INTRODUCTION
1. Open your bibles to James 2:12&13.
2. James has a question for each one of us. Have we made an effort to shake hands with everyone that has come into the building?
3. Did you reach your hand out and give them a hand shake? Did you speak a few friendly and encouraging words?
4. If you missed them as they came in, did you go to them after they sat down and give them a “hello” and/or a “hand shake”?
5. All of us need to make this a regular habit. Don’t just come in and go straight for a seat and set down and neglect to show friendliness.
6. Up to this point, in two other lessons, from James 2:1-11 we have discussed five reasons that James gives, as to why we should be friendly to all who come to the services of the church.
7. In this lesson we will discuss the SIXTH point that James gives. JAMES 2:12&13 TEACH THAT CHRISTIANS ARE NOT TO SHOW MORE RESPECT, OR BE FRIENDLIER TO SOME PEOPLE THAN WE WOULD be friendlier TO OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE WHEN WE DO, WE WILL PAY THE CONSEQUENCES THAT WILL COME AFTER WE HAVE BEEN JUDGED BY THE “LAW OF LIBERTY”.
8. In this lesson we will discuss seven different things under James’ sixth point.
I. FIRST, JAMES 2:12a TEACHES that our friendliness and lack of friendliness is going to be brought up on judgment day.
1. Let’s read James 2:12. “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty”.
2. This is good general advice. We need always to live in a way that we stay prepared for the coming judgment. But in this verse, the instructions are directly related to the sin of discrimination or prejudice or shunning some and not being friendly to every one who visits the worship services.
(1) First, James mentions a sin of the tongue when he says, “so speak ye”. Also, when you look back at James 2:3 at James’ illustration James points out that “speaking” was one of the sins mentioned. They said to the rich man, “Sit thou here in a good place”; they said to the poor man, “Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool”.
So often it is our words that expose the friendliness or lack of friendliness that exist in our hearts. Our words to and about others can show concern and compassion and friendliness, or our lack of words may find ourselves being guilty of never saying anything to some that we ought to be showing friendliness and encouragement to.
(2) Second, in James 2:12 “doing” is the second sin referred to when James says, “so speak and so do”. Again look back at James 2:3. “Doing” was the other sin in James 2:3, since they ushered the rich and the poor to their respective seats.
Ultimately, our friendliness or lack of friendliness causes us to treat men differently.
If we love all people, our lives will show it. Genuine love will show friendliness to all people that visit us.
One teacher said, “that we must bind the Bible in shoe leather”, meaning that we must be doers and walk in the teaching of the bible.
The bible teaches us to love everyone and we need to walk to the other side of the building, if necessary, to make sure we speak to everyone. Use our shoe leather and show friendliness!
Another person said that, “in reality, we only believe as much of the Bible as we practice”.
II. SECONDLY, LET’S DISCUSS THE LAST PHRASE IN JAMES 2:12, WHICH SAYS THAT WE WILL BE “JUDGED BY THE LAW OF LIBERTY.”
1. Some people say, “since we will be “judged by a law of liberty” why should we be overly concerned about our “speaking” and “doing?
2. They reason, that since the standard that we’re going to be judged by is a “law of liberty”, doesn’t that mean that we can be friendly to who we want to and not friendly to who we don’t want to be friendly with? No, that is not what the word “liberty” means!
3. James uses the same term for “liberty” as he did in James 1:25. Just because the word “liberty” is attatched to the word law, does not mean that it is not a serious law that Christians are under. The “law of liberty” refers to the New Testament of Jesus Christ.
4. Turn to John 12:48. Here, Jesus stressed that we will be judged by the words He spoke – which also includes all of the N.T. Let’s read John 12:48, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”
5. Turn to Rom. 2:16. Here, Paul stresses that even the secret reasons that we are not friendly to everyone will be judged by the gospel. Let’s read Romans 2:16, “In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel”.
6. Turn to 2 Cor. 5:10. Here, Paul warns us of the danger of not using our body that God has blessed us with to be a friendly person. Let’s read 2 Cor. 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
7. The law of liberty is a very demanding law! It has the word “liberty” attatched to it because the book of Leviticus and Hebrews chapters 9&10 teach that the law of liberty (the N. T.)
provides the opportunity to be to be completely from all our past sins once we obey the plan of salvation.
(1) The blood of Jesus gives those who obey liberty and freedom from all sins once they are forgiven.
(2) The Law of Moses and the use of animal blood never gave complete freedom and liberty from past sins.
(3) Each person under the Law of Moses was commanded to regularly have the priest to offer animal sacrifices and blood as was necessary for their sins.
(4) Once a year the high priest would make a special offering for all the people of Israel.
(5) This yearly sacrifice would roll everyone’s sins forward from year to year.
(6) All that faithful to obey the teaching of the law of Moses were o.k. with God.
(7) But they were never made completely free or set at complete liberty from their sins until Christ shed his blood and the cleansing power of it reached back and brought complete forgiveness for them.
(8) Under the N. T. as soon as we obey what we are taught to obey that we might receive forgiveness of sins, we are set free and at liberty from the captivity of sin.
(9) This is why the N. T. can be called the “the law of liberty”.
III. THIRD, JAMES 2:13a PLACES GREAT EMPHASIS UPON THE FACT THAT in light of the future judgment, we need to put forth every effort possible to remove the failure to be friendly from our hearts!
