Practicing the Royal Law - 01/21/2024

Quoting from Scripture, James defines the “royal law” as “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” How important is practicing the royal law? Very important! James says not practicing the royal law is a sin just like committing adultery and murder (James 2:8-13).

James says when we practice the “royal law” we are “doing well.” However, if we exhibit favoritism when it comes to practicing this law of God, James says we are “committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”

To magnify this concept, James says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” In our minds, this may come across as being very harsh. How could committing this one sin make us equal with an adulterer or a murderer? We think they are “horrible” people. We might think, “Surely, God would not think I am that horrible if I do not practice the royal law.”

The point James is making is that “one sin” makes us a “transgressor.” To God, it does not matter what the sin is. By committing any sin, just one sin, we have gone outside the bounds of God law; we are separated from God. The result is the same as if we had broken every commandment of God.

To correct this status with God, James says Christians must “so speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.” This is the same “law of liberty” James spoke of earlier when talking about looking at ourselves in a mirror and James saying we must not be “forgetful hearer[s] but effectual doers” of the word.

James reminds the Christian a judgment day is coming. He says those who are “merciless” to their neighbors in this life, will be “shown no mercy.” If the Christian wants God to show him mercy at the judgment day, then today while living on this earth, they must love their neighbor.

James says just like we love ourselves, we must in the same manner love our neighbors. The vast majority of people “love” themselves extremely. They will do whatever is necessary for themselves regardless of what they must go through. This same type of behavior must be exhibited by Christians to both their fellow Christians and their unbelieving neighbors.

When it comes to loving our neighbor, it should be done without “personal favoritism.” The Christian should have no regard for the social status of their neighbor, their profession, or their economic status. The Christian is to love their neighbor regardless of the circumstances. In doing this they will be practicing the royal law and living God’s way. - cgm

Scriptural quotations from the NASB1995.