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James 2:8-13 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Good morning, CFC. Go ahead and take your copy of God's Word and turn to James chapter 2.
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James chapter 2, we're going to be looking at verses 8 through 13 this morning.
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And as a way of introduction, I thought I would remind you all of what we have covered so far in our text.
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So James is writing to Jewish Christians who are dispersed from Israel by Herod Agrippa's persecution.
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You can read about that in Acts 12, and he opens with an encouraging word about trials that these Christians are facing.
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These dispersed Christians are forming a new community, not only as the church, which was a very new thing at the time,
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but also as a dispersed people group.
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You can imagine the complexity of all the people gathered who are new to one another,
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people who are getting to know one another, getting to know how to be Christians in the church body,
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what it means to be the church, and who is actually in the church, who is actually saved.
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All these things they are wondering, they are asking, they are working through.
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And we've entered a new section in James that began in chapter 1, verse 26.
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Starting in that text, James is beginning to lay out a series of tests.
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Tests that will demonstrate to his audience who is truly in the kingdom and who is not.
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Who is truly in the faith of our Lord and who is opposed.
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Who is pretending.
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Who is not truly saved.
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And this kind of thing was necessary in James' mind because apparently there are rich people
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who are oppressing the poor in the church, which we read about last week.
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So James gives some tests to weed out these false believers.
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Tests to see who is corrupting the flock and leading them away.
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And one such test is the test of partiality that Nathan began preaching on last week in chapter 2, verse 1.
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So today we're going to see James' final and main argument against the sin of partiality.
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This argument is the most important and most weighty, indicated by the length James gives to it
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and the fact that it's at the end of his argument, a common place for the main argument in Jewish rhetoric.
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So let's begin then reading our text, James chapter 2, verse 8.
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We'll read this together and see James' main argument against the sin of partiality.
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So James writes in verse 8,
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If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture,
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you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
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You are doing well.
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But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
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For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
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For he who said, do not commit adultery, also said, do not murder.
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If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
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So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
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For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.
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Mercy triumphs over judgment.
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So right at the outset of our text, we see that partiality is not loving, which is our first point for this morning.
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Point number one, showing partiality is not loving.
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And we see this in verses 8 through 9.
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He says,
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What does James mean by royal law?
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And the Greek word for royal here in this context likely is James' way of referring not only to the Old Testament law,
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but also to Jesus' teachings, clarifications, and expositions of the law that he gave in his earthly ministry,
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his teachings that we see in the gospel accounts.
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In other words, James is expanding to include both the Old Testament law,
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but also the instructions given to the disciples for the church,
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which is part of the kingdom of God.
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Notice that from last week's text in verse 5,
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James refers to God choosing those who love him to be heirs of the kingdom,
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a word that in the Greek language would often be associated with the term royal,
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just like in English, royal kingdom.
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It is interesting because James references the first great commandment,
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to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
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This is what it looks like to love God in verse 5.
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But in our text, in verse 9, James references the second great commandment,
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you shall love your neighbor.
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So James is picking up on the great commandment teaching
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and situating it in the kingdom of God through the church.
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And this would be a clear allusion to Jesus' teaching,
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which we have recorded in Matthew 22, verses 35 through 40,
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a teaching that James' audience would be familiar with.
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Matthew records,
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And one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him.
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Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?
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And Jesus said to him,
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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
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and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
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This is the first and great commandment.
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And a second is like it.
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You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
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On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
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So notice the lawyer asked,
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What is the great commandment?
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He's expecting to hear one commandment in response.
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Yet Jesus responds with two commandments.
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This tells us how imperative both of these are.
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But we'll return to this passage in a moment.
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For now, suffice it to say that James is citing both the second and the first great commandments
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as a part of his case against partiality.
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The sin of partiality is neither loving towards God or towards neighbor.
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Now, in your English translations, verses 8 and 9 likely begin with the word if.
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And this gives you the impression that James is talking about a hypothetical.
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In other words, it is as if these two verses are reading as a warning.
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Like James is saying,
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Hey, I don't know if you're showing partiality or not,
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but here's what I think about it if you are.
