Overcoming sin by embracing the law of liberty
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 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. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Verse 1
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
No partiality
Chapter two begins with a hypothetical example of inactive faith (a group of believers who don’t apply the truth they know), using the scenario of preference given to the rich over the poor. James needed to address this because it was an area of weakness his Jewish recipients had been struggling in (he will continue to call out their obvious and most prevalent problems throughout his letter). Chapter five in our book contains a brief diatribe warning both the believing and unbelieving rich (those unbelievers who oppressed the believers and the believing rich who may have come close to or were doing the same).
The word partiality in this context would refer to favoritism or preference given to one person based on their appearance (a person’s fancy clothes indicating a wealthier status and greater standing in society). The phrase, “as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,” is a telling one because of what verses fourteen to twenty-six contain. Since a believer professes faith in the Lord, they need to act in accordance with that faith to demonstrate their actual status and standing before God. This leads up to the section of our book that discusses faith without works (verses fourteen to twenty-six). It’s one thing for an unbeliever to engage in the negative behavior these verses describe. How much worse is it for a believer who professes Christ and acts as one of His representatives (ambassadors) to do the same? Our goal is to glorify the Lord in everything we think, say, and do. But sinful behavior by itself brings no glory to the Lord but is the exact opposite of the beauty or majesty which defines Him. How can we properly reflect Christ when our behavior is the exact opposite of what He is really like?
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The word for “glory” in the passage above is the same as we have in our verse in James (“doxa” referring to the majesty or beauty that belongs to a supreme ruler). Since there is no darkness (hint or taint of evil) in God’s being 1 John 1:5, (He is clean and beautiful in every perfect way), what kind of a testimony do unbelievers receive when we engage in sinful conduct contrary to God’s perfect will and character? How can such a person be a light shining in a dark place (Matthew 5:14-16) just as Christ Himself is the light of the world (John 8:12) when their behavior eschews their identity? Such a believer is one out of fellowship with the Lord and, thus, incapable of reflecting Him through their lifestyle.
Our verse not only applies explicitly to the example given but also stands as a general principle that all believers must always adhere to. If we want to be like Christ, who shows no partiality in any way (Romans 2:11, Acts 10:34-35), then we need to behave toward others as He would have us.
Verses 2 and 3
2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”
The rich and poor man
Verses two and three lay out the example of what partiality might look like in general and did among these Jewish believers. A gold ring and fine clothes would, as already mentioned, indicate greater status and standing in society (a rich and wealthy person). The word “assembly” would (in the day and culture in which James wrote this letter) refer to a gathering of Jews in a synagogue but could also include any group of believers (Jew or Gentile) in a congregation (these words are for all believers of all time).
Our verse contrasts the well-dressed rich man with the shabby (old, torn, or worn clothes), clothed poor individual to explain the example. It is advisable to take care of one’s appearance and possessions whenever possible. There are indeed many poor people in that state due to their own laziness and poor choices (Proverbs contains more than a few examples of unnecessary poverty, such as the example of the lazy sluggard Proverbs 6:10-11). And if a person remains this way, it can cause an unnecessary rift in the fellowship if no efforts are made to improve (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15). In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, Paul emphasizes the importance of believers working with their own hands (whoever does not work shall not eat, 2 Thessalonians 3:10), so that the ultimate virtue of love applies to everyone. Poor believers should strive to earn a living without being a burden to anyone (if they can help it). However, some circumstances may be beyond a person’s control (perhaps the Lord wants them in that situation to test them). And even if someone is working, they may remain poor.
We can’t always know and understand the state of a person’s heart (or all or any of the reasons they are in the situation they are in), so that even if their poor financial status was due to past mistakes, it could be the case they are willing to improve (we don’t hold those things against people). Any believer who wishes to grow in the Word with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ should not be turned away. And if they need a little rebuke or encouragement to do better when they can, then it is always best to bear with them in loving patience. The point of the verse is that we should never discriminate against someone based on their financial status because the poor need to be accepted as equal family members in Christ. So, although they might be lesser in material wealth than others, the spiritual riches they have in Christ are immense and unworthy to be compared to what they have in this life (one is not necessarily indicative of the other). Paul, one of the greatest believers of all time, was himself poor at times (2 Corinthians 6:10) because of sacrificing for Christ’s church.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all.
In ancient times, sitting at the feet was a position of a slave or servant. Therefore, seating a guest there would be to dishonor them, as verse six confirms. Why should a person’s financial status determine their physical location in an assembly? Prejudice and discrimination would likely be to blame, and there could be multiple motivations behind them. Whatever the case may be, believers should never make distinctions like that for any reason. Both the rich and poor deserve fair and equal treatment because financial wealth doesn’t determine one’s spiritual standing with God. Therefore, neither should it determine one’s physical position in a gathering of believers who represent Christ and His kingdom.
Verse 4
4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Improper judging
James asks a question that expects a negative answer. Although he used a hypothetical example to make his point, it is indeed true that this type of behavior was occurring among his readers. These believers should have known their conduct was unacceptable. So, the question confirms the wrongness of their actions. They made “distinctions” between the rich and poor by treating one group as inferior to the other. They acted sinfully by judging unrighteously from impure motives and reasons. Our mind is the same as our heart, which contains our volition, values, choices, emotions, etc. This behavior demonstrated an inactive faith, expressing an impure state of heart that revealed its ugly side through discriminatory treatment of others. We don’t judge people based on their physical appearance or financial status. John 7:24 says, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
The passage above confirms that the heart is where our thinking originates, and from that proceeds words and actions (our volition is the place where we make decisions to choose what we think, say, and do). The believers in our context had impure thoughts stemming from a poor disposition of heart because they were out of fellowship with the Lord. Therefore, their words and actions confirmed their true inner spiritual state. They were saved but were not living and acting according to their justified status. They needed to progress in experiential justification (also known as sanctification) by applying the truth they had learned.
