April 30 2017 James 2: 8-13 Living The Royal Law of Liberty
WALK THRU THE WORD – JAMES 2: 8 – 13 8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Message map: James 2: 8-13 “Living The Royal Law of Liberty”
- God’s Law is “Royal” law (James 2:8)
- We Represent Royalty by Loving Our Neighbor As Ourselves (James 2:8) Our goal is to love our neighbor as we know god loves us.
- Partiality Prevents Us from Fulfilling Royal Law (James 2:9) Partiality is having respect of persons
- THE LAW OF ALL – (James 2:10-11) THERE’S NO PARTIALITY UNDER THE LAW. KEEP ALL THE LAW OR YOU’VE BROKEN THE LAW. we can’t pick and choose, and say “well, big deal if I do this wrong, because I am right over here and there – Not!
- What does it mean to be “judged under the law of liberty?” LIBERTY IS Not LICENSE TO SIN. LIBERTY IS lived by people who have Been Set Free to enter into citizenship of God’s royal kingdom.
- Communion Today Is about reminding ourselves of what jesus did for us that qualifies us to enter into and Be citizens of heaven.
God’s Law is “Royal” Law – James 2: 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture. The only place the Royal Law is revealed is in Scripture!
God’s Law is “Royal” Law - James 2: 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture. The only place the Royal Law is revealed is in Scripture! Click To Tweet
Royal law is that which is …
- connected to a king, or belongs to or is befitting the sovereign
- pertaining to a person of royal or regal heritage,
- administered by an officer in the service of the king,
- in effect or in operation within the king’s country.
Royalty speaks of One who oversees a kingdom.
So “Royal Law” Is The KING’S Law – The Law of the King’s Kingdom
In Mt 3: 1-2 JtB preached Mt. 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea Mt. 3:2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
In Mt 4:17 “From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
God’s Kingdom is a culture that transcends physical location. Thus in Mt. 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, which Tamara & Emily will come up and lead us in praying, following Communion today. In Mt. 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matt 16:19 I will give you the keys (the power to open & shut the Word) of the kingdom of heaven (kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule, especially of God, both in the world, and in the hearts of men), and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Obedience To The Beatitudes, which results from The Heart Change of The Born Again Experience, Is The Key That Fulfills The Royal Law & Unlocks the blessings of God’s Kingdom.
Both In Matt 5: 3 & 10 Jesus references “the Kingdom.”
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sonsa of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. (If we live for Jesus some people gone get upset.)
12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Mt. 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments & teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mankind’s many unsuccessful ways of governing that do not satisfy the human longing for freedom which God places within each person include…
- Imperialism – the king/queen is god
- Colonialism – at best is intentional trade agreements, at worst it’s organized institutionalized international theft
- Humanism – man gets to pretend he is god (fallen human sinners claiming infallibility to violate God’s laws)
- Communism – govt collects all and gives most to its friends, because you can’t have all things in common without love. You can’t force distribution.
- Socialism – a strain of communism
- Deism – god is everything / everything is god
- Dictatorship – leader forces his/her will on the people
- Democracy – mob rule, which without people adhering to the 10 Commands = abuse in the name of social justice.
- Republic – laws that each person, from the youngest child to all government leaders are expected to obey (God’s Law) Uses checks and balances between the various powers, so humans hold each other accountable.
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
We want our neighbors to …
- do unto us as we do unto them
- treat us better than we treat them
- to give us grace all the time
- love us God loves us.
Love is agape, meaning I love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Our goal is to love our neighbor as we know God loves us.
If you love as God calls you to love, then you are manifesting your connection with The Kingdom of God where Christ rules in the hearts of believers.
Agape is embracing God’s will (choosing His choices) and obeying them through His power.
The Kingdom operates in response to those it has delegated authority.
Matthew 16: 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” declare to be prohibited and unlawful.
Partiality Prevents Us from Fulfilling Royal Law
James 2: 9 But if you show partiality,(favoritism based upon what a person possesses or his/her position in society) you are committing sin and are convicted (declared guilty ) by the law (Gods Royal Law) as transgressors (those who fail to live up to moral principle or other established standard of behavior).
Sin Severs Us from Our Heavenly Citizenship
God is unhappy with us showing Partiality / Favoritism because it is an unholy respect of persons that communicates some people …
- don’t have to come to Christ as everyone else does
- have special standing and God’s laws and rules do not apply to them
- we are esteeming people above the Lord
- showing favoritism, and committing any other sin, severs us from citizenship as subjects and children of the King.
James 2: 12-13 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
THE LAW OF LIBERTY is …
- the Mosaic Law, which Christ came to fulfill (Matt 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”)
- liberty to omit what has no bearing on our salvation and righteousness, which means we remove and distance ourselves from what interferes with us keeping The 10 Cmds & living out the BeAttitudes!
- freedom to receive God’s promises given through the prophets.
- the privilege and power to obey God’s word
Judgement Jumps On those who Mismanage mercy –
James 2: 12-13 13For judgement (divine negative verdict which condemns) is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. mercy (God’s covenant-love, based on Christ’s sacrifice that grants pity, mercy, and compassion to those who receive it) triumphs over judgment.
The converse of, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7). Translate, “The judgment (which is coming on all of us) shall be without mercy to him who hath showed no mercy.”
The Royal Law of Love interposes mercy and works to convert people whom come under God’s grace that prevails over judgment.
The mercy of God in Christ works in us and draws us into The Kingdom of God, and that citizenship produced in us the mercy God extends through us towards our neighbors and fellow humans.
And we celebrate Communion because Christ’s mercy has worked in us and triumphed for us over the judgment we otherwise deserved.
Loving God Most Means Letting Him Liberate Us So Christ Is Reflected Through Us
At This Communion Table Let’s Reflect On The Sacrifices Christ Made & The Status of Our Citizenship within The Kingdom of Heaven!
To view the recorded message, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVdGNAwa0co