James 2:10-13 Take Sin Seriously
- Read James 2:10-13
This is a very difficult passage, a very hard-hitting passage. Some hard-hitting verses.
There in verse 10, “For whoever keeps the entire law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking it all.” What in the world does that mean? Well, before we answer that question, let’s look at what it doesn’t mean.
I. WHAT THIS DOESN’T MEAN
1. This doesn’t mean some sins don’t have more earthly consequences than others.
> Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said [a]to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
There are some who will argue that because of Jesus’ saying in Matthew and in others, and because of this verse in James, that since you’re already guilty in God’s eyes that you might5 as well go ahead and commit adultery. You’ve already done it in your heart.
My friends, you may have already sinned in your heart, but that doesn’t mean that the earthly consequences of every sin is the same. They may both soil and dirty your heart, but their impact on earth and in the lives of others are not the same.
How can one compare the devastation caused in 2 families by a husband lusting after another woman, to the pain caused by a husband who has physically cheated on his spouse and is discovered? The pain caused in those 2 homes, if the spouses discovered that the father in one home has been cheating with the wife in another is not the same.
Oh, just this week, I listened to Chuck Swindoll address his congregation, after it was discovered that one of the leading pastors in his church had been having an affair with a woman leading another ministry of his church. The pain in his voice as he grieved over those two terribly hurt families. The sense of hurt and betrayal I heard in his voice as he wept over a close friend and an acquaintance in one of his ministries who had done this.
The grief I heard in his voice as he wept over another victory the devil had won and how God’s kingdom had taken a blow and some of God’s children had been left hurt and questioning their faith.
“Whoever keeps the entire law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking it all, does not mean some sins don’t carry more earthly consequences than others.
No, these verses do not mean that some sins don’t carry more earthly consequences than others.
2. It doesn’t mean, in for a penny, in for a pound.” I’ve already done this so I might as well do this.
There are those who argue, “Well, I’ve already messed up. Since I’m depending on God’s grace already, I might as well count on it more.
- Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
We are to live new lives, not multiplying our sins because of what has taken place in the past. “Whoever keeps the entire law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking it all”, does not mean some sins don’t carry more earthly consequences than others. It doesn’t mean, “I’ve already sinned like this so I might as well sin like this.”
3. It doesn’t mean, “I’ve already messed up, so I might as well quit trying. Just throw in the towel. I’m as guilty as I’m ever going to get.
Oh, how many brothers and sisters have just given up. They feel defeated. They feel whipped. “I’ve already messed up. I might as well quit even trying. If you’re guilty of one, you’re guilty of them all.”
Can’t you hear the mournful cries of the tax collector in Luke chapter 18?
Tax collectors in those days were enemies of their people. They often falsified records, and cheated the people so that they could get paid more. HIs own people hated him and he was an embarrassment and a disgrace to his family.
The Bible tells us that this tax collector didn’t say, “I’ve already messed up. I’ve cheated people. I’ve worked for the enemy. I’ve stolen. I’ve ruined my reputation in the community and humiliated my family. I might as well quit even trying.
No! In Luke 18 we find him in the temple, standing facing the ground, unwilling to even turn his face toward heaven; but instead beating his chest and crying out, “God be merciful to me a sinner!”
When King David messed up and the prophet Nathan came and confronted him with his sin, David didn’t give up. He cried out, “Lord, my sin is always before me. Against You, You only have I sinned. Restore to me the joy of my salvation.”
“Whoever keeps the entire law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking it all”, does not mean some sins don’t carry more earthly consequences than others. It doesn’t mean, “I’ve already sinned like this so I might as well sin like this.” It doesn’t mean, “I’ve already messed up so I might as well quit trying.”
Forth, this verse doesn’t mean that God doesn’t hate some sins more than others.
4. It doesn’t mean that God doesn’t hate some sins more than others.
- Proverbs 6:16-19
Why does it say that God hates these sins?
God does not excuse any sin. All sins are against God and His holiness. But there are some that God actually abhors. There are some that turn His stomach.
When The Devil tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, why did she sin? Think about it for a minute. Why did she sin? She sinned because she was deceived. The Devil tricked her.
When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, why did he sin? He sinned because he loved and joined his deceived wife. He wasn’t deceived, but because he loved his wife, he went along with what she did.
What was the consequence of their sin? Eve’s pain was increased in childbirth. The world was cursed with disease and thorns. Man would physically die.
Why did King David sin? I would argue, that he sinned because he wasn’t where he was supposed to be, doing what he was supposed to be doing and because he neglected his walk with the Lord.
What were the consequences of his sin? His son raped his daughter. One of his sons killed another of his sons. One of his sons led a rebellion against him and attempted to take over the kingdom, that led to his son’s eventual death.
Terrible consequences for people deceived, or for those who momentarily let their guard down, but, the Lord forgave them.
Now, look again at Proverbs 6.
- Read Proverbs 6:16-19
This passage says that the Lord “Hates” these things. If you don’t mind writing in your Bible, I’d have you underline that word HATE.
There’s not a whole bunch the Bible tells us that God hates.
The Bible doesn’t tell us that God hated Adam and Eve after He had given them a perfect home and they disobeyed Him. It doesn’t tell us that God hated David, after God picked him out of no where, blessed him and made him king, and then David messed up. No. But it does tell us that God hates these things. Why?
