The Royal Law

• 1^st – No Partiality… vs. 1
  • 1^st – PURE Faith… vs. 1
    • My brethren – do not have [imperative] partiality in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ…
      • Continuing to define WHAT doers of the Word – those with PURE religion – look like…
      • We are commanded NOT to have the faith that shows PARTIALITY!
      • Because there is no PARTIALITY when it comes to God!
      • Romans 2:11 – “For there is no PARTIALITY with God.”
    • God wants EVERYONE to hear about the Good News of the Gospel!
      • When the first church began the Jews assumed that the Gospel was only for Israel…
      • The truth was God intended from the beginning for all to hear – Acts 1:8
      • But the first TEN chapters of Acts find ONLY Jews coming to saving faith…
      • Until in Acts TEN – when Peter is told to go the house of Cornelius the Roman Centurion!
      • Acts 10:34 – “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no PARTIALITY.”
  • 2^nd – No HYPOCRISY…
    • PARTIALITY [προσωπολημψία] – two root words – receive and face [face value] …
      • The idea is that we judge the worthiness of someone by the outside appearance…
      • But you have heard the phrase – never judge a book by its cover!
    • Jesus said WOE unto you Pharisees – who ONLY make the outside clean!
      • The idea is they made themselves look really good – on the OUTSIDE…
      • Their appearance was great – but inside they were selfish / evil – Luke 11:39
      • If we had TWO cups – one clean on the outside – but full of mold / dirt on the inside…
      • The other filthy on the outside – BUT clean on the inside – which would we drink from…
      • No matter how clean on the outside – if its filthy on the inside – we do not use it!
    • Yet often we focus ONLY at the outside…
      • We might just have had the biggest fight with our spouse – but smile as we get to church…
      • Our kids might be raging sinners – but we tell everyone that life is great…
      • Giving the appearance of great godliness – but our lives do not match our words!
        
      • God is not impressed by the outside – the Lord looks at the heart – I Samuel 16:7
      • No matter how good a person looks – if the HEART is not right it is NOT GOOD…
      • In contrast – if our HEART is right – no matter how the outside looks – we are OK!
      • When we get saved Jesus does not clean the outside first – He takes care of the HEART…
      • Then in time the outside comes to reflect the new life we have on the inside!

