Take Sin Seriously Series

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.