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Right?
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Kind of this preparatory gotcha type statement.
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If you really fulfill the royal law, you're doing well.
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But, you know, if you show partiality, you're not doing so well.
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And while the English might allow for this kind of reading, the Greek does not.
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In both cases where if is used, you'd have what's called a first-class conditional,
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which simply means it is actually happening.
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That means you could translate if with the word since or because.
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And that changes the reading dramatically for us.
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Because you really fulfill the royal law.
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Because you show partiality.
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Who is James talking to?
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How can they both be fulfilling the royal law and yet showing partiality?
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Are they obeying or are they not?
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And this is where we recall, as I said in the intro,
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that James is writing a series of tests for the church.
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Tests to use to determine if someone is truly a brother in the faith or not.
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In other words, James is saying,
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I know some of you are obeying the royal law.
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That you are truly loving your neighbor.
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That you are doing well.
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But I also know some of you are not.
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And you should know that you stand guilty before God.
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Throughout the book of James, there are moments where James is addressing these false believers.
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And if that is a new idea for you, here are just a few examples.
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In James chapter 1 verse 22,
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Apparently there are those in James' audience who are hearers of the word, but not doers.
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In James chapter 1 verse 26,
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There are those who have not bridled their tongue,
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And their religion is, quote, worthless.
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In James chapter 2 verse 14,
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There are those who claim faith, but do not have works.
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Which demonstrates that their faith is false.
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In James 4 verses 1 through 6,
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There are those who have fights and quarrels because of ongoing sinful passions,
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Which cause them to murder.
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And more so, they lack the humility to ask or pray for wisdom and grace from God.
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In James chapter 4 verses 13 through 17,
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There are those who boast about worldly gains to come tomorrow.
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And the most blatant example is James chapter 5 verse 1.
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James tells the rich who are oppressing his audience,
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These rich people are within the church, oppressing the poor within the church.
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And he says to them,
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Come now you rich,
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Weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
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Meaning, future judgment awaits you.
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And I could go on to argue for this idea,
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But I'll wrap this argument up for now with this simple question.
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Do any of these people in these texts that James is addressing,
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Sound like true believers?
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Believers who have repented of their sin.
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Believers who are bearing fruit.
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Believers who are following Christ.
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Believers who are praying for Christ.
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These men and women who oppress the poor.
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Who talk loosely and foolishly.
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Who don't even pray to God.
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And they constantly desire to murder because they do not have.
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Is this the kingdom of God?
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And the apostle John says in 1 John 2.9
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That one of the chief marks of the true church of God is our love for one another.
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And James is saying in verse 9.
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That there are those who are practicing partiality.
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And the tense of the verb indicates this is ongoing sin in their life.
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It's not just that they've shown partiality once on Monday and repented on Tuesday.
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But Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
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On and on.
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Week to week.
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Year to year.
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They practice this.
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They get better at it.
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It's a craft for them.
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A masterpiece.
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They're very good at it.
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And they only get better.
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It's the direction of their life.
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And that person is not in the kingdom of God.
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But rather, verse 9 is, quote, committing sin and is convicted by the law as a transgressor.
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So part of James' argument against the sin of partiality is that at its core it is unloving.
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According to Jesus, one of the most basic confessions and laws of our faith is that we are to love God and love neighbor.
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Yet here are those who practice the opposite.
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And they are guilty before God.
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These wolves are not in Christ, but they serve their father, the devil.
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Now, some might object and say, is partiality really all that big a deal?
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After all, what if I treat everybody well, but just pick some to treat better for whatever reason?
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In James, he anticipates this kind of objection.
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An objection that belittles the sin of partiality.
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And this leads us to the other part of James' argument against the sin, which is our second point for this morning.
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Point number two.
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Showing partiality is breaking the whole law.
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So point number two.
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Showing partiality is breaking the whole law.
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So looking at verse 10, he writes,
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For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
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Now that's an oxymoron of a statement.
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Has someone truly kept the whole law if at one point they have broken it?
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And the answer is, of course not, which is James' point.
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It's the other part of his argument.
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That person has broken the law.
