Studies from the Book of James

James 2:1-13

The Church of the Jesus Christ ought to be the one place where discrimination is not tolerated. Having highlighted this folly, he now examines behaviour in direct relationship to God’s Law and its fundamental teaching.

Those who discriminate are presumptuous. They presume that discrimination is not a sin, it is not significant, and it is not serious. God does not excuse discrimination, for it is an ugly sin. To presume otherwise is to make a false presumption.

James 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. KJV

James 2:9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (NKJ)

Wrong treatment of the poor is a violation of God’s law and the guilty must be made to see that they are lawbreakers. Sometimes we can make light of the way we treat others, but, if we treat people unreasonably, we are breaking the Law of God.

The Description of the Law.

James 2:8 If you really fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself," you do well;

Notice the unique phrase "The Royal law according to the scriptures" This Law is Royal in its Source. It is the Sovereign law of God, which is settled in heaven.

It is the law exemplified and fulfilled in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the King of Kings. The Royal law of Christ’s kingdom ought to control the subjects of that kingdom. This law is to control the Believer’s attitude towards all men.

The Bible is Royal because God is its author. James is pressing home the fact that there is a law that is pre-eminent and it’s the Royal law of God, which is according to the scriptures

The language of the scripture is filled with phrases such as; "God said" "God spoke" "the word of the Lord came". James believed in the inspiration and the infallibility of the Royal law of the Scriptures. This is what he turns to for his authority for dealing with the problem of discrimination.

The Bible stands alone. All other books are trees, which men have planted, have trimmed and pruned with periodic care. (Joseph Parker 1895)

Yes the Bible stands alone in thought, event, direction, and sovereignty. It is the law of Christ’s kingdom and as such it is to control all the subjects of that kingdom who are in fact royalty.

1 Pet 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Friends, God’s Law is relevant to everyone on the face of the earth. Everyone must consider God’s spiritual law as much as they would His physical law.

A Person might say, "I will have nothing to do with the law of Gravity" they might say that, but they dare not live by it.

If they deny the law of gravity, very soon they will end up by breaking their neck.

But the person, who denies God’s law, will end up by damning their soul. In that sense no obe can afford to ignore the Royal law of God.

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

The Apostle Paul, writing to these Galatians about the law and their new-found faith, makes it abundantly clear that the law was never given to save souls. It was given to be our schoolmaster.

Gal 3:23 But before faith came; we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (KJV) Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. (NKJ

The law of God, the Bible, is still used today to bring souls to Christ. It is the entrance of God’s Word that gives light and brings life to dead souls.

The Law still brings men and women from the kingdom of darkness into the light of the glorious kingdom of God’s dear Son.

The question, which is asked, is—Does this mean that, since Jesus has come, we don’t have to obey the Law today?

The Bible helps the Believer to follow Christ and to find Christ in all the scriptures.

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

From Genesis to Revelation we have the law of God. —The word of God points us to Christ and reveals how we should live and walk in the Truth The Bible is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Christians are bred by the word, fed by the word and led by the word, that they might be conformed unto the likeness of Christ.

Friends it is the duty of every believer to be a witness for Jesus, living by the Royal Law of God, displaying the new life in Christ, and standing fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

Jesus did not come to do away with the Law for Christians. In fact He said

"Mat 5:17 think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Mat 5:18 for verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Jesus made the Law a matter of heart. He made it a matter of Love and he made it clear that Christians are under the Royal Law of love.

James 2:8 if ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

James highlights, a particular portion of scripture to describe the Royal Law, it’s the command. "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"

To abide by the Royal Law, we must love our neighbour as we do ourselves.

Mat 22: 37 --40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind This is the first and great commandment And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The Royal Law is not only, given by the King of Kings, it is also the king of all laws. It is the Law of love that is to govern those who are the citizens of Christ’s Kingdom. If we keep this law we do well.

Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

The people, to whom James was speaking, were not doing well because they were making a distinction between the rich and the poor by showing favouritism.

The Royal Law set higher standards than this. This Law demands that we love all and that we act in a way that will be to their good and will bring glory to God.

