The Royal Law

James 2:8–13 | Caleb Suko

I have a setting on my camera called “face smoothing” when I turn it on the camera somehow recognizes faces and automatically applies a smoothing filter to the face. As a result, the face glows with healthy tones, and pimples, wrinkles, and blemishes seem to fade away. People often like the way they look in these photos better than they actually look in real life. They want to portray a picture of themselves that does not truly represent who they are. Maybe more importantly they want to think of themselves without imperfections. They don’t want to believe that when others look at them they can see all the wrinkles and blemishes.

Unfortunately, we are all very good and deceiving ourselves about ourselves. Thankfully, we have James who is frank, forthright, and honest with us about our own imperfections. He helps us to see our true faces in the light of God’s Word. This might not be the most pleasant experience but it is necessary if we want to get right with God and grow in his grace.

These past few Sundays James has been showing us what it looks like to really apply God’s Word to our life. Today he continues showing us what it means to be doers of the Word. Here he explains to us how favoritism is really breaking one of God’s greatest laws, “love your neighbor as yourself.” He wants us to see that none of us can really claim to have perfectly kept the law because if we do something as simple as showing favoritism, we have already broken the essence of all God’s laws. He leaves us with the vital truth of mercy. We must understand the role of mercy in relation to the law. We must show mercy in our relationships and not harsh judgmental attitudes. Without mercy we are all in danger of terrible punishment, but with mercy there is freedom!

James 2:8–13

8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

11 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.

12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,

13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

I. What is the Royal Law?

James 2:8–13

8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

James confronts his readers with this statement, “If you really keep.” He wants us to reconsider our view of ourselves. In 1:23 he used the illustration of a mirror. If we look into the Scriptures we will find ourselves there. We will find ourselves without makeup, without photoshop, and without any beautifying filters. We also find that God’s law is perfect and beautiful in every way. When we compare ourselves to God’s law we come short every time.

Why then do we so often think that we are not so bad, or we think that we are generally good people? The problem is twofold. First, we deceive ourselves about ourselves. Second, we have failed to clearly see what God’s law means in our lives. These two errors in judgment lead us to become self-righteous, conceited, and condemning of others.

Self-righteousness and pride are not easy things to break down but it is possible with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. Before we can see our problem we must first correctly understand the standard of God’s Law.

What is the royal law?

James uses different descriptions of the law. He calls it the “perfect law” (1:25), and the “law of liberty” (2:12). However, when he says “royal law” he clarifies that he is specifically referring to a statement found in Leviticus 19.

Leviticus 19:18

“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:34

The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

These verses bring the law to earth, they give feet to the unseen aspects of the law. James tells us that this is the “royal law.” What he means is that the principle of the entire law can be summed up in these simple statements. The ruling principle behind all of God’s laws is to love God and to love others. To act righteously toward God and towards others. The royal law is the king of all laws because when it is truly kept, then all of God’s laws will fall into line. However, if you try to mechanically follow all the outward rules and regulations. If you try to simply go through the actions of God’s law but you don’t have a love for those around you, then you have failed at it all. That is to say, if we fulfill all God’s laws except for this one law, then we have really not fulfilled anything.

We find this Royal Law often in the New Testament. Jesus refers to it when he is asked what the greatest law is.

Matthew 22:35–40

35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Here Jesus brings two aspects of the law together, “love the Lord” from Deu 6:5 and “love your neighbor” from Lev 19:18. These two commandments are the essence of the law. If we look at the 10 commandments we find that the first 4 are really simply telling us to love God by worshiping him alone, by honoring him with our words and with our time. The later 6 commandments are all about our relationships with each other. They are telling us to love others, to not be angry and murder, to be faithful full, to not steal or cheat others, and to not be jealous of others. All these are ways in which we are called to love those around us. The rest of the law in the Old Testament are simply ways in which the Israelites could show their love for God or their love for others.

James, however, only refers to the second of the greatest commandments “love others,” why is that? James gives us a clue a little later on in the chapter when he says,

James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.

It’s true that to believe in God and to love God are vital aspects of the Christian’s life. James is in no way downplaying their importance. Instead, he is focusing on the one thing that could possibly indicate whether you really do love God or not. Unfortunately, we know how easy it is for someone to say they believe in God, to say that they love God and yet their lives show no evidence of their faith or love for God! Undoubtedly this was the case for some to whom James was writing. They made the confession of faith, they went to the right church, they had the right words, they had the right clothing. They looked and sounded like Christians except for one thing, they did not love their neighbor!

This was a big problem in Jesus' time and still is a big problem today. It’s called “legalism.” Legalism is a way of self-justification usually by adding some religious form into your life. People try to justify themselves by following strict dietary rules, dressing in a religious way, denying themselves certain comforts, and many many other ways.

Sometimes people get so good at keeping all the rules they’ve made they start to feel like they’re more righteous, more holy, closer to God than others. So James gives us a test. Are you following the Royal law? Are you really loving those who are right next to you? Are you treating them with kindness, respect, and dignity? Are you going above and beyond to care for and aid those who can not return your kindness?

It’s helpful here for us to look at a story Jesus told which shows us what it really means to obey the Royal Law.

Luke 10:25–29

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

This man was an expert in the law, he knew it in and out and his answer was the same as Jesus’ answer in Mat 22. It seems that there was a common understanding amongst Jewish scholars that the law could be summed up by these two verses. The sad part was that this expert in the law still did not see his own guilt. He didn’t realize that he himself was not able to keep even this simple law. Thus, Jesus presents him with a vivid and tragic story.