• 2^nd – Riches and rags… vs. 2-7
  • 1^st – TWO men… vs. 2-4
    • ILLUSTRATION of the Rich and Poor man…
      • For if there should come into your assembly…
      • It is worth noting that James uses the word SYNAGOGUE – writing to Jews…
      • SYNAGOGUE is simply the JEWISH name for a CHURCH!
    • A RICH man…
      • A man with gold rings – in fine apparel – and you pay attention [subjunctive] to the one…
      • Wearing the fine clothes and say to him – you sit here in a good place!
      • If the one man has a GOLD RING – speaking of great wealth…
      • And he also has fine apparel – same word used to describe a KINGLY robe – Luke 23:11
      • It means he has IT ALL – he is rich and successful – he could be a good TITHER!
      • THEREFORE – we pay ATTENTION to the rich man – and have him sit in a place of HONOR!
    • A POOR man…
      • And there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes…
      • And say [subjunctive] to the poor man – you stand there – or – sit here at my footstool!
      • POOR MAN [πτωχός] – the word suggests he has fallen on hard times…
      • He is clothed in FILTHY rags – and appears to have NOTHING to give…
      • To this man we say STAND in the back corner – or SIT at my feet!
      • The assumption is this man is NOT as worthy as the rich man…
      • We might let him into the church – but he DOES NOT deserve our attention / respect!
    • This is PARTIALITY…
      • Have you not shown partiality among yourselves – and become judges with evil thoughts!
      • PARTIALITY [διακρίνω] – to JUDGE someone based on their appearance…
      • If we JUDGE someone – we become JUDGES with EVIL thoughts…
      • Because we CANNOT see what is in the heart of a person!
      • John 7:24 – “Do not judge according to appearance – but judge with righteous judgment.”
      • While it is true – we as believers cannot judge the heart / motivations of another…
      • It has even become a common saying in our culture – do NOT judge me…
      • That does not mean we are not able to judge the fruit that comes from their lives!
      • Luke 6:44 – “Every tree is known by its fruit.”
  • 2^nd – God CHOOSES the POOR… vs. 5
    • LISTEN – IMPERATIVE…
      • Listen – my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world…
      • To be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him!
      • James turns PARTIALITY on its head – showing us who REALLY reserves respect…
      • We CHOOSE the RICH because we think they have more to offer and give…
      • But GOD CHOOSES [indicative] the POOR – because they have FAR GREATER riches…
      • They may not have much here on this earth – but they are RICH in FAITH!
      • AND that faith makes them HEIRS of THE KINGDOM of God!
      • Money is not necessarily a blessing – it can EASILY become our god…
      • Depending on money to provide – RATHER than on Jesus…
      • Turns out it can actually be a blessing to have NO money – to be POOR…
      • When we have no money – it is easier to trust in Jesus [no other option]!
      • When Chuck Smith first built the CHURCH in Costa Mesa – he put in NEW carpets…
      • The first Sunday some of the elders put up a sign – NO entrance without shoes…
      • Because many of the POOR that were coming to church – were barefoot…
      • When Chuck arrived – he was FURIOUS – RIP OUT the carpet!
      • If a new carpet was going to KEEP people from God – he did NOT want the carpet…
      • Those same POOR – dirty youth – became the foundation of a REVIVAL!
    • NOT just for the POOR…
      • The kingdom of God is not limited to JUST the poor…
      • God has promised it to ANYONE who LOVES [ἀγαπάω] Him!
      • SADLY – not MANY wealthy choose to LOVE Jesus!
      • Luke 18:25 – “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
      • Some say – the EYE OF THE NEEDLE – was a SMALL gate in the city of Jerusalem…
      • The ONLY way for a Camel to enter was to take EVERYTHING on its back…
      • The idea being the only way for a RICH man to enter heaven…
      • Is for him to get rid of ALL his RICHES – so he might fit through HEAVENS gate!
      • Sounds nice – but it turns out there NEVER any such a gate in Jerusalem…
      • Meaning Jesus was talking about putting a Camel through the eye of a REAL needle…
      • Now you can put a camel through the eye of a needle – but he never is quite the same!
      • The point being it is IMPOSSIBLE for those who TRUST in riches to get into heaven!
      • Makes us wonder why we put so much emphasis on making money!
    • God PROVIDES…
      • We are taught all our lives to STRIVE for MONEY…
      • But God promises to take care of ALL our NEEDS – if we would simply LOVE Him!
      • It is interesting that if you ask a MAN what his role is in MARRIAGE – PROVIDE…
      • Yet the Bible NEVER says that – we are required to work – it is the curse – Genesis 3:19
      • But God never tells us we are to PROVIDE – God provides – Luke 12:32-33
      • ONLY command God gives for a MAN in MARRIAGE – LOVE our brides – Ephesians 5:25
  • 3^rd – The rich OPPRESS… vs. 6-7
    • The CONTRAST…
      • You have dishonored the poor man…
      • Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts!
      • OPPRESS [καταδυναστεύω] – 2x in NT – to exercise harsh control over…
      • Acts 10:38 – “Jesus… went about… healing all who were OPPRESSED by the devil…”
      • The rich are like the DEVIL – they want to bring us under their control!
      • They do so by DRAGGING us into the courts – now this might be literal courts [κριτήριον]…
      • But it also might be a play on words – similar word used in – James 2:4
      • Just as we JUDGED the poor man by his outer appearance – we are JUDGED by the rich!
      • In light of verse 13 – I think this is that point James is making!
      • James 2:13 – “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy…”
    • When we JUDGE others – we will be JUDGED…
      • When we are harsh to others – we will receive the same from them…
      • Better to think the best of others – do not assume their intentions…
      • Then other will tend to think the best of us and our motives!
      • Matthew 7:1 – “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
    • The RICH man also OPPRESSES our FAITH…
      • Do they not blaspheme [indicative] that WORTHY name by which you are called…
      • We are not told exactly HOW the RICH blaspheme – we are given a HINT…
      • Rather than give credit to the WORTHY name by which we are called…
      • Presumably they instead TAKE the credit for all of their fame and fortune…
      • Encouraging us to follow in their footsteps so we can ALSO be wealthy!
      • Everything we have we received from God – so it is not ours to glory over…
      • Our intellect / our ability / our family – all were given to us!
      • We have nothing that we have not been given – so all the credit goes to God!
      • I Corinthians 4:7 – “What do you have that God has not given you? If all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?”