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And James adds the terrifying reality that that person has, quote,
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become guilty of all of the law.
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How can that be?
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And again, recall Christ's teaching from Matthew 22, 35 through 40,
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which James has alluded to.
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In that text, Jesus says of the first and second commandments,
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that on these two commandments, quote,
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depend all the law and the prophets.
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The entire word of God, the Old Testament, and the New, the royal law,
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all of it depends on these two commandments.
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One disobeys all the law and the prophets if their action is not a result of loving God and loving neighbor.
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Every sin falls under that category, including a so-called, quote,
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small sin like partiality.
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And James, he builds this argument in verse 11.
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He writes,
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For he who said, quote,
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Do not commit adultery, also said,
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Do not murder.
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If you do not commit adultery, but you do murder,
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you have become a transgressor of the law.
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So he is directly citing Exodus 20, 13 through 14,
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as well as Deuteronomy 5, 17 through 18.
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The law, the Old Testament law.
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But why these two laws specifically?
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And some pastors and scholars think it is because both laws demanded the death penalty if broken.
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So their explanation of this text would go something like this.
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James is picking two separate sins that were, quote, unquote, taken seriously.
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So seriously that both demanded the death penalty.
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So he's doing this to show, this interpretation will go,
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they're doing this to show that partiality is just as deserving of death as adultery or murder.
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That they should all be equally serious in the minds of James' hearers.
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And this view of this text wouldn't be wrong.
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As Paul says in Romans 6, 23,
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The wages of sin, all sin, is death.
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All sin, meaning covetousness, greed, idolatry, pride, a loose tongue, a lack of financial integrity.
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All these sins will land you in the same place as murder, adultery, theft, homosexuality, and blasphemy.
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The so-called small and the so-called big, they all land you in the same place.
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Judgment.
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And I think the pastors and scholars are correct to see these two laws picked
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because of the death penalty and because of the public perception of murder and adultery
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as being more damning, quote, unquote.
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However, I also think James has another intention with these two laws.
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Given how much James cites the Sermon on the Mount
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and given how familiar the Sermon on the Mount must have been to his audience,
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I think James intends for us to consider Christ's teaching on these two laws
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in relation to partiality.
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So Jesus says in Matthew 5, 21 through 22, he says,
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You have heard that it was said to those of old,
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you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.
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But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.
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Later on in Matthew 5, 27 through 28, Jesus says,
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You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery.
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But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
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So Jesus, quoting the same text that James has quoted,
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is providing a clear teaching that external works alone are not the whole picture,
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but internally as well, in the heart, as Jesus says.
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The law is meant to shape not just the external, but the internal.
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James intentionally seems to inform us that we are called to not show partiality,
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but also to not even have it in our hearts.
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You don't give the seat of honor to the rich over the poor in your church, that's good.
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But in your heart, in your mind, you find yourself giving unfair treatment to someone over another,
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based on arbitrary things, whether it be education, class, race, gender, whatever it is.
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Is it something that you find yourself thinking, desiring at time?
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If so, that's a heart problem, not a societal problem, but a heart problem,
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as the law clearly indicates, as Jesus clearly expounded.
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In light of everything we've just covered, I just want to look at verses 10 through 11 as a unit for a moment,
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to wrap up this point.
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In verse 10, the word whole is used to describe the law, the whole law.
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And it's interesting, recall that this word, when I preached the first sermon on James,
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the Greek word for this is teleon, a word that we looked at closely before, so I'll be brief here.
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But this is James tipping of the hat to the theme of wholeness that runs throughout his entire letter.
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The careful reader would already know what James intends,
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to tell his readers that God demands their total devotion in heart, mind, and soul.
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Hence, this is why James references the great commandments,
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why he mentions the whole law,
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and why he takes the time to show that the one who doesn't commit adultery but does murder is guilty.
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Because those people lack entire, complete, or whole devotion to God.
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God wants all of us, our entire being, to worship him,
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with our eyes, with our hands, and our feet, and our mouths.
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And James brings this wholeness idea back into focus to remind his readers how, then, they should live.
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Which leads us to our final point, point number three.
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So speak and so act as God's chosen.