Luke 10:31–37

31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

What was the point of Jesus’ story? Was he just trying to get this expert in the law to be a nicer guy to strangers who fall on hard times? Yes, he should be a nicer guy but that’s not really why Jesus told this story. As the man heard Jesus’ story he would have realized that Jesus was talking about him when he described the Levite who passed by! The Levite was the expert in the law. The point of the story was to show this man that he had not even come close to keeping the law, in fact, he was so far from fulfilling the law that even a Samaritan, whom the Jews hated and considered unclean was closer to fulfilling the law than he was.

When we look at the Royal Law we realize that we are royally incompetent and unable to fulfill it.

II. How does favoritism break the Royal Law?

So James takes us a step further and tells us:

James 2:9

9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

James is now putting you and me in the place of the Levite in Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan. The Levite played favorites. He denied a needy person's help because he saw no good in it for himself. We must remember that every act of favoritism is also adversely an act of prejudice, indifference, and even hate.

Favoritism is a failure to show love to those who need it most, thus favoritism breaks one of God’s most significant laws, “love your neighbor as yourself.” If we have ever shown favoritism, if we have ever been prejudiced, then James tells us that we are lawbreakers. James tells us not because he thinks that maybe a few people here and there have shown favoritism but rather because he knows that we all have shown favoritism.

If we are honest with ourselves we must admit that there have been times when we could have and should have given help to someone and yet we choose not to because it was uncomfortable, because we didn't see anything in it for ourselves, or because we had a grudge against that person. On the other hand, I’m sure that each of us has at one point or another treated someone else with special attention, showered them with praise and went out of our way to impress them with hospitality just because the person was influential, rich, or had some other resource that we wanted a part of.

Once we remove our makeup, turn off the camera filters, and look carefully into the mirror of the Word of God we will clearly see a lawbreaker.

However, you may ask, “what’s the big deal, a little favoritism isn’t as bad as lying, murder, or adultery? James continues his logic in the next two verses.

III. Why does God judge us so harshly?

James 2:10–11

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

11 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.

How is it fair to be guilty of it all if we only break part of it?

Although we all know that it’s impossible to only commit one sin. We are all guilty of many thousands of sins. Yet, our human nature likes to point out that I’m not quite as bad as another person. Yes, and maybe you have never committed murder or adultery, yet God says a lawbreaker is a lawbreaker.

There are two truths that help us understand why God must judge us even if we only commit one sin. First, we must understand the Holiness of God and second we must understand the nature of sin.

#1 GOD IS HOLY!

Moses tells us:

Exodus 15:11

11 Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you — majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

We can find evidence of God’s holiness throughout the Bible. His holiness speaks of his moral purity and separation from all that has been defiled from sin. God’s holiness is the reason Adam and Eve had to leave Eden. God’s holiness is the reason God had the Israelites build a tabernacle in the wilderness and set apart a whole tribe of people for the care of all things related to the worship of God. God’s holiness is the reason Isaiah when he saw God on his throne cried out, “Whoa is me for I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips!”

God’s holiness primarily speaks of his purity, a purity that must be protected from sin and separate from sin.

#2 SIN IS SERIOUS

[Rom 6:23 NIV] 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We must also understand the nature of sin. Unfortunately, we often minimize the nature of sin by simply calling it a mistake or a mess up.

The Bible uses some of the following terms:

• Lostness
• Evil
• Transgression
• Perversion
• Rebellion
• Depravity
• Iniquity
• Impurity
• Trespasses
• Lawlessness
• Etc..

Sin is serious stuff and while one sin may be worse than another sin, all sin leads to the same thing; death.

This is because ultimately all sin separates us from God’s holiness. Sin is a contaminate that bleeds into all aspects of our life.

All have sinned and sin affects all.

Why would we expect God to accept our contaminated life if we wouldn’t even allow ourselves to consume something with a small contaminate in it?

IV. How can we find mercy?

James now brings us to his point of application:

James 2:12–13

12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,

13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James now shows that when we have a proper understanding of God’s law. When we see the connection between the holiness of God and kindness to our neighbor then it will change the way we speak and act!

James is talking about the way our belief in God and in His law affects our relationships with others. You see a true Christian recognizes his humble status before God’s law! Jesus puts it this way,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” Mat 5:6

“Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy” Mat 5:7

The true Christian is one who has recognized his lawbreaking status, has received God’s mercy, and is constantly giving out the mercy he has received to others. James is showing us that one of the marks of a true believer is that he does not stand above others in self-righteousness condemning those around him because their lives don’t quite match the standard that he lives by.

The true Christian recognizes that there is a law that gives freedom and he wants others to have that freedom! What is the law that gives freedom? The law that gives freedom is a combination of God’s law and his mercy. You see it is only when we combine God’s law with God’s mercy that it becomes good to us. Law without mercy is harsh, unforgiving, and deadly. Law with mercy is kind, gracious, and life-giving.

John tells us:

John 1:17

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

What a beautiful combination we have in Jesus, only he can give us the truth of the law and the grace and mercy of the cross! It is in fact this very mercy that allows us to enter the throne room of God with confidence (Heb 4:16) and it is this mercy and forgiveness that strengthens us to live according to God’s law.

God’s law brings us to the recognition of our need for his mercy and his mercy brings to us the ability and desire to live according to his law.

1 Peter 2:10–11

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

Conclusion:

Here are some self-evaluation questions to consider in prayer:

1. In what ways have I minimize my own sin or overestimated my own righteousness before God?
2. Where do I need more of God’s mercy in my life now?
3. Where do I need to show more of God’s mercy to others now?
4. Do my actions and my words correspond to God’s law of freedom?