Love Your Neighbor

Good morning and what a beautiful Fall morning it is here in the Panhandle. This time of year is my wife's favorite and truth be told I like it pretty good too. Well last weeks post was not the best received I ever posted, so I pray today's goes over a little better. Today we are looking at James 2:8-13, and I'm starting with a sermon out line by Jerry Cosper and filling it in.

In verses 1-7 James' warning against partiality was strong. Now as we look at verses 8-13 we are given three warnings.

James 2:8-9

8 If, however, you are fulfilling 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.

1. Showing partiality is sin: it violates the royal law of love (v. 8-9). The royal law of God is is originally found in Leviticus 19:18 “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

It’s royal for at least 3 reasons.

1. It’s the royal law of God’s Kingdom. It was given by God Himself and reinforced by Jesus. Matthew 22:37-39, 37 And He said to him, ""YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
2. It’s the great law that includes all other laws. So, it is saying that if a person loves God and loves his neighbor as himself, he will automatically be obeying all the other laws. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:14, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
3. It’s the very commandment that leads to eternal life. Luke 10:27-28,
   27 And he answered, "YOU SHALL 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 YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
   28 And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."

The point is this: believers are to love people, not show partiality and discriminating against some.

James 2:10

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

2. Showing partiality makes a person guilty of the whole law of God (v.10).

How is this possible? How can a person be guilty of all the law if he breaks only one law? It simple you either keep God's law or you don’t. There is no such thing as taking out the laws that you don’t like and keeping the laws that you like. They all form a whole pattern, a complete style of life. They are all necessary to point you in the right direction and toward the right goal.

So, to disregard one point or to break one little law makes you fall short of the goal. Someone sidesteps from going the right direction. Someone goes astray just a little from the law of God and they become guilty of breaking the whole law. If a person breaks one law, that person has violated the law of God, the whole package of God’s law. He is just as guilty as if he had broken every law.

It’s important for us to note this because it means:

• That we can’t pick and choose what laws we will keep and what laws we will violate.

• That we can’t build up a merit system with God by keeping most of the laws and be allowed to break a few of the laws.

• That we can’t become more acceptable to God because we keep most of the laws and break only a few.

• That we are not more righteous than other people because we keep more laws than they do and break fewer of what men call the more meaningful laws.

Simply put, showing partiality makes a person a terrible law-breaker. But you know what? We are all law-breakers - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23). So does this give us a free ride? No it does not! Romans 6:1-2, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? So what must happen? 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10).

If you are a Christ follower then you must show love, just as Christ Jesus showed His love for you. Romans 5:8; 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

James 2:11-13

11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

3. Eye opener:

Showing partiality is just as serious a sin as adultery and murder (v.11). We are to love all people no matter their social standing or wealth. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35).

There are 2 things that should stir us to love and care for all people, showing no favoritism whatsoever.

1. We will face the judgment of God. So, we should speak and act like people who will stand before God and give account for what we have done.

• We should speak love and kindness to everyone.

• We should do or show love and kindness to everyone.

We are to receive people, actually reach out to them through our speech and behavior, no matter who they are. God is going to judge us on the basis of how we have loved and reached out to people, regardless of who they are.

2. We will receive a reciprocal reward for our behavior. God is going to treat us exactly as we have treated others. Think about that for a moment. If we have shown mercy then He will show mercy to us. If we haven’t shown mercy, then He won’t show mercy to us. So, the key is we must be merciful in order to escape the terrible judgment of God.

Favoritism and partiality have no place in the Kingdom of God.

1. What is the royal law of God? What are some Scriptural that state the royal law?
2. If you break one small law, is it that big of deal? Why or why not?
3. There is degrees of sins right? What does James say about degrees of sin here?
4. What are the consequences for our behavior discussed in verse 13?