Bible Study Notes-James 2:8-13 - Motivated by Mercy

James – Gospel Motivated Love
Motivated by Mercy
Passage: James 2:8-13
James 2:8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
Verse 8 is an excellent example of why we must learn to read and study God's word in context. Why would James write this to the churches? What was his motivation? We will answer these questions below, but before we do, it is helpful to compare our presuppositions to what the text says. A presupposition is to hold a thought or conclusion and place that upon the text fundamentally changing the author's intended application.
Our history, personality, experience, and improper theological training often shapes our presuppositions. Below is a good exercise in observing how we can easily read into the text our application missing the author's intended meaning.
Here are three typical applications often used when reading this passage:
1. This is how I prove to God that I am genuinely a Christian 2. Compared to others, I am doing well
3. God will bless me if I obey this command
QUESTION: Which one of these applications is one the first comes to mind when you read verse 8? Is there possibly another application that comes to mind when first reading this text?
Let's review what we know so far about the book of James to gain the full context to help us better understand this section of the letter.
James begins his letter by writing to churches fleeing Jerusalem because of spiritual persecution. James is the first epistle to be written in the New Testament, which means many of these churches are young in the faith and have never functioned as a unified family before. When we scan the entire letter, we see a common theme from James concerning how these young congregations mistreat each other. Chapter two has been dealing with the issue of the church showing partiality toward the poor in favor of the rich. The rich have been stealing from the poor in society by dragging them into court and falsely accusing them. Because of their power and money, the poor were defenseless.
Instead of protecting the poor, the church was protecting their wealth and social status. The church didn't see how this was an issue or even a sin. James continues to turn up the volume on their sin to a level they would hear. He makes a significant comparison. Their sin is equally offensive as other sins because all sin violates the holy law of God. Clearly, the church was not obeying the command given in verse 8, so James turned up the heat to make his point.
James 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. James 2:11 For 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.
The churches were justifying their sin by comparing it to the "big ones." Because it wasn't murder or adultery, they assumed all was well. James takes the fullness of the law's requirement to a level ten. If you show partiality, you are guilty of breaking the whole law.
QUESTION: Have you ever found yourself justifying your sin against someone else because it wasn't one of the "big ones?" What sins do you think we easily ignore but cause divisions in a church?
James 2:12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
Those who the Father has given mercy will never be judged for their sins. That is what the "law of liberty" means. We are liberated from the judgment of the law.
Rom. 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Rom. 7:4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
Rom. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Rom. 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
We always live each day remembering who we were before, and who we are now in Christ. We never forget our past, for it keeps us closely clinging to Christ for our future.
Listen to how Paul says the same concept as James in verse 12 in his own words.
Phil. 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Phil. 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phil. 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
Phil. 2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Phil. 2:7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Phil. 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
According to the verses above, our motivation to love others is the mercy we have received ourselves from the Father. We always obey gratitude, not guilt, shame, or fear of condemnation.

QUESTION: How is this different than how the world is motivated to love others? Do you struggle to see this as your motivation? Why do you think that is?
James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
We claim many things are required within the Christian life that are not optional. Many people provide the list that is the absolute essentials cannot be found in scripture. James clearly states that when we love each other, we are "doing well." When we refuse to love and show mercy, James makes startling statements, "Judgement is without mercy," to this person.
1 John 2:4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments [love God and neighbor] is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
Unity within the body of Christ is strengthened by our looking to the cross and how we have received mercy from the Father. We then take that gift and learn how to give it as our primary mission as believers. If we refuse to obey this command, we do not understand the mercy we have received and remain under judgment.
QUESTION: Why do you think the Christian church doesn't priorities unity through love as James does? Why else often takes place as more important?
PRAISE, PRAYER, AND CONFESSION:
What can you offer to the Father in praise? What is a sin you need to confess?
What is a burden we can carry?
What can we take to our Father in prayer?