Because these are not marks of people who momentarily mess up. These aren’t marks of people who make a mistake they regret. These things are marks of people with evil hearts, people who care nothing about the Lord or His will. These are the marks of narcissistic, self-important people who believe they can do no wrong. These are the marks of people who spread hurt instead of help.
The Bible says that God hates such things.
- Isaiah 5:20-23
These verses begin with the word Woe. That is the Hebrew word “Hoy”. It is an interjection. It is used 51 times in the Old Testament. 6 of those times it is used for mourning for the dead, and 40 involve negative warnings or threats of God’s physical chastisement.
So this passage is a warning. It is a warning to those who call evil good and good evil, who put light for darkness and darkness for light.
Let me tell you my friends, we have people today who are calling good evil and evil good, people who are saying light is darkness and darkness is light, and to them the Lord says, “Woe. I don’t take what you are doing lightly and judgment is on the horizon.”
- Luke 17:1-2
Again we are addressed with the word woe. This time Jesus speaks woe against those who lead children astray. Of them He says it would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their necks and they be thrown into the sea.
Does He say that about the sexually immoral? No! Does He say that about the tax collectors who are cheats and thieves? No. No, He specifically says this about people who lead children astray.
Oh my friends, how little people are aware of what is coming. How little people are aware of what lies on the horizon. How little people are aware of how angry God is about our children being deceived and led astray.
For these things the Bible tells us that there will be a payday someday. There will be hell to pay.
That is a sad expression isn’t it? There will be hell to pay. So many people are deceived these days. So many are being blinded by the Devil these days.
On the cross Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing.” Let’s pause and pray right now.
*** Prayer for lost and blinded
From now until then I find myself crying with the writer of Psalm 94,
> Psalm 94:1-3 “The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth. Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant?”
Ok Gene, you’ve told us what this passage doesn’t mean. Now tell us what it does mean.
II. WHAT IT DOES MEAN
1. It does mean, you can’t justify your sin by looking at the sins of another person.
We are quick to do that, aren’t we? We attempt to justify our sins by comparing them to what other people are doing.
- James 2:11
I may be doing this, but at least I’m not like that person. At least I don’t mess up like he does.
James says, “What’s the matter with you? you’re not sinning like this, but didn’t God also say, “Don’t do this also”?
- Read Luke 18:9-14
Lord, I thank you that I am not like other men . . .
Oh my friend, you cannot justify your sin, by looking at the sins of another.
As has been said, “Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make your’s shine any brighter.”
You can’t justify your sins by looking at the sins of another.
2. It means we cannot measure our success by the sins of others.
I once heard it quoted that the average pastor or church member would be happier to hear that the pastor in a neighboring church had fallen into sin, than they would be to hear that revival had happened at a neighboring church and that hundreds had been saved.
How sad is it, that supposed Christians act as though we are in some kind of competition against other believers.
> 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may [i]obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Paul says, “I am not competing against others. I am competing against myself. When we compete against ourselves, we can all win, becoming a bit better each day, beginning a bit more like Christ each day.”
Don’t tell me how you are doing compared to your neighbor who has been walking with the Lord longer than you. Tell me how you are doing compared to how you walked with the Lord a year ago, 2 years ago, 10 years ago.
You cannot measure your success, your Christian walk by comparing yourself to the sins of others.
3. It means we cannot minimize our own sins.
- Read James 2:10
We cannot minimize our own sin. We do try to do that don’t we? Well, I might gossip a little. I might not be forgiving, I might be angry, I may keep a bitter spirit, but at least I don’t whatever.
- 1 Peter 2:1-3 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
It does mean we cannot minimize our own sins. They are all rebellion against God. What is God’s standard? Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.
What is God’s standard? It’s not being better than someone else. It’s not being better than my parents my brothers, my neighbors or my friends. The standard against which I’m judged is my heavenly Father, and of Him Jesus says, “Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
After his great sins, David cried to God, “Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned.” I imagine Bathsheba and Uriah would have argued about that. But in that passage David is acknowledging that all sin is ultimately against God. All sin is me, is you saying, “I know better than You do God, or, My way is better than Your’s is God; or, I don’t care what you want Lord, this is what I want to do, or, I don’t care what Jesus did for me, what sacrifice He made for me, I still want it my way.”
Listen, We cannot minimize our own sins.
4. It means we show mercy to others
- Read Acts 2:12-13
Oh, how often do we judge others, how often do we put down others and point out their failures in order to feel better about ourselves.
James says, “You walk around here like your armpits don’t stink. You’re judging others. Your sin is just like their’s. They all sent Jesus to the cross.
It means if you want mercy, you had better acknowledge that you’re sins stink too, and show other people mercy.
5. It means we never stop pressing on.
> Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have [d]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In this passage Paul says, “I’m not there yet. I’m not perfect. I still mess up, but that doesn’t mean that I am content where I am. It doesn’t mean that I am content with the walk I have right now. It doesn’t mean I’m happy with how much I’ve grown, nor with how much baggage I still have in my life.
I don’t want to be better than you. I want to be better than I was yesterday. I want to know more about the Lord. I want to know Him better. I want to obey Him more quickly. I want to walk more closely with Him, and I can’t do that by comparing myself with you. I can’t do that by putting you down and building myself up. I do that by showing you mercy, and judging myself.
In his book The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges writes, “Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.” He then states, “That is why this book is called the Pursuit of Holiness, because none of us can attain it, but we can all seek to live in a way that pleases God.