I Peter 4:8 – “Love will cover a multitude of sins…”

3^rd – Law of Liberty… vs. 8-13

1^st – Love you neighbor… vs. 8

Doing WELL…

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture…

You shall love your neighbor as yourself – you do well!

Rather than PARTIALITY – WHEN [first class] we fulfill the Royal Law – we do well!

The Law of the KING according to the Bible – is to LOVE your neighbor as yourself…

First written in Leviticus 19:18 – quoted by Jesus as the greatest commandment!

Matthew 22:37-40 – “Jesus said to him – You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

The GOLDEN rule…

We call it the Golden Rule – do to others as we want them to do to us…

We do not want people to lie / steel / or cheat us – take advantage of us…

We want others to help us in times of need – help us when we have no money… 

We do not want people to judge us with PARTIALITY – on outward appearances!

The same way we want others to treat us – is how we should love them!

John 13:35 – “Your love for one another will prove to the world you are my disciples.”

2^nd – Breaking the Law… vs. 9-11

Showing PARTIALITY…

If you show partiality – you commit sin – and are convicted by the law as transgressors!

WHEN [first class] we show JUDGE others on their appearance – we have SINNED…

Now we might think that the sin of PARTIALITY is not the worst sin…

Certainly there are much worse things that people can do…

When I was on a missions trip in Russia – I was talking about sin…

And the common consensus was that God might be able to forgive LITTLE sins…

But there were BIG sins than were inexcusable – murder / rape…

Because there is a tendency to think that God grades on a curve!

Anticipating the argument…

For whoever shall keep the whole law – and yet stumble in one point – he is guilty of all!

Even if we kept EVERY other command of God – we will stumble [future] ONE…

NOTE – the word POINT is in italics – it is not there in the original text…

We are not stumbling in one POINT of the law – we are stumbling one PERSON!

When we show PARTIALITY – the opposite of love – we will end up stumbling PEOPLE!

Luke 17:2 – “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”

Millstone – a HUGE stone meant to be pulled by a caribou – 200 kilos…

Deepest part of the sea – where ocean going vessels would sail – VERY deep!

God does not play around when it comes to stumbling His children…

He is a VERY protective Father – and will deal with anyone who threatens His kids!

Breaking ONE law…

He who said – Do not commit adultery – also said – Do not murder. Now if you do not…

Commit adultery – but you do murder – you have become a transgressor of the law!

To show the weight of PARTIALITY we are given a comparison…

The Law tells us we are not to commit adultery OR murder – Exodus 20:13-14

If we DO NOT commit adultery – but we DO murder – we become a SINNER [perfect]…

Just because we did not break EVERY law – does not make us a better person!

It only takes ONE crime to be a criminal – it only takes ONE sin to be a sinner…

Any sin – like showing PARTIALITY – makes us a sinner and opens us up to JUDGEMENT!

3^rd – Judgement without mercy… vs. 12-13

SPEAK and DO… vs. 12

SPEAK and DO [imperatives] as those who are judged [present] by the law of LIBERTY…

We have been given incredible freedom in Christ – but our LIBERTY has consequences…

We need to make sure that our WORDS and our ACTIONS reflect LOVE!

Galatians 5:13 – “For you brethren have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh – but through LOVE serve one another.”

Without LOVE to guide us – without LOVE as the glue to hold the body together…

We are destined to be torn apart by our selfishness – seeking our own glory…

It is all about LOVE – if we do not have love then everything else we SAY / DO is EMPTY!

Merch over judgement… vs. 13

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy…

Mercy triumphs over judgment!

JUDGE [noun] – to the person whose CHARACTER is PARTIALITY…

Those who JUDGE without MERCY – will be JUDGED without MERCY…

The same standard we use to JUDGE others – is how we will be JUDGED…

Matthew 7:2 – “With what judgment you judge – you will be judged; and with the measure you use – it will be measured back to you.”

But MERCY [kindness] overcomes JUDGMENT…

Since I know that I NEED a LOT of MERCY – I want to also show MERCY…

To those driving down the road in rush hour traffic…

To my wife – to my daughter – to those in the church that I might want to judge!