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Point number three.
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So speak and so act as God's chosen.
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In verse five from last week, we are reminded that God has chosen those who are poor in the world
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to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom.
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But back in our text, in verse 12,
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James tells us that as heirs of this kingdom,
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we are to so speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
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James is essentially saying,
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act like Christians.
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Don't be known by partiality.
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The world is known for its hate for one another.
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But those who are in the kingdom of God
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are known by their love for one another.
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And love for God.
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Our speech and actions should be such that they are rooted in love.
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Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, 1-8, he says,
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If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
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but have not love,
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I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
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And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
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and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,
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but have not love,
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I am nothing.
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If I give away all I have,
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and if I deliver up my body to be burned,
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but have not love,
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I gain nothing.
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Love is patient and kind.
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Love does not envy or boast.
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It is not arrogant or rude.
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It does not insist on its own way.
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It is not irritable or resentful.
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It does not rejoice at wrongdoing,
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but rejoices with the truth.
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Love bears all things,
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believes all things,
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hopes all things,
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and endures all things.
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Love never ends.
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So I quote this larger text
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simply to show that love
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is foundational to everything we ought to be
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and everything we ought to do
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as believers.
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So act and so speak
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as those who are known
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by their love for God and neighbor.
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This is our guiding principle
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in all that we do,
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and that is why Jesus calls these
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the two great commandments.
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Now James gives us two motivations
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to so act and so speak as believers.
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The first motivation is the fact
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that the law is liberating.
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What a unique phrase,
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this law of liberty.
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What is James referring to?
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And in short,
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I would say James is referring
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to the full gospel.
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So often in churches today,
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you will hear people mock God's law
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as though it were a burden.
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But biblically,
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it is our sin that is a burden,
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not the law.
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The law exposes our sin.
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But more than that,
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the law is liberating.
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Earlier in James 1, verse 25,
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James says,
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the one who looks into the perfect law,
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the law of liberty,
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and perseveres,
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being no hearer who forgets,
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but a doer who acts,
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he will be blessed in his doing.
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Now I've talked about this word,
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blessed ad nauseum.
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Every chance I get up here,
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I talk about it.
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But it's worth reminding you all,
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again,
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this word carries the idea
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of one who is flourishing,
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happy,
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doing very well.
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It sometimes even carries
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the specific connotation
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of one who is in an envious position
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in life.
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Think about that.
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His family,
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his work,
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his friendships,
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all these things,
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his whole life,
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is envious for others to see.
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That man is blessed.
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Now,
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this law that this blessed man
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obeys
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sounds like a burden.
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Where did so many pastors
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in their churches
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get this idea
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that would make them want
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to unhitch a portion
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of the good news?
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And make no mistake,
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the law is a part
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of the good news.
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This is why I say
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the law of liberty
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is referring to the full gospel.
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This is another way for James
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to refer to the Old Testament law
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with New Testament qualifiers
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and New Testament connotations.
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And just to drive the point further,
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here's a hypothetical for you.
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Let's say God's gospel stops
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where some of these churches
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seemingly believe it does.
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In other words,
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let's say the gospel is merely
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that we are saved
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from the wrath of God.
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Well, that would not be good news
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because while we might get
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to go to heaven in that world,
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there would be murder,
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adultery, theft,
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and so on in heaven
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because we would be there.
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Because we are sinners.
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Because left to ourselves,
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we are murderers, adulterers,
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and thieves,
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and so on and so on.
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And this is not the eternity
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that you want to live in.
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But here is the full gospel.
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The full gospel, yes,
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God sent his son to die on a cross
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and bear our sins,
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to bear God's wrath for our sins
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so that we might be holy
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and blameless before him.
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It's Christ's righteousness
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imputed to us
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that saves us from the wrath
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we deserve.
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But it doesn't stop there.
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The full gospel is the good news
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that God,
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after saving us from judgment,
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is changing our hearts
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so that we desire to obey,
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which results in obedience.
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And this great work of God
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will be brought,
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quote,
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to completion at the day
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of Jesus Christ,
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as Paul says
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in Philippians 1, 6.
