Wed 17th June – James 2:10-13

Wed 17^th June   –   Read James 2:10-13

V10:  Of course no-one can actually claim to have kept the Law (except Jesus Himself ) for ” all have sinned” (Romans 3:23.) To break even a single commandment is to stand in breach of the whole Law.

V11:  It is no good priding ourselves that we have not broken any particular commandment (which usually has the ‘sub-text’ – “I’m not as bad as …” ), for to break any one is to have broken the whole law in God’s sight. No-one can stand before God in their own righteousness, only in Christ’s.

V12:  Christians are to realise that they too will be judged – but for them, it is under ” the Law of liberty” – for those who know Christ as Saviour the Law is not a bondage but true freedom – the freedom to serve and follow Him, and find their true satisfaction in Him.

V13:  We constantly need mercy, and if we know God’s mercy in Christ, we must show mercy to others – ( so, Matthew 5:7: Matthew 6:12,) always remembering God’s mercy comes first. Those who show no mercy ( for they do not know Christ’s mercy) are still under judgement, but God’s mercy in Christ has “ triumphed over judgment” in the cross, where God’s holy judgement was satisfied in Christ’s atoning death.