Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
This Sunday we will resume our sermon series in the Epistle of James and our text will be taken from James 2:12-13. In this brief passage James exhorts us to conduct our lives as believers in the light of the certainty of divine judgment. And he indicates that the coming judgment will be upon the basis of what he calls “the law of liberty” (v. 12, see also 1:25). He then issues a somber warning to the Church that this judgment on the final day “will be merciless” (v. 13), and then concludes with the assurance that, in the end, “mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Of course, the context for these words is 2:1-9 where James condemns the sin of “partiality,” or showing favoritism to some (the rich man) while ignoring others (the poor man). Such a display of prejudice is a violation of God’s Law, both tables of which may be summarized by the word “love,” or what James calls the “royal law” (2:8).
But as we read these ominous lines, we are a bit perplexed as to how they relate to those who have already been saved from God’s wrath and, therefore, have nothing to fear on the Day of Judgment. What is the connection between showing “mercy” now (the opposite of favoritism, and a practical expression of “love”) and finding God to be “merciless” at the judgment?
We will dive into these and other questions as we probe this inspired Word from the Lord on Sunday. And as you are praying and preparing your heart for worship, let me suggest that you consider what James has written in our sermon passage in light of the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 25:31-46.
I love you all and can’t wait to worship our God with you this Lord’s Day!
In His grace,
Mike