1. Let’s read the first part of verse 13: “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy”.
2. I do not know of any more terrifying phrase than this: “judgment is without mercy”!
(1) It would be better to be in an ice storm without adequate clothing, it would be better to be lost in the wilderness without compass and food,
(2) it would be better to be floundering in the icy ocean with no hope of rescue than to have judgment without mercy!
3. Judgment without mercy means eternal condemnation! All of us commit sin (Romans 3:23); but our committing sin, if it were without any chance of mercy we would all be lost for all eternity! Thankfully, God does provide the opportunity for us to receive mercy.
4. However, James 2:13a is teaching that God’s mercy is not going to be available, if for one thing we do not have mercy and show friendliness toward other people.
IV. FOURTH. “Judgment without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy” is one of the bible boomerang teachings that we find in the bible.
1. A boomerang is thrown out away from us and then, because of it being built in a curved shape, it will come back our direction. In many places the bible teaches that we receive what we give. It also teaches that we won’t receive what we don’t give.
2. Turn to Matt. 5:7. Here, Jesus gives the positive side of this boomerang principle of us receiving back what we give to others. Let’s read Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”.
3. James gives the negative. If we show no mercy, we will receive none. If we are not sensitive to the needs of others, God will not be sensitive to our needs.
4. If we show no friendliness and encouragement to our fellow human beings, God will not show any friendliness to us on judgment day. If we have no compassion for the downhearted, we will receive no compassion in eternity!
V. FIFTH. How serious is the matter that we are discussing? All of us have failed at some point or another. Is there, therefore, not any hope at all?
1. Look back at James 2:10&11. In these two verses Christians are taught that if we offend in one point we are guilty of all.
2. Let’s read James 2:10&11, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”
3. James gives the illustration of adultery and murder to remind Christians that being guilty of one of them doesn’t make one guilty of the other, but being guilty of either one of them makes one guilty of being a transgressor of God’s law.
4. James is teaching that being guilty of one of God’s laws and not being willing to repent and ask forgiveness will condemn one for all eternity.
5. James uses the illustration about adultery and murder to teach Christians that the sin of unfriendliness can bring eternal condemnation just the same as adultery and murder!
6. As we started our discussion on this fifth point we asked the question, “How serious is the sin of being unfriendly”?
(1) James teaches that it is extremely serious!
(2) We have all been negligent relating to friendliness at some times. Let’s do our best to make sure that we start being a friendlier person.
VI. SIXTH POINT FOR DISCUSSION. LOOK AT THE LAST PART OF JAMES 2:13. HERE JAMES GIVES AN ANSWER TO THE POSSIBLE QUESTION: HOW ARE CHRISTIANS GOING TO BE FORGIVEN FOR THEIR NEGLIENCE?
1. As if to answer such a question, James closes this discussion about being friendly to all people, with an encouraging statement!
2. Let’s read the last phrase of James 2:13, “mercy triumphs over judgment” [KJV “mercy glorieth against judgment”].
(1) “Glorieth against” or “triumphs over” is translated in different ways. Another version has “exalts over judgment”.
(2) If we were to put the idea in today’s way of expressing the meaning of this, we might say, “Mercy laughs in the face of judgment”.
3. In other words, because of God’s mercy we need not fear the judgment.
(1) God’s mercy makes up for what I lack, assuming that we are truly diligent in doing His will.
(2) In other words none of us will live perfect and sinless lives, but we still must do the best that we can!
4. Turn to Heb. 11:6. This teaches us that we must do more than just seek God, we must “diligently seek God”.
(1) Let’s read Heb. 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”.
(2) God has provided mercy, through giving His Son, but man must be very diligent to do his part to receive God’s mercy.
VII. SEVENTH. In the context of James 2:1-13 the emphasis is on a particular part of God’s will that we must be diligent in. James emphasizes that we should not show respect of persons. James emphasizes that we must treat all people with friendliness, love and respect.
1. Let us hasten to explain, that James is not saying in this passage that showing mercy is all there is to doing the will of God.
2. No man can reason, “I condemn no man and, therefore, God will not condemn me”.
3. But James is saying that, all other things being equal, the man who shows mercy is the man who will receive mercy and thus can rejoice when he thinks about the coming judgment.
CONCLUSION.
1. Turn to Hebrews 9:27. This verse teaches us that death and judgment are two sure things.
(1) We do not know for sure when either one is coming, but we do for sure that they both will come, unless Christ were to come before we die.
(2) If Christ were to come before we died we would still face the judgment!
(3) Let’s read Hebrews 9:27. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”.
2. Because partiality is such a serious sin, James closes his discussion about the importance of being friendly to all people with an appeal for all Christians to have so treated people that they will be ready to stand before Jesus on judgment day.
3. When a man lives without mercy to others in God’s world, he demonstrates the fact that he himself has never responded aright to the immeasurable mercy of God.
4. The mercy a man has shown others as fruit of a life touched by God’s saving mercy will triumph over judgment.
5. Thus his showing of mercy is not a matter of heaping up personal merit to act as if he deserves salvation by his own good works. The mercy he shows is itself a work of God for which he can take no credit.
6. James brings us to the climax of his great argument. Partiality is inconsistent with the Christian faith because the Christian faith is consistent with the nature of God—and God is wholly impartial.