We may contrast John 7:24 with Matthew 7:1-5.
“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!
We must keep the passage above in its proper context to understand its meaning. These verses do not mean that we are not to judge at all. Instead, they refer to judging unrighteously (hypocritically in that context). Neither is James forbidding judging in general, as the final phrase “with evil thoughts” shows. The issue boils down to how we judge, and bad judgment entails looking down on someone else as if they were less important or inferior (the exact scenario we have with James’s congregants mistreating the poor brothers and sisters in the assembly). Righteous judgment entails speaking the truth (according to the facts) without hypocrisy and with pure motives.
How many times have we heard people proclaim, “Don’t judge,” or “Don’t judge me.” Those have become common “slogans” in the church universal when in fact, they are misleading and even entirely incorrect. It is not wrong to “call a spade a spade” when that is exactly what it is. We are to speak the truth as it really is, in a loving way, with pure motives. There will be plenty of times when believers will need to make judgment calls. One could come up with a mountain of examples, but we should understand the point. There is righteous judgment and there is unrighteous judgment (the negative type being the point of focus in our verse).
Verse 5
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
The Lord’s choice of those who would choose for Him
Once again, James uses a phrase of personal endearment to his fellow believers with the words “beloved brothers.” Not only are they beloved by him but by God as well. Since the Lord loves them so, why should they not return the love by getting their hearts right with Him and fixing their conduct? Paul’s words in Philippians 2:1-4 below are precisely what these believers needed to apply. The word “listen” is an aorist imperative command, akin to something along the lines of “listen up,” because of the importance the following words carry.
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
With the above said, James will now demonstrate the principle that financial or material wealth does not necessarily indicate a greater standing with God. Now, this verse may appear a bit contradictory to some because it seems to highlight that most believers in those days were poor (why would more poor people be saved if wealth has nothing to do with one’s spiritual status?). You then have the word “chosen,” which we will explain further below.
To answer the question we posed above, it is indeed true that most Christians in the early days of the church were poorer. Technically, it is possible to interpret this verse as saying, “some who are poor in the world to be rich in faith.” This suggests a more balanced ratio of rich versus poor believers (those who have and will inherit eternal life). However, that is a moot point because the word “some” is absent in the Greek. I take James’s words to mean that those in a lower social and economic status (especially in his day but at most times throughout history) tend to be more open and receptive to the gospel because they have less things in this life to distract and hinder them (fewer obstacles to hold them back by getting in their way). So, this has nothing to do with God favoring poor believers as if their economic situation made them any spiritually better than the rich. It all has to do with one’s priorities and whether one will respond to the Lord through free will or not. All people, both rich and poor, have an equal opportunity to receive eternal life and spend eternity with Jesus Christ. And all believers, no matter their status, have an equal share in God’s kingdom. The principle in the passage below also applies to both the poor and rich.
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Those who possess more (money and material possessions or just wealth in general) are more likely to trust in it by clinging to it for happiness and security (see passages below). These more “well-off” individuals may also reason that if they aren’t successful in this life (as the world deems success), such a state would render them as embarrassed failures. But that is not the biblical outlook the believer should have. The question is, do we care more about what God thinks and whether we are upholding His reputation as His faithful ambassadors (not that God needs us, petty human beings, to prove that He’s already perfect)?
True, we still need to be responsible with our finances and budget wisely. We all need to work hard for a living and strive to support ourselves and our families (if applicable). And if we can earn a better living in a way that stays within bounds of the Lord’s will (James 4:15), then that is preferable over contenting ourselves to “stay put” when we could be doing better (not only for ourselves but for others). One must avoid the other extreme of not caring about or trying hard enough to support oneself and one’s family (assuming one has family members to care for).
The dangers of mishandling wealth are clearly spelled out in Scripture, and the believer (even the poor, since said danger will always be with us as long as we live in this world) must realize the very short and temporary nature of it.
16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, 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.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
We also shouldn’t forget that one doesn’t technically have to be rich for wealth to be a problem. One could be poor but distracted by striving to get rich (thus, said person neglects their relationship with the Lord). Being poor can lead a person to obsess over how to escape poverty or acquire greater wealth. Revelation 3:14-22 confirms that most believers today are lukewarm, and much of this is because they have placed wealth, the treasures, and the pleasures of this world above their spiritual priorities. The parable of the sower in Matthew 13:18-23 (also present in Mark and Luke) mentions the seed falling among thorns where the individual’s faith becomes choked by the worries, cares, and wealth of this life. Any believer (even the poor) can become overly preoccupied with worldly matters to the detriment of their spiritual health. But it is still true (generally speaking) that a greater abundance of riches does make choosing for Christ (and growing spiritually thereafter) even more difficult. Hence, it has been chiefly true that poorer people have been more open to the gospel (or so our verse appears to suggest this).
