The Royal Law - James 2:5-13

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.


5. Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

James says here; that God has chosen the poor of this world and then describes them of being rich in Faith. Then God recognises those that love Him are heirs of the kingdom. And furthermore; this heir is for those that love him. So; even though poor; we can be rich in faith of our Lord Saviour. And we have a heavenly home that awaits us; because he promised it to those that truely love Him. What an Encouragement!!!

6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

Here in verse 6 and 7; we have a comparison of the rich in this period of time to that of the poor. The rich in hate of the poor. They oppressed them or had a cause to make them suffer or crush them. And they brought them to the judgement seat or a ruling of judement or if you like a tribunal.

Is not there today towards those that love Him; a crushing of our faith in Him. May be it is our provision; our daily bread; or a house; a car. The bible says that the world hates us.

1 Cor 4:10. We [are] fools for Christ's sake, but ye [are] wise in Christ; we [are] weak, but ye [are] strong; ye [are] honourable, but we [are] despised.

1 Cor 1:27. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

So faith can have an adverse affect on those that do not understand our faith in Him. But let us take courage. Although we are crushed by the faithless or those that do not believe; what we receive and our outward appearance of faith is going to confound the wise and the mighty. And we do have an inheritance.

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

James reminds us here, in contrast; of the judgement seat or a tribunal; there is a royal law. A law that has royalty. The royal law is to love your neighbour as your self. and then James says you do well. I would like to say here; let us not do what the unsaved do; that is; crush another believer. If one has a faith in something regarding what the Lord is doing for them; that we do not understand; let us not be like those who have not the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and go about to crush or to pull them down; or as the bible puts it, to oppress them.


9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Here it is very clear; if we hold one person in high regard, as opposed to another; James says that sin is committed. and are convinced of the law; that is; that they want to hold to the law. "as transgressors"; that is; it is evident that by holding one in high regard they have broken there own law. Then James continues in verse 10; if they "keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

James is saying by holding one in high regard is an offense; yet by keeping the law; and commiting this very sin of holding one up higher than the other, then that person is guilty of transgression of all the law.

We need to be careful christian. we need that royal law; of loving our neigbor as our selves.

11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

Here in verse 11 is an example of two sins; but if one sin is committed; then that person has become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgement

We need to show mercy; so that mercy can be given to us. Mercy rejoices against judgement.


Let us have Royal Law. Let us love our neighbours as ourselves

FW:7% Forgiveness

This may be a story. But the biblical principle is obvious
Phil B

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job.

His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him. He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had, that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment, and frustration.

Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there. And with tears in his eyes, he prayed:

'Lord- You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot, I don't know how. It is not fair Lord, I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray you teach me to do the one thing I cannot do: Teach me to forgive .

'As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them.

He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak.

'Have you ever told a lie?' He asked?

The man answered - 'Yes, Lord.'

'Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?'

The man answered - 'Yes. Lord.' And the man sobbed more and more.

'Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours?' Jesus asked?

And the man answered, 'Yes, Lord.'

'Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain?'

The man, crying now, answered - 'Yes, Lord.'

As Jesus asked many more times, 'Have you ever'? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer - 'Yes, Lord'.

Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before.

Jesus said, 'I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you.'

It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is.

Read the following first line slowly and let it sink in.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you! If you are one of the 7% who will stand up for Him, forward this with the title 7%

The A. B. C. of not having Partiality in the Church James2:1-4

1. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.


2. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;


3. And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:


4. Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?


A. Have no Favouritism

1. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the] Lord of glory, with respect of persons:

Gills Exposition puts it like this:

That is, such as have, and hold, and profess the faith of Christ, ought not along with it to use respect of persons, or to make such a distinction among the saints, as to prefer the rich, to the contempt of the poor; and in this exhortation many things are contained, which are so many arguments why such a practice should not be encouraged;

This is happening today. Is it not sad? I remember not so long ago. The church building was going to be reasonably packed. Because I could not see i.e. eye problems I was shuffeled to the back of the church because there were visitors there. I believe some consideration could have been executed because of my problem. But no attempt was made to help out. I am not saying this because of hurt. But I thought at the time, that their attitude was so wrong.

James is saying here that a distinction of the saints should not even be considered. I asked my self with the seating problem. Was I asking for favouritism? No! was the answer that came back to me. I was asking for consideration and if it were not possible then sitting at the back may have been the only answer. But I saw in their shuffling and attitude, that they had favouritism amongst the church.

