. Most likely, James anticipates that his audience will respond to their correction of showing favor to the rich by excusing their actions as loving their neighbors as they love themselves. vi. Perhaps they will feel that James has misjudged them. Perhaps they will say that their preferential treatment of the rich is simply an expression of Christ’s teaching in esteeming others more highly than themselves. It is simply an expression of sacrificial love. vii. To this argument, James does not respond initially how we might think he would. b. [Slide 3] You are doing well. i. Here we see the difference between showing favoritism vs. showing prejudice. ii. Showing prejudice is always wrong. It is always sin. You are lowering others below yourself. This can never be defended as something Christlike. iii. However, showing favor toward others is not always a sin. iv. Telling someone to come in and sit in the best seat in your house. Inviting someone to enjoy one of your best meals or to be treated as if they are royalty is actually in keeping with the royal law to love others as you love yourself. v. We save the best for ourselves naturally. We want the best cut of steak, the best fork, the best plate, the best shirt. So, to offer your best to others – is certainly a good thing. You are doing well. vi. So, what makes showing favor to someone sinful? When does it cross the line? c. [Slide 4] 9 – But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. i. To show favor to some and not others based on irrelevant external characteristics is when favor becomes sinful. ii. To mix loving some with not loving others in the same way – is to pollute the well. It is to poison the water. iii. As James says, you are convicted or proven guilty by the law as one who has broken it. One who has deviated from the law’s path. iv. The same law you say you are keeping, is what proves you are not keeping it fully. v. Why? Why is this the case? Why can’t you keep the royal law to some but not others? d. [Slide 5] 10 – For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. i. James broadens here to give us a major doctrinal axiom. ii. It is impossible to keep the law, to the fullest extent, in every single point, except one… iii. For to violate the law in one point – is to fail it all. iv. Then James gives us an example. e. [Slide 6] 11 – For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” i. James gives two laws within the law to love your neighbor as yourself. ii. The first is to not be sexually immoral or unfaithful. This command, according to our Lord Jesus, includes not only the act of infidelity within marriage, but also any act of sexual activity with any person who is not your spouse. Which includes lusting after ANY person that isn’t your spouse. iii. The second is to not take the life of a person who has not forfeited their life by their own actions. This command does not prohibit the taking of human life in war, nor does it prohibit judges from taking punitive action against someone who has violated the law of God. We know this because God Himself commanded His people to take life in both of these situations. The command is not to not kill – it is to not murder. However, Jesus expands this command to include hatred and even physically harming others. iv. So admittedly, these two laws are broader than they appear to be on the surface. v. I’d wager that all of us have violated both of these laws at some point in our lives. Perhaps not in their specific command but certainly in their true Christ expanded meaning. vi. But James’ point isn’t quite done. He has set up these two commands as expressions of the greater command to love your neighbor as yourself. vii. Now back to his point… f. [Slide 7] Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. i. How silly would it be to stand before the judge who is handing down your sentence for murdering someone, and in your defense, you say – “yes, but your honor – I never slept with a woman that wasn’t my wife!” ii. Pretty silly right? iii. The penalty in the Mosaic law for violating either of these commands was death. So, no matter whether you violated one of them, the other, or both – the outcome is the same. iv. From this teaching, we see the doctrine of God’s holiness and man’s sin come into crystal clear focus. v. Why cannot God simply overlook our sin? Why cannot God simply wipe away what we’ve done? vi. Why can God not simply wink at the sin of men? vii. The law of God is not several laws… it is one. God demands perfect and perpetual obedience to His law. As Jesus said, you must be holy as God is holy. viii. God is not dealing with a bunch of humans who are only slightly flawed, only sort of sick, only moderately estranged from Him. No. God is dealing with all mankind being wicked and lawless. ix. I was having a discussion about this with a fellow Pastor just this week. And a thought occurred to me as we were discussing this doctrine. x. There are many who claim that the scriptures only teach that man is ill, impaired, and spiritually inhibited by sin. And their critique of the position that mankind is spiritually dead and children of wrath is that they see people do good things who are not believers. They observe that their unbelieving neighbor came over and shoveled their driveway, or doesn’t get drunk, or gives to charity and they think – mankind surely cannot be wicked. To call them lawless is a bit of an exaggeration isn’t it? They follow some laws, right? xi. But James says, to obey one law but to fail in another