Set Free by the Law of Liberty

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,'
you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 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. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." - James 2:8-13

We are now going to conclude the section of James titled "The sin of partiality" in many Bibles. This entire thirteen-verse section emphasizes the importance of loving everyone equally and not basing one's love for others on material possessions.

It's important to remember at this point that "the law" refers to the Mosaic law given to Moses in Exodus. This is what the Jewish people of the time were resting their salvation upon: works of the law, sacrifices, and donations; rather than on grace. If they were resting their salvation upon themselves, than they have contributed to their own saving and God doesn't get all the credit; that proposes a serious problem. The Bible tells us that "salvation is by grace alone through faith, which is a gift of God so that no man may boast." Clearly, God is meant to get the glory in this plan, but if man is doing something, than he gets some of the glory too.

However, the problem James was addressing was actually the issue of laziness rather than legalism. The Jews James wrote to were lazy in their faith because they once had to work for it, but now that they heard that salvation was through grace alone, they began to not worry about what they were doing. After-all, their works couldn't save them, so why work? This is the problem James is addressing.

He starts off by telling the Jewish Christians that if they really fulfill the law given by God to Moses, they are doing well. In fact, they are doing so well, they don't need grace. If they can accomplish the commandments given by God without any fault, they are perfect and can stand before God (without considering the doctrine of original sin). However, James continues, if you break one of the commandments, you are accountable for all of them. What? Why are we not only accountable for the one rule we broke? Because the problem isn't ultimately with the breaking of a rule, but the severing of a relationship. James says, "For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.'" James is hitting on the point that the big problem with breaking one rule isn't in the mere breaking of a rule, but the separation from God that is a consequence of that broken rule. That is the real issue; a fallen man cannot stand before a perfect God.

What are we to do? James has told us that if we break a law, we are "transgressors of the law," and if we are "transgressors of the law," we cannot stand before God. Now that James has done a thorough job of explaining man's depravity, he goes on to tell of the great hope in Christ. He says, "so speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty." James now transitions from the "law," to the "law of liberty," or the "law of freedom." A saved child of God is no longer bound by the Mosaic law, but he is free'd by the law of liberty; the law which was given through Christ: the law of love. This is the law, that because we are free, draws us to serve God more, even though we are free. It is the law which binds us to that which free's us.

Lastly, judgement of the "law," not the "law of liberty" is without mercy to those who show no mercy. In other words, if you trust in the "law" rather than the "law of liberty," you must be merciful if you expect mercy; or you must do good to expect good. A lot like Karma. But with the "law of liberty in place," mercy trumps judgement. Those who trust in the blood of Christ are under a merciful law while those who have not are under a law they can't live up to.

Why does any of this matter? James is telling his readers these greats truths of the "law of liberty" to lead them to loving and serving without partiality. He is not trying to condemn them, but he is using the gospel of love in an attempt to light a desire in their souls to serve Christ. We cannot be prompted to serve God by a desire to acquire salvation, for such serving is not truly directed towards God, but ourselves. A Christian is only prompted to serve God and love God by the truth that we have been set free from sin by the blood of Christ. I urge you to allow this truth to change you. Meditate on it, savor it, enjoy it, love it, and proclaim it. This is the truth that sets us free.