There is then the issue of seeing things as they really are (being poor can give someone a clearer perspective and outlook on life that a wealthier person can’t appreciate because their status has blinded them into thinking they have everything and don’t need any help Proverbs 11:28). Having little in this world can cause a person to realize just how pointless and empty this life is without Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:6-10). This, in turn, may lead them toward God as they begin to realize that true happiness, meaning, and identity are found only in Him (Matthew 13:45-46). Seeing as how the world has failed them (it offers only empty and temporary promises), it can become easier to seek the eternal solution found only in Jesus Christ.
On the other hand, some rich people (however we want to define rich and whatever that looks like in the readers’ mind) may come to realize just how unhappy they are despite having plenty. They may come to realize that their wealth didn’t produce the intended goal, and so they seek it in another way, perhaps through Jesus Christ. I mention this only to show that wealthy unbelievers are not without hope. Then again, there are often various reasons and possibilities as to why any given unbeliever comes to Christ, not always having to do with their financial status (whether rich or poor).
And as we should already know, there is nothing wrong or sinful with a believer being wealthy (or seeking more of it if needed or within the Lord’s will) and having a high-paying career (that can be an asset for them to offer financial aid to their needy brothers and sisters). But it is true that the more one has, the harder it becomes to believe in (if said person is an unbeliever) and serve the Lord (a believer pursuing the ministry God calls them to). Far too many (including many believers, unfortunately) want to be known as successful in this life, and some of that is due to their own insecurities, possibly stemming from a prideful attitude that seeks the attention of men to bring glory to themselves. Whatever the reason or motivation may be, the most crucial priority any believer can have in this life is to glorify the Lord as much as they can by positively responding to Him as much as possible.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
To resume working through our verse, I believe it is critical to point out what the word “chosen” in the first half of our verse means (has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom). At the very present time I am writing these words, it is my plan and goal to write a large topical study on Romans 9 and the subject of free will (proving from Scripture that we possess it). But I will leave here only what is necessary for the reader to understand the truth.
I will first start by saying that God does not favor the poor as if they were better, because He died for all (1 John 2:2, John 3:16) and, therefore, desires the salvation of everyone (2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 22:17), as He loves all men equally. If He didn’t, then that would contradict the principle this verse teaches and that is not to show favoritism or partiality (Romans 2:11)! But He saves only those whom He foreknew would believe in Him (Romans 8:29). It does not mean God arbitrarily chooses some for salvation while others for eternal condemnation. With that, we will briefly discuss this subject before moving on (excerpt taken from “The Gospel of Jesus Christ- section title right below).
(Beginning of excerpt)
Foreknowledge, Predestination, Calling, and Election - What They Are
Free will and predestination complement each other, meaning you cannot have one without the other. It is for this reason that they are both mentioned in Scripture. God knew and planned for all who would come to Him in faith long before human history ever began. That is foreknowledge, God knowing who would get saved throughout the entire span of human history from start to finish. Predestination is God incorporating those free will decisions of those who would come to Him into His plan, making free will an actual reality. The next thing that takes place is God calling an individual who will receive His offer of grace. Once that person accepts Christ, they are then elected, referring to their status as a member of God’s family and their entrance into it. The passage below demonstrates these concepts we have mentioned.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The verse straight above talks about God calling everyone. God’s free gift of salvation is available to all people. However, most reject this gift (God does not refuse them), and thus, few ever constitute the chosen, those whom the Lord foreknew would come to Him in faith. Why call someone only to refuse them arbitrarily? God’s foreknowledge and its implementation through His will to allow history to unfold means that free will is a gift from God to humanity. But it’s only possible if history plays out. All that God foreknew, He approved to happen by predestining (decreeing) all human events in history into His plan. Calling refers to God’s desire for a person to believe, grow, progress, and produce in and for Him. God calls everyone, but those who are specifically “the called” are those who enter the family of God through faith. These people are referred to as “the chosen (Matthew 22:14).” They refer to those individuals whom God foreknew would come to Him, all made possible through predestination, i.e., God making “choice” possible by decreeing human history to occur for a specific amount of time.
7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
As seen from this last passage, the elect spoken of in 1 Peter are so according to God’s foreknowledge. This verse clearly shows that election is based on foreknowledge made possible by predestination.
So when we think about what we have seen above, free will did not come about by man’s will. God created man, and it was Him alone who granted humanity the ability to choose. God created free will, gave man the ability to exercise it, and made it possible by hitting the “start” button, allowing all of His foreknowledge to become a reality through the course of human history.
(End of Excerpt)
The final words in our verse, “Which he has promised to those who love him,” assures the believer that their eternal life is guaranteed (if they hold fast to their faith till death 1 Corinthians 15:2). God has promised that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (or be disappointed Romans 10:11) but have everlasting life John 3:16. But this is only true of believers (not unbelievers), as the words “those who love Him” show.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Verses 6 and 7
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
Dishonoring the poor and the reality of the rich oppressors
As noted earlier, treating someone as inferior to another based on their wealth would be to dishonor them. It was a total disgrace to, as our one example says, put someone at the foot of another because, in ancient times, that was the position of a slave or servant. The assembly was essentially shaming their fellow siblings in Christ for something that didn’t matter (at least not in God’s eyes).
Oppression and persecution were part of the suffering many of these believers faced in their trials. The meaning of oppression in the Greek is to exercise harsh control over someone or to use one’s power against them. There were rich believers among this Jewish assembly. However, it appears that our two verses reference unbelievers because verse seven mentions these people blaspheming the name of the Lord. That doesn’t speak of someone with saving faith, quite the opposite. But we do have a biblical example of brothers and sisters dragging each other into court over lawsuits in 1 Corinthians 6:1-11. It is possible that some of those involved were believers in an abysmal state. However, it is more likely that James had unbelievers in mind.
