Trailblazin Ministries

Favoritism: Part 14 - James 2:12-13

Written by LaRosa Johnson
Friday, 19 October 2007

Today, we finally reach the end of our look at James' discussion on the issue of favoritism and partiality inside the household of faith, but we will see that he uses this as the perfect transition to begin speaking about true genuine faith and its outworking in the life of the believer, which encompasses the second half of this chapter. It is with that in mind that we take a look at verses 12-13 and begin to wrap up our study on favoritism. Let us conclude by starting in the Word of God.

James 2:12-13 - 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

If we take a look back at verses 8-11, we will remember that James was using the Law of God (the Commandments) as a means of conviction for his Jewish readers, who would have been all too familiar with it. He wasn't telling them something that they didn't already know, but James was reminding them that breaking only one aspect of the Law keeps them from being whole in the sight of God and makes them lawbreakers who must face judgment. That was said as a reminder of what they had been saved from through the ministry and work of Jesus Christ, their (and our) Savior; in other words, they were no longer under that system but under the law of liberty, which we discusses briefly in our study of James 1:25. To reiterate what the law of liberty is, it is the gospel, through Jesus Christ, that frees us from the bondage of sin; it is also the righteousness of God that is imputed to us so that we are no longer judged as lawbreakers, but only seen through Jesus' perfect righteousness.

It is with that understanding of the law of liberty under our belt that we can see what James is stating in verse 12. James is telling his readers that they need to speak and act like someone who has been redeemed by Christ and is no longer bound by the Law and sin (check out Romans for a full explanation on how this works). In other words, if you have received true saving faith, then your life should be characterized by it through the way you talk to and treat others. A believer who has been freed from the bondage of sin should have an earnest desire to want to have his life line up with the righteousness that has been imputed towards him through Jesus Christ, which is what the second half of James 2 spends so much time talking about. Quite simply, if we have been saved and have the Holy Spirit within us, then our outward lives should be a reflection of that.

In verse 13, James uses the statement "for judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy," which is basically to say that unbelievers ([the] one who has shown no mercy) are going to be the ones who receive a merciless judgment. In the same manner that they were merciless towards others through their own selfishness and self serving ways, God is going to judge them in the same manner, as those who are transgressors of the perfect Law of God. But for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, we have received mercy from God Himself, which is able to triumph and take precedence over His Law and judgment. In other words, yes, we are still sinners; but because we have Christ we are no longer viewed as sinners, but seen as perfect just as Christ was perfect. That only comes through a belief and faith in Christ; without it, we are doomed to be judged for each of our sins, knowing that even one is enough to send us away from His presence.

The key point of this passage is that as believers, it should be our desire to want to live out the law of liberty; we should want to give an outward display of the hope and faith that is within us. We have been shown mercy by God, so we should more than anything be ones who show the same kind of mercy towards others. It is like we find near the end of the Lord teaching His disciples to pray (Matthew 6:15) and tells them that we need to forgive others in other to be forgiven by God. If God has forgiven us, we should have no problem doing the same to others. Therefore, if our God is One who shows impartiality, then we should follow Him and do the same. Let us live out our faith, and not just keep it to ourselves!