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Yes, we still sin now,
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but when the kingdom of heaven
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is fully consummated,
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we will be without sin.
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And our creator God,
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who knows our deepest needs,
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our God,
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who is love,
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this God,
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who is the law giver,
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he has given us
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a royal law,
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a law of liberty
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that we will abide by
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and enjoy for eternity
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with him,
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obedient from the heart.
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No strife,
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no pain,
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no anger.
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What a glorious,
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beautiful picture.
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What a gospel
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to place our hope in.
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So the first motivation
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to not show partiality
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is that we are
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under a law of liberty
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as believers.
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We, by God's grace,
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are liberated from
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our sinful nature
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so that,
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by grace,
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we can resist temptation
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to show partiality.
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The other motivation
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is that we will be judged
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according to our works
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under this law.
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So James goes on
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in verse 13,
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for judgment is without mercy
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to the one
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who has shown no mercy.
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Mercy triumphs
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over judgment.
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So remember,
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James is laying out
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a series of tests
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to help his audience
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determine
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who is truly
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a believer
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and who is
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truly saved,
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opposed
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to who is deceived
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into thinking
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they are saved.
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According to verse 13,
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if anyone professing
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Christ
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refuses to show mercy,
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that person
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has proven
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to not be
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in Christ.
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Jesus himself
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taught this
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in the Sermon on the Mount.
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Again,
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it's a quotation,
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Matthew 5, 7.
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Jesus said,
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blessed are the merciful
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for they
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shall receive
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mercy.
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And notice,
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it is the flourishing,
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happy person
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who is merciful.
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It is good for us
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to be merciful
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for our own sake
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and for God's glory.
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So on the Day of Judgment,
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there will be many charges
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of sin against us.
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Our defense in that courtroom
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will be that
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our sins are paid for
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by Christ's death
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and resurrection,
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that he satisfied
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the wrath
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that we deserve.
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And God,
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who is all-knowing,
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will know
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we are in Christ
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not only because
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he chose us
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before the foundation
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of the world,
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but because we will bear
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the fruit of repentance,
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such as mercy.
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Our fruit is our evidence
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that we were saved.
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Only he who has been
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shown mercy
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is capable
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of being merciful.
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Salvation,
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the root,
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obedience,
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the fruit.
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That we still not be perfect,
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this is our trajectory
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in life as believers
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by God's grace alone.
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But for the false believer,
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he will enter the Day of Judgment
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and claim Christ
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as his Lord,
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yet God's response
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will be,
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depart from me,
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you worker of lawlessness,
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for I never knew you.
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This person,
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this false believer,
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according to James,
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is one who never showed mercy,
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but he did show partiality.
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Along with a whole bunch
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of other ungodly desires
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and actions.
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And woe to that person,
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God's wrath,
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will consume that person
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for eternity
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as a just judgment.
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But there is still hope
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for the unbeliever,
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for the false believer.
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And if any of them
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are here today,
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I want you to know
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that mercy triumphs
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over judgment.
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Because of this glorious gospel
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we have talked about today,
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that God in Christ
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is able to wash away
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all your sins.
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Though you be crimson red,
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God is able to purge you
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white as snow.
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And he desires to show mercy.
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He is a Savior who delights
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in saving his people.
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Flee to him as your refuge
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from the judgment to come,
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and he will be glad
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and rejoice
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in showing you great mercy.
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Zephaniah 3.17 says,
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The Lord your God
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is in your midst,
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a mighty one
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who will save.
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And he will rejoice
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over you with gladness.
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He will quiet you
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by his love.
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He will exalt over you
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with loud singing.
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I love that James,
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while giving a dire warning
29:33
to these false believers,
29:34
he ends his argument
29:35
that mercy triumphs
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over judgment.
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an exclamation point
29:40
of mercy.
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And let us who have faith
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never forget
29:44
God's desire to save.
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Let that hope
29:47
drive us to share
29:49
the gospel with others,
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the unbelievers
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and the hypocrites
29:53
who think they are saved.
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They are not beyond
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the reach of God.
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He is mighty to save.
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He is desirous to save.
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He loves to save.