In Luke 10 a Lawyer asked Jesus " Who is my neighbour?" The Lord told the parable of the Good Samaritan and made it very clear that our neighbour is anyone who needs our help.

Jesus says to the Lawyer " Which was the neighbour unto him who fell among the thieves? The important question is not "Who is my neighbour? But "To whom can I be a neighbour"?

Luke 10:36 which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

Luke 10:37 and he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

If you truly love God, you will love your neighbour. It does not make any difference if they are rich or poor Love is the fulfilling law. There would be no need for the thousands of complex laws that we have today, if every person really loved their neighbour as they love themselves.

The secret of many a successful Christian worker is not that he is skilled, or has gifts, which are superior to others. But that those, to whom he ministers, know that he really cares about them, and that he wants, with all his heart, the best that God wants for them.

Christian love does not mean that I must like a person and agree with that person on everything. It does mean treating others as God has treated me.

Christian love is an act of will; it is not an emotion to be manufactured

The motive is always to glorify God; the means is the Holy Spirit;

For the fruit of the Spirit is Love" Christian love does not leave a person where it finds them. Love builds up. Hatred always pulls down.

The camp was a sea of mud and filth. Gruelling labour and brutal treatment by the Japanese guards was the order of the day. There was hardly any food, the law of the jungle prevailed, the survival of the fittest.

Twelve months later, the situation was transformed. The place was cleaned up, there was a lot more food for the prisoners to eat and on Christmas morning 2000 men were at worship.

What brought about this transformation? During the year, a prisoner had shared his last bit of food with another who was in desperate need. Then he died. Among his belongings they found a well read Bible. Could this be the secret of his life, and of his willingness to give to others, and not to grasp all for himself?

One by one the prisoners began to read the Bible. Soon the Spirit of the Lord began to work in their hearts, and changed their lives. In a period of 12 months there was a Spiritual and moral revolution in the camp.

It was lifted from disgrace to dignity, from death to life by the Royal standard of God’s law.

13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Friends, God saw our need and He moved towards us to meet that need

Rom 5:8 But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Having received such love, this love is to go forth to others in need.

Others Lord, yes others, may this my motto be

The Description of the Law.

The Declaration of the Law.

James 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

James 2:10 for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

James now moves from a Description of what the Law is, to a Declaration of what the law commands. He sternly condemns those who have been practicing discrimination and favoritism in the house of the Lord.

James is saying, if you show favoritism," you sin" and are convicted as lawbreakers. You have offended God by your actions. In God’s eyes, favoritism, is not a trivial thing, it is intolerable.

Beloved we are reminded that no sin is to be regarded as small or insignificant, because God forbids all sin. Minimizing sin is the work of the Devil and we are not to fall into that trap.

Many self-righteous people presume that, because they have lived lives free of what society call significant sins such as, murder rape robber etc.

God will smile and just past over the little sins of discrimination and the lack of love among His people. If we should ever think this then we should look at, v 10

James 2:10 for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

James is not saying that a person, who commits sin, is held guilty of every other sin. Nor is he saying that to break one part of the law is to break every other part of the law.

What he does say is, that because God’s law is an entity, a unity, even one sin results in the law, as a whole being broken.

It only takes one puncture to make the whole tyre flat. One leak in a boat can cause it to sink.

It takes just one lie to make a liar, one theft to make a robber, one murder to make a murderer.

Surely we would all hide our faces in shame if our sins were led open for all to see. We may not be guilty of what would be termed as major sins.

But if we have not respect to persons and do not love our neighbour as ourselves, then we have sinned against the Royal Law of God and are guilty before Him with whom we have to do.

Ezek 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

James 2:10 for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Many are still trying to cancel their sin with good works and religious observance. The Apostle Paul, makes it very clear in Gal 3

Gal 3: 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree

If sinners could be saved by keeping the Law, there was no need for Christ to die on the Cross.

2 Cor 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Precious blood of Jesus it hath Redeemed us-

All the Price is paid.

Perfect Pardon now is offered

Peace is made.