Our Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is nothing short of the same,without partiality. We have the same Lord, the same faith, the same law of liberty which I discussed in my last blog. i.e the Law of grazing and having the freedom of Christ.

B. Have no partiality between the poor and the rich.

2. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3. And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:


This is a comparison of the poor man and a rich man coming into a Church i.e. (A Church is an assembly not a building.) It is a comparison of which is easily noticed by others. A man coming in with a gold ring, coming in lovely clothes to that of a man with vile clothes i.e. Clothes that we just cannot stand. clothes that could be unclean, clothes that are not ironed, clothes that are not a persons best to look at.

And then as verse three points out, that a person says to the person wearing the gay clothing. Woops, hold it, gay clothing? In this context, it does not mean the same thing as todays language.
James points out that the man that comes to the church assembly in (gay or magnificent clothing) ie gay means here magnificent clothing. Let us continue. We say to this person who wears the magnificent clothing to sit here in this nice place. Then we say to the person with the vile (vile clothing: meaning dirty, cheap or shabby) clothing to sit here or to stand here or sit here under my footstool.

This is favouritsm to the person with the magnificent clothing. This is down grading to the person with the dirty, cheap, and shabby clothing.

C. Do not be Judges

4.Then James asks the question. Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and become judges of evil thoughts?

Gill says it like this:

a) Are ye not then partial in yourselves…

That is, guilty of such partiality as must appear to yourselves, and your own consciences must accuse you of; or do not ye distinguish, or make a difference among yourselves, by such a conduct, towards the rich and the poor:

b) and are become judges of evil thoughts;or

"are distinguishers by evil thoughts"; that is, make a distinction between the rich and the poor, by an evil way of thinking, that one is better than the other, and to be preferred before him.

Let us be Doers James 1:18-27


18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.
27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Thoughts at this point from James 1:18.

1. vs 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James exhorts us to be the first fruits of his creatures. we are to be a sacrifice from our old life to our new life.2. Vs

2.19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

We need to be ready to listen. Slow to speak of others even in our thoughts. Slow to anger. It is often we are not ready to hear but we speak fast of others and then this brings us to anger. Let us not be used of Satan to be trapped in our own thoughts but rather ready to listen. Let us not be used of satan in our speaking of others. Nor let us, because of these things be lead to anger.All this can cause splits in families, marriages, friendships, and churches.

3. vs 20 it says that "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God"So, the wrath of man does not work in what God knows that is not right.

4. vs21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

So because that anger does not come from God in His righteousness. And that we need to listen intently and slow to speak, because anger does not come from His righteousness. Because of these things we need to lay apart or cast off filthiness and superfluity or an abundance of naughtiness. This naughtiness can come from a quick mouth, and from those who do not want to listen, which causes anger which is not from God's righteousness.

5. vs 22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Then James exhorts us to be doers of the word. We need to be not only poetic of what is said. But also in our thoughts we need to have a poetic thought life that reflects God's glory.

So here we go. So what we speak and what we say and what we think should reflect righteousness. we should not have that ecessive naughtiness coming from our mouths.

Going back to verse 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls

In the last part of this verse it says that we need to receive the engrafted word or the implanted word in speach and in thought. This is so different then to have the superfluity of naughtiness.

6. vs23. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Here is a good illustration of what we will be like if we hear but do not do in our thought life and what comes from the mouth. He will forget what he was. If we do not hear intently. If we are not doers. We are going to leave what we hear and forget what we supposed to do. So James is exhorting us to be a poetic doer in thought in speach and I believe in a total being in His righteousness.

7. vs 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

The person who stoops to the grazing of freedom and does not become a forgetful hearer but he is a doer in righteousness he will be blessed in his performance. Or he will be blessed by not becoming a forgetful hearer. And he will be blessed by being a doer of righteousness.

8. 26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.

Hey we do not want a religion that is vain, But we need a righteousness that is in Christ.

9. Vs 27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.

We need a pure religion that is not defiled by our lack of hearing or our lack of doing. We need one that is not of anger. How are we to do this? James encourages us to visit those that need comforting, and the widows ie, those that have no husband ( figuratively or literally). We have a Father who is our God. There are those that need the comfort of our own lives and the comfort that comes from God.

Let us be doers. let us hear intently. let us speak slowly of others. Let us keep our lives ready for His service ie Our Lord Jesus Christ.