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Now, before we pray,
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I want to offer
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a few closing applications
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in light of our text.
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Application number one,
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love your neighbor.
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James says in verse eight,
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If you do this,
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you are doing well.
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Now, to be real with you all,
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I don't always do
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a great job of this.
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There are extra grace
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required people
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in this world.
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And I've had to,
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quote, deal with them,
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right?
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And as many have had
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to deal with me.
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But I am constantly
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convicted
30:37
when I read that
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God loves us
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and delights
30:42
to forgive us.
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I am so thankful
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that his attitude
30:46
was not, quote,
30:47
time to deal
30:48
with Zach Skilling.
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But that he lifts
30:52
his robes with joy
30:53
to run toward
30:54
a prodigal child
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like me
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and like all of you.
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Let that be
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our attitude.
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That we would desire
31:02
mercy for others.
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That we would not
31:04
merely deal with people
31:05
but embrace them
31:06
with joyous love.
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And a powerful picture
31:10
of that,
31:11
go and read sometime
31:12
about the early church
31:13
martyrs
31:14
and how they prayed
31:15
for their executor's
31:16
salvation
31:16
while burning
31:17
at the stake.
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Or better yet,
31:21
go and read
31:22
the gospel accounts
31:23
of Jesus praying
31:24
for the Romans
31:24
and Jews
31:25
who crucified him
31:26
as he said,
31:26
Father,
31:27
forgive them
31:28
for they know
31:29
not what they do.
31:32
He's moved
31:32
to compassion
31:33
and mercy
31:34
even for his enemies.
31:38
And there's so many ways
31:39
to love your neighbor
31:40
well,
31:40
whether it be mercy,
31:42
maybe it's helping them
31:43
with their needs,
31:44
serving them
31:44
in unexpected ways.
31:46
But this is a work
31:47
we have to be
31:49
intentional about,
31:49
a work that we must
31:50
be diligent about,
31:52
mindful of,
31:53
considering.
31:53
And so to do that,
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I'd say consider
31:57
and ask God,
31:58
Lord,
31:58
who can I love
31:59
well today?
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Make me aware
32:01
of the people
32:02
around me
32:03
and their needs.
32:04
And if it please you,
32:05
use me to love them
32:07
and serve those needs.
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And I promise you
32:10
he'll answer that prayer
32:11
every time.
32:14
And the second application,
32:15
the last one,
32:17
commit yourself
32:18
wholly,
32:19
with a W,
32:20
wholly
32:20
to Christ's
32:23
lordship.
32:24
Now to be clear,
32:25
none of us
32:25
have ever done this
32:26
perfectly,
32:27
nor will we
32:28
in this life.
32:30
That is why
32:31
it is so important
32:32
that we remember
32:32
Christ's teaching
32:33
to his disciples
32:34
in Luke 9, 23.
32:36
If anyone would
32:37
come after me,
32:38
Christ says,
32:38
if anyone would
32:39
come after me,
32:41
let him deny himself
32:42
and take up his cross
32:44
daily
32:45
and follow me.
32:47
Daily.
32:48
Daily we have to
32:48
remind ourselves
32:49
we are not our own,
32:50
but we've been bought
32:51
with a price.
32:52
We no longer
32:53
belong to ourselves
32:54
or this world,
32:55
but we belong
32:56
to our Lord and Savior,
32:57
our Redeemer,
32:58
Kinsman,
32:58
Jesus Christ.
33:02
Daily.
33:02
Yes, there will be
33:03
bad days,
33:03
there will be moments
33:04
of great sin,
33:04
yet day to day
33:05
we are recommitting
33:06
ourselves to the Lord
33:07
by working to deny
33:09
ourselves,
33:10
deny our wishes,
33:11
deny our preferences,
33:13
and learning to love
33:14
the Lord,
33:14
learning to love
33:15
our neighbors.
33:17
finish the race
33:19
set before you
33:20
by grace.
33:20
This is our calling
33:22
as the church
33:22
to live and die
33:24
for Christ,
33:25
to give ourselves
33:26
wholly to him.
33:28
Let's pray.
33:29
Let's pray.