is to fail the whole law. xii. This doctrine of the depth of man’s sin, is not teaching that man can do no good. Instead, it says first, that the best man can offer to God is imperfect and infrequent obedience of God’s moral law- which is… incidentally… never done for God’s glory. xiii. Doing something good to primarily benefit a person, place, or thing that is not God is called idolatry. xiv. So, the best natural man can offer to God is good deeds not done for Him. The best natural man can offer is idolatry. xv. That is the ceiling of the room natural man is in. But what is the floor? Here’s the harsh reality. xvi. There is no floor. The depths to which natural man can sink in their sin has no limit. Neither in magnitude of abuse nor in duration of violation. Every despicable thing we can think of has been done to the fullest and longest degree from men to men. xvii. This is what God shows us. This is what James tells us. If you fail the law in one point – you are wicked and lawless. xviii. We are not sick; we are not spiritually inhibited or asleep. We are as the scriptures teach us – dead in sin. Children of wrath. Like our father the devil. xix. God could not wink at such sin. In order to save us – He needed to crush His Son in our place. In order to save us, we needed someone else to represent us perfectly before God. xx. That is the gospel. Jesus takes our place. g. [Slide 8] 12 – So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. i. James issues a command. I do say command and not commands. Because these two imperatives are linked by the “and” and the repeated word “so.” From this we can conclude that there is no part of either that can be separated from the other. ii. So then, James’ one command in light of all he has said, is to speak and act in a specific way. iii. What is that way? iv. As those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. v. What does it mean that we will be judged by the law of freedom? vi. First, what is the law of freedom? 1. The law of freedom is exactly the same as the law of Moses. In every minute detail. 2. The entire moral law of God and even the civil and ritualistic law of God. It is the whole expectation of God to be holy as He is holy. 3. And before you think that this kind of law doesn’t sound very free – there is one important addition this law has beyond the law of Moses. It has been fulfilled by Christ. 4. Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when he said he did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it? 5. It means he kept it perfectly for us. What does that mean? 6. Does it mean we don’t have to keep it anymore? – Well, some of it. The Ritualistic laws are no longer to be kept. We see that in the book of Hebrews. Why? They pointed to the coming Messiah and His keeping of purity for His people – which is now fulfilled. The civil law was not exported to non-Jewish governments so we can reasonably assume that that law will be in place when Christ sets up His earthly Kingdom. 7. But the moral law of God has obviously not been set aside! James is teaching just that. 8. So, for us, with regard to the moral law, what does it mean that Christ fulfilled it, if it does not mean we don’t have to keep it? 9. It means that Christ has paid the price for every single past, present, and future violation of that law. We do not die when we fail… He died. There is now no condemnation in Christ. 10. It is much like the difference between walking a balance beam that is sitting on the ground vs. walking a balance beam that is 1500 feet in the air. If you make a mistake on the first, you need only get back on and try again. If you make a mistake on the second – you are dead. 11. Those who speak and act as though they will be judged by the gospel of Christ will be shown great mercy. Not only in this life, in the forgiveness of God and ability to repent and be restored – but also in the next since Christ has taken their place. 12. Does this motivate us to sin more since Christ has fulfilled the law? No. Why? 13. Because we will be judged by the law of freedom. We will be judged by the gospel! 14. Those who are truly in Christ see Christ’s fulfilling of the law not as a license to sin more – but instead as liberty to obey more. 15. We have been declared to be righteous in Him – meaning we have, in Christ, perfectly kept the whole law without violating even one point. 16. But if we are in Christ, we are not just saved from the penalty of sin…but its power and eventually ITS VERY PRESENECE! 17. So, if we are being judged by the gospel – we are being judged based on Christ’s work in us and through us. 18. We will be judged by the standard of Christ. Are we in Him? Are we being made to be like Him by the Spirit who dwells in us? vii. Therefore, we all must live in accordance with this law with no fear of eternal punishment for failure, but with great zeal to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. h. [Slide 9] Passage Truth: James’ main point of teaching, the doctrinal truth he points to in all of this, is that God requires perfect and perpetual obedience to His entire law. They cannot fail it in any point without failing it all. i. Passage Application: Therefore, they must speak and act as those under the whole law, expanded and fulfilled in Christ. j. [Slide 10] Broader Biblical Truth: But does the bible teach this also? Does God really require all of His law to be kept perpetually? And if we don’t – are we guilty of all of it? This point is difficult to see in the Old Testament. The