James 2:10-13
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
James 2:10-13 NIV
James made the point that no sin was greater than another. Added to this, He tells us to speak and act with mercy toward other people because they themselves are sinners, too. We are to show the other person mercy kindness with an earnest desire to help the other person. Do not point them out as sinners against your own supposed smaller sin.
Life is not a competition, but a striving to live in the liberty the Lord Jesus gave us. His liberty gave us the power over sin and death through His indwelling Holy Spirit. Through this liberty, we should strive to live as Christ did, with mercy and love, not competition and pointing out another person’s sin.
James further said, when we live by the law of liberty, we will be merciful and will receive mercy from God the Father who will judge each of us. How does God’s mercy win out and affect us? When a person accepts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior, they accept the love and mercy of God’s provision of a perfect sacrifice for the judgment of his or her sin. That person’s sin is atoned for in the death of Jesus Christ.
Whether the person sins or not the rest of his or her life, Jesus Christ’s blood atones for that person’s sins. God’s judgment of a Christian’s sin will not involve death, permanent separation from Him, because Jesus blood paid for our penalty. We can never be separated from God.
That is God’s love gift, His mercy. Despite our sinfulness, He chose to love us, provide the perfect sin sacrifice, and show us mercy by washing our sins away so we would not receive our just sin penalty of death. We did not deserve God’s grace and mercy. He gave it to us because of His love. God wants to be in a relationship with each of us.
What happens to a person who sins then? If the sinner is a Christian, God will judge that person when he or she dies and goes to heaven. His judgment on the person will not be permanent separation from God because Jesus bought our freedom from that judgment with His death.
God’s judgment will occur though in some way. Maybe we will not live in a great a house or sing in the first choir when in heaven or perhaps we will live with the consequences of our sins while on earth, polluted land, poverty because of gambling, sickness due to life choices, etc. We cannot fathom the depths of God’s thoughts and can only conjecture what may be.
But what happens to the person who sins who is not a Christian? Once again, God is merciful. He gives that person their whole life to hear about Him and respond to His love shown through the Gospel, the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. If during the person’s life, using the free will God gave him or her, the person chooses not to follow Jesus Christ, that person will experience permanent separation from God when he or she dies. A chasm will exist for eternity between that person and God. Permanent separation is hell.
Judging is God’s job. Everyone would undergo judgment by God at the appropriate time. Instead, these Jewish Christians had to come to realize every sin is equal. Each sin creates a wedge, a separation, in their relationship with God. Because each person is imperfect because of sin, they must be kind and merciful to other people.
The Jewish Christians sins were not better than the sins of a non-believer therefore, they could not and should not judge another person. Instead, show mercy just as they would want to receive mercy. Love and be kind because God has shown love, kindness, and mercy to them.
Remember, since mercy triumphs over judgment, they knew as believers they would win out in the end because Jesus Christ won the victory for every believer.
It is exactly the reason Jesus came and went to the cross. None of us can meet this bar. We all fail, most of us in far more than one way.
Father thank You for this day and Your Word and the truths within its pages. Lord let Your abundant blessings flow like a river over my friend and family today. Lord thank You that we are not in bondage to the Law of Moses, but am free to live in the liberty of the Law of the Spirit of God, in You. Lord thank You for the lessons we can learn from remaining in fellowship with You, day by day. Lord use my friend to be the touch of Your love to all today. Be a blessing.
Father, we love you amen !
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