The above raises the question: why allow an unbeliever into an assembly if a church gathering is intended for believers? Firstly, verses two and three present a hypothetical example to express a point, so we shouldn’t take this too far. Secondly, the rich given the greater honor, could still refer to a believer. James was not trying to shame the rich among his reading audience. He was trying to make the point that giving preference to them solely because they were wealthier is wrong.
However, some could take the second half of verse six and all of verse seven as James going the other way by giving preference to the poor (look at what these rich people have been doing to you)? But that is not what he’s doing here (that would be a hypocritical contradiction). He is only stating things as they are in the name of fairness (to level things out). The question he posed was a good one because why give preference to the rich when they were the ones taking advantage of the church? James was not attempting to embitter his readers against the wealthy. He was only trying to show them that riches don’t make one person better than another. If the rich were any better than the poor, why were they acting so shamefully? Their behavior proved that they, too, were fallen sinners in need of a Savior just like everybody else (Romans 3:23). Therefore, they are no better or worse (in terms of worth or value). So why treat someone better for that reason? Money doesn’t bring anyone any closer to God and can have the opposite effect if mishandled.
To continue, the rich took advantage of the poor believers because they could afford to (they had the power and influence to do so). These unbelievers also persecuted them on account of the faith they professed, so this gave them even more of an incentive and excuse to drag them before the officials to gain an advantage. How pathetic it was to harm innocent people who already had very little and had enough on their “plates” to deal with. A humorous illustration that comes to mind is squeezing an already dry piece of lemon to extract every last drop of juice from it.
Believers, especially the poor, were, like widows and orphans (James 1:27), particularly vulnerable in ancient society and easier to exploit and take advantage of. Since that was the case, how could these Jewish believers not comprehend the evil of their actions? They knew the widows and orphans among them were the most endangered. So why did they not give them the attention they needed? Likewise, they also knew or should have known how dangerously exposed most of them were in the foreign lands where they lived due to their faith and low social standing. They neglected the women and young children in their midst, and now they began to do the same to themselves. Why would (or should) a poor man mistreat another poor man? Evil thoughts and/or motives were to blame (James 2:4).
Verse seven reads, “Are they not the ones who blaspheme (present active indicative as something these people continue to do) the honorable name by which you were called?” Curtis Omo of Bible Academy renders this last phrase, “by which you were called” as “which has been called upon you” because it better reflects what the original Greek says. The word for blaspheme is blasphēmeō and means to revile or speak disrespectfully toward. These unbelievers were insulting the name of the Lord, the honorable name by which these believers were identified. They were called to salvation by Jesus Christ to become spiritually united with Him (to be in Christ’s name is to be identified with Him). Since they were on the Lord’s side, as opposed to Satan’s and the world system he has always propagated, it was only natural for the Devil’s followers (this has always and continues to be the case) to oppose the arch enemy (God) of their master (Satan).
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name (Greek for name is onoma same word as we have in James 2:7), for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
As a brief aside, both rich and poor believers can and will suffer maltreatment from the world (it isn’t as if this is a problem that only poor believers have or will ever have to face). The coming tribulation will manifest this especially so, when believers from all backgrounds will suffer mistreatment (persecution) from the antichrist and his followers (Revelation 13:5-10).
No believer can ransom their own life apart from faith in God’s solution to the problem of sin and death. The humble believer, whether rich or poor (God doesn’t care because they are both equal in His eyes), knows their complete emptiness and spiritually poor condition without God, fully realizing their present earthly treasures mean nothing. The “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3) includes all believers, regardless of whether they are rich or not. What counts is that one is a believer, especially those passionate about the Lord.
The point is that wealth doesn’t always protect the rich, especially if they are very committed in their relationship with Christ (the closer the walk, the more flak they can expect from the world). Any believer can suffer ostracism, ridicule, persecution, and even martyrdom. However, as Curtis Omo comments regarding the poor believer (and this also applies to all believers of differing economic positions), the poor (and I would add our rich brothers and sisters as well, since they too profess Christ) should never maintain a victim’s or martyr’s mentality.
All believers, whether physically wealthy or not, are poor in spirit and fully realize (or should) their equal standing before God compared to all their brothers and sisters around the world. The believers in our context didn’t act like this was necessarily so because they gave preferential treatment to the rich. The following is an excerpt from “The Beatitudes” on Matthew 5:3.
https://www.bibledriven.org/small-topical/the-beatitudes--matthew-53-12/
(Beginning of excerpt)
Those “poor in spirit” are believers who realize their helplessness and emptiness before God (hence the words poor “in spirit”) as opposed to those who think they can do something for Him as many Jews did with the Law. This attitude is what initially led them to Christ and is what keeps them on the “narrow way.” Because of this faithful and humble attitude, they have all the spiritual blessings granted to them by the Lord as those justified by faith through grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). The poor in Spirit (the Jews in Christ’s time, but also all believers of today) are aware of their own poor and deprived condition without Christ (contrasted with the Pharisees, who thought they could save themselves). In other words, they realized (and still do) their need for a Savior. They understand that apart from the Lord, they can do nothing (John 15:5). With that said, it is unlikely that Jesus was talking about physical and literal wealth (even though that can be an application) since the beatitudes apply to ALL believers who are poor in spirit (not necessarily physical wealth even if that was/is the case for many) regardless of their financial circumstances. Jesus would not discriminate against rich disciples. The believer is the polar opposite of the person who stands condemned because they (the unbeliever) see no need for God in their life because they are too proud to accept Him.
