6/5/11 James 2:8-11

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

(Jesus and Woman Caught in Adultery Jn. 8- "Go Leave Your Life of Sin"  Adultery and Murder were both here)

Thoughts: The royal law is the law of love (Mt. 22:36-40; Rom. 13:8-10).  But the Law itself is impossible to keep.  If you break just one commandment you are labled a law-breaker.  The Law requires purity and holiness.  It is like a glass of clean water, and each sin is a drop of poison.  One drop of poison pollutes the purity of the whole thing.  If you don't murder but commit adultery- you are a lawbreaker  Two excuses I have heard people say about breaking the Law these days- 1) Everyone does it, and if we do not allow it, we alienate ourselves from the culture around us; 2) There are other sins we allow, so why not allow one more (or why pick this one to not allow).  If we know something is wrong- if it is clear, then we would be foolish to say it is unimportant, or rationalize it away- or even rationalize all moral laws away.  The Royal Law is a Law of love- it affects our neighbors and their relationship with God. 

Prayer: Give me grace to do your will, no matter the cost, O Lord.