For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 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.
James 2:10-11
I grew up thinking that I was a pretty good guy. I looked at the “big deal” sins and thought, “I’m doing pretty well!” Unfortunately, and honestly, pride began to find a place in my heart that secretly fueled a judgemental attitude.
In these verses, James isn’t attempting to create a view that all sins are equal in their weight.* Surely telling a lie and taking a life exist on two different planes of consequence. James’ point is this: God’s commands aren’t just a text, they are the words of a person that reflect that person’s heart.* God is that person.
If we break one of God’s rules, we are guilty of breaking the whole of the law because no matter which of them we break, we violate the will of the Lawgiver.* The same God who commanded us not to commit adultery commanded us not to murder and not to lie.* Each of the laws are linked by their source: God.* Each of the laws are connected by the will, action, and authority of the God who gave them.*
There is some debate surrounding what “law” James refers to in these verses as James does not directly define it. Context hints one way or another, but ultimately scholars hold slightly different views. Does the “law” refer to the Ten Commandments? Does the “law” refer to the law-summarizing words of Jesus to “Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’ [and]… ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31)? Or does the “law” refer to all of the words of Jesus in addition to the Hebrew Law?*
Whichever the case, the emphasis is not the law, but the Law Giver. It’s about relationship. We cannot allow our own view of sin to determine what we do or do not do. His view is the one that matters, and He says that we are all in need of His grace as expressed through Jesus Christ because we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
It’s hard to see yourself as better than others (like I did) when you understand this.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to repent and turn away from a sin. Perhaps today God would have you come to Him to ask forgiveness. Maybe today God wants you to receive His love and forgiveness right down to your core. Perhaps today God wants you to experience the glory of His grace. Maybe today He would have you stop judging others.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Blomberg, C. L., & Kamell, M. J. (2008). James (Vol. 16, pp. 118–119). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. H. (2006). James. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, pp. 236). Zondervan.
Stulac, G. M. (1993). James (Jas 2:8-13). IVP Academic.
Moo, D. J. (2021). The Letter of James (D. A. Carson, Ed.; Second Edition, pp. 145–148). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Nystrom, D. P. (1997). James (pp. 112). Zondervan Publishing House.