The word “blessed” in verse three above (and in all the beatitudes) means “blessed” or “happy” and refers to the true and meaningful joy all believers hold through the hope which they possess in Jesus Christ. Believers have these fruits of the Spirit (peace, joy, hope) because of their born-again status before God. However, that does not mean we will always experience these “virtues” as we should because we don’t always handle life’s circumstances in a spiritually fitting way. These are true gifts of the Spirit we automatically have as Christians (we receive them at the moment of salvation) and should experience to the greatest possible degree. However, sin, improper thinking, and behavior can interfere with these godly manners. Believers are responsible for accessing as many of these spiritual blessings as possible through maximum spiritual growth, progress, and productivity. Those who advance less in the Christian life will experience these heavenly gifts less (the lukewarm and carnally minded will naturally feel less joy, peace, and hope).
Nevertheless, all believers (regardless of their level of spiritual maturity) naturally rest within a happy or joyful sphere because their names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). They have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ Romans 5:1 (a state they entered into by faith through grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
(End of Excerpt)
Verse 8
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
The royal law of love
Verse eight contrasts the good and godly behavior the believer must demonstrate to that of the sinful, ungodly, and discriminatory conduct in verse six by quoting Leviticus 19:18, and Matthew 22:39 (see also Mark 12:31 and Luke 10:27). We note how James again uses the word “law” because of his Jewish audience who were familiar with the Mosaic Law. The word “if” in our English Standard Version indicates that the first attitude of partiality was unacceptable, while the kind mentioned here is acceptable. In other words, if you do this, you violate the Law. However, if you do the opposite, you comply with it. The Jews knew the Mosaic Law better than anyone, so that they especially were without excuse in this regard. However, the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself remains the second greatest commandment, even under the New Covenant Law of liberty that these believers operated under (the modern church does as well).
17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.
The Greek word for “royal” is Basilikos βασιλικός and has the metaphorical meaning of “main” or “chief.” The second greatest command in Scripture is to love one’s neighbor as oneself. So, although this command is second in place to loving the Lord with all one’s heart, mind, etc., it is referred to as the royal Law because love is the preeminent virtue 1 Corinthians 13:13. If we don’t love God as we should, then we won’t love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ (and all men) as we should.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
Love is the greatest virtue mentioned in Galatians 5:22. The following (I wrote all excerpts quoted from this site, Jordan L. Bomberger) was taken from “Galatians 5 and the Fruits of the Spirit- Indications of Salvation and Spiritual Growth- A. Love.
(Beginning of Excerpt)
The Greek word for love (a commonly well-known word) is ἀγάπη agape, and it means to demonstrate “affection” and “benevolence” toward others. All of the other fruits of the Spirit stem from this, the greatest of all Christian virtues (1 Corinthians 13:3), because if we hadn’t loved God, we wouldn’t have believed in Him and grown spiritually after that (1 John 4:19). The more we grow in our walk with Christ, the greater our love for Him and all people, resulting in all the fruits of the Spirit. That is why love sums up all the other commands in Scripture because if you genuinely love the Lord, you will do everything it takes to please Him. You could think of an engine in a car- the car won’t move if the engine has problems (love being the heart of the Christian walk). If we fail in any other of our listed virtues, we fail to love as we ought.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
All the above means that if we do things from impure motives, they will count for nothing. 1 Corinthians 16:14 is clear when it says, “Let all that you do be done in love.” God is love, and He demonstrated the greatest act of it in dying on the cross to pay for the sins of all people of all time. Without love, we are nothing. Those who walk in the flesh cannot please God, so how can we walk in the Spirit whom we don’t love as we should because we don’t walk in love? If we walk by the Spirit, then we walk by love.
1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Loving others means thinking, speaking, and acting toward them as the Bible commands and involves a deep concern for their spiritual, physical, and mental welfare. True Christian love means to give our very best for the Lord and to others as well. This includes loving all men, not just our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ but all unbelievers, including our enemies (Matthew 5:43-47). Love is all-encompassing and all-inclusive, regardless of who our neighbor is (Luke 10:25-37)!
True love for God and others means pleasing the Lord and treating others as He would have us without compromising the truth or our behavior. It does not mean doing the wrong thing with good intentions because zeal without knowledge is dangerous (Proverbs 19:2). True Christian love and unity depend on our love for and application of the truth (Jesus said if you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15). This requires all believers to seek out, understand, believe, and apply the truths of Scripture. If we do this, it will show in our everyday lives through how we think, speak, and act regardless of time, location, and circumstances.
(End of Excerpt)
The Jewish believers in our context were, in some way, like the expert in the Law in the parable of the good Samaritan (interpreted and explained below), Luke 10:25-37. They misapplied this commandment by acting as if only certain people were to be loved, while others were shunned. You can almost visualize them asking the same question, “Who is my neighbor?” Our neighbor is anyone we encounter (all men). And, yet this is not how these believers were behaving (did the poor not count as neighbors?). They were acting like unbelievers, even though they weren’t.
