Radiant Blog, James 2: Lawbreaker Judges?

Dear Radiant Friends, 

The book of James provides ample opportunities for examining oneself - specifically for testing one’s faith. And chapter two has provided much room for some healthy conviction! I actually love today’s topic very much. It really packs a punch! It's hard Truth, and yet it's so freeing at the same time!

Let’s start with a reminder of our text: James 2:8-13. The immediate context of this passage is that James has just confronted believers for showing partiality, biases, or prejudices against the less fortunate - in the church. Now he will elaborate on his rationale…his biblical view of this problem of partiality in the church.

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 guilty of 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.

I’m so excited to unpack some of this text with you! Let’s look at some obvious things first. Notice how James has shifted our attention:

It’s a shift from focusing on the laws and standards of the world

…to…

A refocused attention on the God’s Law.  

"James the Just" is reminding us that we must look into the true Law, written by our Just King and Merciful Judge, in order to address the problem WITHIN ourselves, within the church, within the world. In fact, today we will see how: 

Inappropriately judging others 

can keep us from 

appropriately judging ourselves.

Whew! What a distraction! What a way to avoid our own need for change?! Let’s avoid getting distracted in this way!  Because judging others by the world’s standards is a sin according to the real Law of God.  

Notice how James describes God’s Law. He uses two particular terms in this passage. First, he refers to it as the Royal Law. Then in verse 12 he refers to it as the Law of Liberty. Is this how you see God’s Word? As a Law of Liberty? And a law that supersedes every other law. We certainly know that it’s the Truth that sets us free, so it makes sense that we would see it as the Law of Liberty. But what if we were to use a different law for judging and also use it to create bondage rather than freedom? James says that’s sin. God’s Word is authoritative - Royal - coming from the King of kings. If this perfect Law has the power to set people free - why would we ever use a different standard? And why would we use any standard(s) in order to oppress the vulnerable people around us?

Rather than honoring people who appear noble or royal to us (by our diseased, worldly, carnal standards), we are called to honor the noble, royal Law of our King and His Kingdom - a God who is rich in mercy.  

Rather than judging others by false standards 

we are to be judging ourselves by God’s standards.  

As we receive His mercy, we should be extending it to ALL others as well.

The reality here is this: We were all born as Law breakers. It is by God’s mercy that we are even in this Kingdom!  

So, what I am saying here - and what I’m convinced James is saying here, is that looking to the wrong laws or standards is only part of the problem with impartiality. Another part of the problem is 

we who are law breakers have tried to make ourselves judges.

Just picture this with me! When we were born, we entered the scene of a spiritual courtroom. We entered the scene already falling short of the glory of God and facing the death penalty, because the wages of sin is death. That’s your story. That’s my story. We were born having been declared guilty of sin, convicted, and sentenced…to death. From the beginning we were the the guilty ones in that courtroom - we were not the judge. Given our position in the courtroom, would we really have the audacity to attempt to usurp the True Judge? 

What makes it far worse that in this spiritual courtroom, 

WE were granted a PARDON!  

We’ve received a pardon! Are you familiar with this notion? Do you realize how RARE it is? In fact, do you know what is required in order to receive a pardon in the state of Alabama? 

You must:

1. Serve your full sentence, OR
2. Serve 3 years of permanent parole, OR
3. Be innocent.

Even under this set of requirements, 

WE WOULD NOT HAVE QUALIFIED FOR PARDON! 

We did not serve our own sentence.

We can’t stay clean for 3 minutes let alone 3 years; and 

we weren’t innocent to start with. 

And yet!  

We received a pardon,

Our records have been expunged,

and we have been granted full rights of the Kingdom! 

What kind of MERCY is this?!  

And after all that - through the sin of partiality, would we have the audacity to withhold mercy from others and try to judge them instead?

I will close with this: There are at least 3 types of judgement James has brought to our attention in this short passage.  

First, there is Man’s Partiality.  

Second, there is God’s Eternal Judgement.  

And third, there is a call for Man’s Self-Inspection.  

We’ve examined the harshness of the prejudiced, biased partiality of man that dishonors God and our fellow man. We’ve also had a glimpse of God’s eternal mercy to us in place of judgement…because the fullest extent of our judgement fell fully upon Jesus on the cross. But what about this third type of judgement? Since a tree is known by its fruit, are we willing to inspect our own selves to see what type of fruit we are bearing? Will we “judge” ourselves by examining how well we are loving our neighbor? By examining how we are harming others with our false judgements? Would we boldly examine whether we are heaping judgement on the very people around us who need compassion and love?  

In the final passage of James 2, James will ask us once again to inspect, examine, and judge our faith. He will remind us that our faith will produce fruit…it will produce works. What kind of fruit are you bearing? Go ahead and begin inspecting before we step into the next leg of the race with James. God will mercifully help you. And his Royal Law will set you free.

Looking to Him,

Tina

P.S. I think the best possible summary of today’s post comes from James himself in James 1:22-25: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

P.P.S. I can’t help but wonder what it was like to be James’ friend. I mean, this guy! He gets straight to the point! And he isn’t afraid of stepping on some toes. But I think he was a trustworthy person. He cared about Truth and obedience. He didn’t just care about it; it sounds like his life bore the real-deal fruit of faith, justice, and mercy. Humbling.