closest the Old Testament comes to saying it is in Deuteronomy 27:26, it says that anyone who refuses to keep the words of the law is cursed. So – Is James making up his own teaching? This is a wonderful lesson in God’s providence and the importance of systematic theology. God was silent for 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. But that doesn’t mean God was inactive. Rabbis and scholars were VERY active during this time. What were they doing? They were studying the words of God that they did have. In so doing, they were thinking wholistically and thematically about what God had revealed in the whole of the Old Testament. What we find in these Rabbinical writings is the understanding that God gave a law, God is holy, God punishes every violation of His law, or demands payment for every violation. The only natural conclusion to all of that – is to conclude that you must obey the whole law or you have violated it all. That is why in 4 Maccabees 5, it overtly teaches that to transgress the law in small or great matters is equally serious. That is why Paul later uses the text of Deuteronomy 27 in Galatians 3 to Imply that if you are relying on your ability to keep God’s law to please Him – you must always keep everything. Perfectly. And that is why Jesus when correcting the Pharisees comments on how they kept the offerings of mint, dill, and cumin but neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. And Jesus says – you should have kept all these without neglecting the others. God did not overtly say in the Old Testament that it was all or nothing. But He clearly meant it. And through providence, even Jewish Rabbis were not able to ignore what the scriptures said without saying. James canonizes it clearly in what is the first New Covenant book of scripture. k. Broader Biblical Application: So what must we do CBC? To know that to fail the law in one point is to fail it all? My friends we must speak and act – we must live as those who will be judged by the whole law that has been fulfilled in our Savior Jesus Christ. This means that we rejoice in our Savior bearing our punishment for transgressing the law and judicially rendering us perfect in every point – but we also live in the reality of now being free to keep the law without death hanging over us. We have been freed in Christ to obey the Lord Joyfully – even if it is not perfectly and perpetually. We are sinners who have been declared righteous and who God has set apart for good works to walk in them. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Transition: [Slide 11(blank)] So, we must keep the whole law and not fail in one point. This, as we know is impossible. Yet we are called to strive toward that mark, that perfection – and as those whom the Lord has redeemed, the law is a law of freedom in Christ since He has fulfilled it. So, we are now free to live it. But what else motivates us to live the law? II.) How we live proves by what standard we will be judged, so we must live as those judged under the Christ-fulfilled law. (13) a. [Slide 12] 13 – For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy. i. The hopscotch James plays here serves to prepare his readers for the rest of chapter 2 and, indeed, the entire point of his letter. ii. This may not be abundantly clear now, but as we progress through to the next section it will become easier to see that this is exactly where James is going. iii. James is comparing two judgments based on one law. The difference between the judgments is that one is according to an unfulfilled law that demands perfect obedience from a person who has expressed some measure of personal belief. The other is a fulfilled law in which every violation has been paid for, which is received by a faith God gives that produces not only a desire to obey the law, but success in obeying it. iv. That is why James says that if someone is merciless they will be judged mercilessly by the law. James flips Jesus’ statement. Jesus said, Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. James says cursed are the merciless for they will be judged mercilessly. v. Why? vi. Because such a person has faith with no evidence of it. They have a faith that is dead. vii. They may think and say that they believe – even displaying some law adherence here or there. But if they are truly merciless, they cannot be in Christ. Therefore, they will not be judged by the law of freedom. For they are not under that law. That law is only found when we are placed into Christ, our new representative. viii. Instead, they are still under God’s unfulfilled law, the one under Adam’s representation, which requires perfect and perpetual obedience. ix. But lest James conclude this thought with a negative – he says… b. [Slide 13] Mercy triumphs over judgment. i. To the one who is merciful– their judgment will be swallowed up by mercy. ii. The great and merciful God will give mercy to those who prove they are now under the law of freedom - by living it. iii. This new law, which is the same old law but fulfilled by Christ, now not only frees them of the penalty of transgressing the law, but also makes it possible- truly possible to keep the law. iv. And so God’s true people show mercy and are given mercy. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. c. [Slide 14] Passage Truth: James’ second point of teaching, in addition to the fact that they must keep the whole law without exception, is that keeping the law proves by which standard they will be judged. d. Passage Application: Therefore, they must live out the Christ-fulfilled law, not to avoid penalty - for that has been paid. But because they now desire to live a life of obedience to God because they love Him. Those who love Him keep His commands. And those who love Him become heirs of His Kingdom. e. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: Does the rest of the bible teach this? Does the bible teach that our works prove whether or not we have been justified? Again, this is a theme that is not overtly taught in the Old Testament – yet it is abundantly necessary when we look at the teaching of the Old Testament as a whole. God makes it clear that He desires obedience to the whole law in perpetuity – so much so that every single sin – small or great – must be atoned for. It must be substituted by (in many cases) the life of another creature. Yet the Old Testament also commands them to keep the whole law or they will be cursed. How can God’s law demand perfect and perpetual keeping of it yet afford provision for its failure? It all points to a future Messiah. A representative that will keep the whole law and die in the places of those who did not. f. [Slide 16] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law – but thanks be to God! He gives victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Victory to keep the law imperfectly since the power of sin is broken in a fulfilled law and the sting of death is gone as He became sin who knew no sin. g. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, what does this mean for us? James is certainly in transition. We know he is still talking about favoritism and prejudice but you can’t help but feel that something bigger is looming. We’ll get there next week. So despite the discussion ramping up to bigger things – we must keep our heads where James wants us for now. And what does he want us to see? We must speak and act as those who will be judged by the Christ-fulfilled law. We must be merciful, just, and love one another. Conclusion: [Slide 18] There are some sermons that are heavy on doctrine and teaching and there are others that are heavy on application. The sermons heavy on application tend to hit hard and force us to feel the weight of the Spirit’s conviction on our choices. The ones heavy on doctrine, if we are stay awake and listen, cause us to rise up and rejoice in thanksgiving for all that God is and all He has done through Christ. Today’s sermon is heavy on doctrine. There is a clear application and it should not be ignored – for it is a warning. But for those who are truly believing the doctrine of this text – the application is not some toe crunching, heart blistering work. Instead, it is what we might naturally anticipate to flow from what James teaches. [Slide 19] James shows us that all men will be judged by every point of the law. Not one person will escape the judgment of God. All who have violated the law, even in one point, will be guilty of the whole law and punished accordingly. But James also teaches that any who obey the law, who speak and act in accordance with the law of freedom, who love their neighbor as themselves, who love God with their heart, mind, soul, and strength – all who do this – their judgment will be swallowed up in mercy. The only logical question that flows from this is… how? If the first point is true, then there are none who have the hope of the second. Ah… but there is One. A new representative. Just as Adam violated the 1 law he was given and plunged us all into sin, so Jesus did not violate any tiny law of the 1 law of God. His reward for obedience is shared with those who are in Him – those who are His bride – those who have been made His brothers and sisters by adoption. And our punishment for all past, present and future failures of the law of God… Well… He drank that cup of wrath for us on the cross. We who are in Christ – we who are under His representation – we must speak and act as though we will be judged by the same law He has fulfilled. We must live out that law- not out of fear that we will experience the sting of death – but out of love and thanksgiving for our King. We obey because He has opened our eyes to see that He is good and His mercies are new every day. [Slide 20 (end)] Next to this great teaching… next to this great doctrine… how petty does showing favor or prejudice to people seem? If God has sent His Son to represent filthy, dirty, lawless sinners, if God can call a people who were not a people to be His people – if we who were a far way off were grafted into Abraham – if we who were godless and without promise without covenant from the Only True God – could be brought in and given those promises… can we not in turn see every believer as equally blessed and equally made valuable as restored image bearers? Does wealth, ethnicity, personality, masculinity, femininity, or any other external characteristic matter… if this is the truth of all God’s people? Judge not, lest you be judged by the standard you have judged others. To those who show no mercy, no mercy will be shown. To those who show no love, no love will be given. Live as those who know they deserve hell but were given grace that God didn’t have to give anyone. CBC, if that was on our minds at all times – we deserve hell but God has given us grace – we wouldn’t dream of prejudice or favoritism. We’d live in the constant state of thanksgiving – knowing – that we were once lost but now we are found. Blind but now we see. Dead – yet now we live… and so shall we be…forevermore.