The following is an excerpt from “The Parables of Jesus” “The Good Samaritan.”
https://www.bibledriven.org/large-topical/parables-of-jesus/#16-the-good-samaritan---luke-1025-32
(Beginning of Excerpt)
In the context of our parable, the man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. He then (after being asked by our Lord to do so) quotes the commands found in the Law. In no way does this teach salvation by works, but just as James tells us, faith without works is dead. Thus, obedience demonstrates the disposition of a person’s heart. But Christ taught in this parable the lawyer a vital principle that salvation does not come by keeping the Law but only by believing in Jesus. After doing this and growing in one’s faith, love will come naturally since Christ now empowers that person to live obediently instead of trying to do so in their own strength according to the law of works and not of grace. Those who do not love others expose their spiritual condition; they don’t love God and, thus, need Him in their life. Their human spirit is void of Christ. The only way to receive this love is to believe in Jesus Christ. Just keeping the Law’s commands will not suffice. Jesus showed this expert in the law that doing, not just knowing the commandments, was necessary to fulfill the Law of Christ. Jesus knew this man was trying to justify Himself (through his own good works) and exposed the man’s inner emptiness with this parable in response. Christ commanded us to love all people, even our enemies.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We conclude that our “neighbor” refers to anybody and everybody we encounter, not just some or a few. For what profit is there if we love only those who love us but hate those who hate us? That is a cheap and superficial love that expects something back in return, but that is not how it works (Luke 6:32-36, Matthew 5:46). Even though Jews and Samaritans were enemies, this fact did not stop the good man in our parable from helping his fellow man, a Jew.
Would a Jew be willing to receive help from a Samaritan? Would he be willing to accept aid from someone He disliked? The question now applies to the Lawyer and what he thought about Jesus. Would He put His faith in Christ by receiving someone He didn’t appear to love? Jesus was trying to be a neighbor to the people of Israel (and all the world). He would eventually die on a cross, so what would people think of Him then? This lawyer did not realize that, like the injured man in our parable, he too needed help and that Jesus was trying to give it to Him. The question is, was he willing to receive it? The context doesn’t tell us.
The parable’s main point is that we must love all people unconditionally, not just in word and speech but also in action. The priest and the Levite (who knew the Law better than the Samaritan just as how the Lawyer knew it very well) demonstrated their lack of love for this helpless man showing that they were either in a very spiritually poor condition or unbelievers. Either way, the passage does not give us a clear answer to that. The point is that there is a difference between talking the talk and walking the walk. The priest and Levite had head knowledge and knew the Law better than the Samaritan, who was not a Jew, and yet it was not they but this “half-breed” who reacted accordingly.
(End of Excerpt)
If the Jewish believers in our book were to love all men as they should (believer and unbeliever), then they would have done well in that such would have demonstrated their overall spiritual disposition. But since James’s readers weren’t acting in love (they weren’t living out the truth as much as they should have), then they were self-deceivers (James 1:22-25), who weren’t doing as well as they thought.
James has agape love in mind in our verse. Agape love refers to unconditional love for all people, whereas philia love refers to a more personal love that brothers and sisters in Christ have for one another (and what our Lord has for us, His children, Revelation 3:19). Regardless of the type, we are to love all people unconditionally. For the Jewish believers in our book, they were to treat all people with equal respect, regardless of who walked into their assembly (rich, poor, believer, or unbeliever). The same applies today, just as it always has for all time.
Verses 9 through 11
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 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.
All stand condemned under the Mosaic Law
We will examine verses nine through eleven together. The phrase, “But if you show partiality,” contrasts with carrying out the command to love one’s neighbor as thyself (verse eight above). James continues to refer to the Mosaic Law because his readers were Jewish and familiar with it. But why would James reference it if the Old Covenant had been replaced with the New and the Law (except for many of its applicable moral teachings, two examples given in verse eleven) no longer applied? These, along with verses twelve and thirteen, interpreted together, help to explain.
If we recall, the whole purpose of the Old Testament Law was to point people to Christ by highlighting their sinfulness and, therefore, need of a Savior because of the impossibility of keeping it perfectly. Can sinful man blot out his own sins? The answer should be obvious. What is impossible with man is possible with God (Mark 10:20-27). James used the example of the Mosaic Law to get his readers to start walking in the freedom of the New Covenant to live according to the new life of the Spirit to get them to stop sinning. And it is no accident that James did this either, because his approach somewhat parallels that of our Lord (James’s half-brother while He was still on earth), who taught many examples of the impossibility of keeping the Law to turn His listeners towards faith in Christ instead. The Sermon on the Mount, most notably in Matthew chapters 5 through 7, demonstrates this.
For example, Matthew 5:22 reads, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Jesus was not teaching that one sin would damn a believer to Hell but that we would all be lost over one sin absent the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (highlighting the need for a merciful Savior). The believers in our book were saved and didn’t need anyone to point them to Christ to receive salvation since they had already done so in the past. But they did need someone to refocus their minds toward that which leads to spiritual growth. It cannot be accomplished in the power of the flesh, as these believers were trying to do, because they thought pure head knowledge was enough (i.e., hearing the Word but not applying it). They needed to walk in the liberating freedom of the New Covenant (called the “Law of Liberty” in our context) empowered by the Holy Spirit instead of their own strength. This is why Galatians 5:16-18 says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The purpose of James referencing the Law, a Law his Jewish readers knew well, was not only to point out their sinful behavior but also to encourage them to pursue the true solution to the problem (not for salvation, but for spiritual growth empowered by the Spirit). There could be no denial from these believers that what they were doing was wrong because the Law they knew so well condemned their sinful behavior (if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors). So, they were without excuse (especially since they were Jews like James who knew the Law better than anyone), and their approach to spiritual growth was exposed because it resulted in flagrant and blatant sin. Instead of walking in the power and freedom of the New Covenant empowered by the Holy Spirit, they walked in the flesh.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Unlike the Galatians, these Jewish believers weren’t struggling so much with their understanding of the gospel as they were living out their faith by applying the truth. They knew and believed the true gospel by faith through grace but weren’t exactly living in the liberating freedom from sin it provided. And that is the key point: the Law of the New Covenant provides liberation from sin, not a license for it.
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
These believers were exhibiting sinful partiality, and the Mosaic Law confirmed it. Therefore, they violated the Law, proving that their conduct was sinful (verse 9). The ten commandments still apply today (you shall not murder, commit adultery, etc., Exodus 20). Therefore, breaking these commands and showing partiality were still sinful, making said individuals who commit them transgressors.
15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.
Partiality is a sin just like any other (even if some sins are more serious with greater consequences). Sin is still sin regardless of the type and quantity. Breaking one command of the Law results in breaking them all (verse ten and eleven), thus highlighting not only the wrongness of said conduct but the impossibility of keeping the Law perfectly for salvation and spiritual growth.
Again, James’s readers were already believers. But how could they expect to grow and continue in their faith while trying to live in the power of their flesh? They couldn’t unless they embraced the law of freedom (New Covenant ways empowered by the Holy Spirit). The Mosaic Law was an instruction manual intended to guide people toward salvation, rather than providing a solution to the problem of sin and death. James’s readers were under the New Covenant and had taken Christ’s solution to the problem through faith. However, they were now struggling to grow spiritually, and their sinful conduct proved it. Technically, they already knew what they were doing was wrong but needed to be reminded again. The Law could only make oneself aware of one’s sinfulness. Likewise, the believers of our book were hearers who possessed head knowledge of what to do but didn’t carry it out because mere knowledge, by itself, cannot solve any problem unless it is applied. James will remind his readers in verses twelve and thirteen of their true identity and standing before God. They were believers operating under the Law of Liberty. Therefore, why were they acting as slaves to sin when they weren’t and had the power to overcome it?
Verses 12 and 13
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Acting as those under the law of grace
We see the Law of Liberty first mentioned in James 1:25, which reads, “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.” The law of liberty refers to the Word of God (which includes the gospel and all New Covenant teachings still applicable for today). How does one look into it? By living in the freedom the gospel of grace affords us over the power of sin. We do this by seeking out the truth, understanding it, believing it, and applying it through the power of the Holy Spirit. It entails more than just hearing the Word and simply retaining it as knowledge. It involves applying what we know to be true in our hearts, living in love toward God and others (James 2:8). That is what it means to speak and act as one, to be judged under the law of liberty (James 2:12).
Verses nine to eleven in our chapter contrast the Mosaic Law (which cannot save anyone) with the law of grace (verse twelve), which provides freedom from sin and death. Our English translation connects verses eleven and twelve with the word “So.” You could say something like, “Since this is the case, you should speak and act accordingly.” Verses nine to eleven indicate the utter impossibility of keeping the Law perfectly and highlight the need for grace and mercy in a person’s life. Since we require God’s mercy, why would we fail to show it to others when we need it ourselves? We would all be condemned to the Lake of Fire for one sin, absent the sacrifice of Christ on the cross; a sacrifice that enabled the freedom James is telling his readers to walk in. Christ’s spiritual death on the cross set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2); the Mosaic Law pointed out this sin and highlighted the solution to the problem.
Therefore, since these believers (like us today) had been liberated from the power of sin and death, they needed to walk (behavior in thought, word, and deed) in that freedom that Christ’s sacrificial death and Holy Spirit provided (attained only through faith in Jesus Christ John 3:16-18, Acts 16:31). They sinned by discriminating against the poor, avoidable choices they made because they acted as if they were enslaved to sin without the power to resist it. They didn’t have to engage in that behavior because they had the power and freedom to rule over it, as they weren’t under the Law but under grace. Although the passages below are quite lengthy, I have included them here to emphasize these points further.
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
These Jewish believers were, like all born-again Christians today, under the freedom of God’s grace. The Law cannot save and condemns all who rely on it for salvation (Galatians 3:10-14). We, like they, are not under the Law and so are and will not be judged according to it (since the Law has no power to condemn those in Christ Jesus). Since we have this freedom in Christ (to resist and overcome sin), why behave to the contrary as if enslaved to it all over again? Again, hearing the Word but not doing is not enough.
The Mosaic Law was good and served a righteous purpose, exposing people as sinners in need of salvation by pointing them to Christ (see Romans 7). But the unbeliever who tries to earn their way to heaven remains under the curse of trying to use the guidepost as the solution (Galatians 3:10-14). Such people are cursed, judged, and condemned under the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). Their end will be the great white throne judgment preceding the lake of fire.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
So, what kind of judgment will believers receive since our verse reads, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” The recipients of our book of study were believers, so this would refer to the judgment seat of Christ, also known as the Bema seat. And since it involves believers, this judgment will not be for salvation (since that has already been determined), but for eternal rewards based on a spiritual evaluation of the lives of every believer who has lived since Adam up to the last believer to draw breath before Christ’s return. As believers, the Lord wants us to act in accordance with our true spiritual status in thought, word, and deed. And it is these acts of faith, in resisting sin, trusting God by passing spiritual tests of all kinds, and producing spiritual fruit using our spiritual gifts in the ministries we’ve all been called to, that will earn us our heavenly rewards. That is why what we think, say, and do matters, because we will all have to give an account for what we have done while in the body, whether good or bad. Either we are growing closer to the Lord in faith (faith that produces actions, James 2:14-26), or we are distancing ourselves from Him in hard-hearted disobedience.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
What does it mean to speak and act as those to be judged according to the Law of Liberty? Firstly, it means considering our thoughts, words, and actions carefully, knowing that we will have to give an account before God on the day of judgment. God demonstrated His love toward us by dying on the cross for our sins. Since the law of liberty is based on God’s love and grace (His unmerited favor), we need to act toward others as He has toward us. He was merciful toward us, even though we didn’t deserve eternal life. Therefore, how can we not be merciful toward others?
One final point I want to make regarding verse twelve is that salvation has always been by grace through faith alone. Old Testament believers were under God’s grace and mercy for salvation just as much back then as we are today so that it has never been the case that anyone has been saved absent the grace and mercy of God (the Lord has always been equally gracious and merciful to all who desire Him, regardless of where we are in history). Old Testament (or Old Covenant) believers were also free from having to keep the Law for salvation, yet they still operated under its various laws, guidelines, and restrictions. This was to fulfill the Law’s purpose by pointing people to Christ by exposing them as sinners in need of a Savior. However, since Christ has already come and died on the cross, the Law and all the obsolete rituals and regulations that pointed to His coming are no longer necessary; hence, we don’t practice them today.
For example, believers under the Old Covenant had to offer animal sacrifices to demonstrate their saving faith in the coming Messiah, whom they knew little to nothing about (faith was the key demonstrated by the act or work of animal sacrifice, James 2:14-26). But they were still under grace for salvation in the same way we are today. But they looked forward to Christ’s solution to the problem of sin and death, whereas all New Covenant believers up to our present time look back at what He has done for us. It is essential to clarify this matter because of the potential misunderstanding that the gospel was different in the Old Testament, where believers were saved differently than those today. That’s not true. The gospel has always been by grace through faith alone!
The Old Testament saints didn’t know nearly as much about Jesus as we do today. Yet they possessed faith in God that He would provide a way out of the problem of sin and death by looking forward to the coming redeemer through the offering of animal sacrifices, which represented Christ’s payment for their sins (something that we believers don’t have to do today). The details of this were not known to the believers of that time, as Christ’s death had not yet occurred and the entire Canon of Scripture was far from complete. The Old Covenant was just as much about grace and mercy for salvation as the New Covenant is today, and all the differences between the two don’t change this fact. The conclusion is that no believer has ever had to keep the Law for salvation.
With all that in mind, we need to elaborate on statements like, “Old Covenant believers were under the Law, while believers under the new have been and are under grace.” In one sense, that is true; ancient Israel was under the Law for the sole purpose of exposing her sinfulness and need for a Savior. They had to follow all the rules, rituals, and regulations. However, they, like us today, were never under the Law for salvation. Regarding this salvation, they too have always been under grace because the Law could never save anyway. Again, salvation has always been by grace through faith alone, and the Old Testament is just as much about grace as the New because God’s character never changes. This contradicts those who say that the God of the Old Testament was different than the God of the New.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Verse 13
Judgment without mercy
Verse thirteen in James 2:13 reads, “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
The Jewish believers in our context were saved. But their behavior mirrored that of unbelievers (those who will be judged without mercy at the great whine throne judgment). This was a warning to get them to stop engaging in sinful behavior contrary to their identity and standing in Christ (sin is antithetical to faith). Unbelievers are enslaved to the curse of the Law. But believers are not! So why act like that is the case! James wasn’t trying to frighten his recipients but sober them up to get them to do exactly as our previous verse commanded; to speak and act as those to be judged under the law of liberty (as opposed to the law of sin and death) because they were under it! Why not walk in the freedom from sin provided through Christ?
Discriminating against the poor (this was only one example James provided) demonstrated an unmerciful attitude. However, this doesn’t mean that believers who occasionally stumble in this area are condemned, because God’s mercy triumphs over the judgment the Law would have pronounced on us absent the gift of God’s Son. Therefore, since God showed mercy toward us, He expects those of us who have received His mercy to act the same way toward others. Just because we are free from the Law doesn’t mean what we do doesn’t matter, quite the opposite (Romans 6:15)!
As the parable of the unmerciful servant shows, we need to be merciful toward others because God was merciful to us. We owed Him a far greater debt we could never repay and are no more or less deserving of eternal life than anyone else.
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
We all stumble in various ways, which is why we have grace. Even believers stumble in the area our passage mentions (and we are not condemned for it, even though it will still be revealed at the Bema Seat). However, continuous, hard-hearted, and unrepentant behavior of this sort can lead to discipline in the form of premature physical death (1 Corinthians 11:27-32) or apostasy (if faith dissolves entirely) and, thus, loss of salvation (resulting in said unbeliever receiving judgment at the Great White Throne without mercy).
References
All Greek words and definitions were taken from Bible Academy using Curtis Omo’s lessons through the book of James. Prior permission for this was given to me by Curtis who clarified no need for citing him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeY2r-BSmAs&list=PLMu_1csD4LY9yVXlD84z6WaB50t6eu8aZ&index=8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLj70dCaVE&list=PLMu_1csD4LY9yVXlD84z6WaB50t6eu8aZ&index=9