Lesson 5 for November 1, 2014

James 2:1-13 The commandments of the law of love 1.James 2:1-4.  You shall be no respecter of persons. 2.James 2:5-7.  You shall not offend the poor. 3.James 2:8-9.  You shall love your neighbor. 4.James 2:  You shall keep the Law. 5.James 2:  You shall have mercy.

“Never are we to be cold and unsympathetic, especially when dealing with the poor. Courtesy, sympathy, and compassion are to be shown to all. Partiality for the wealthy is displeasing to God. Jesus is slighted when His needy children are slighted. They are not rich in this world’s goods, but they are dear to His heart of love. God recognizes no distinction of rank. With Him there is no caste. In His sight, men are simply men, good or bad. In the day of final reckoning, position, rank, or wealth will not alter by a hairsbreadth the case of anyone. By the all-seeing God, men will be judged by what they are in purity, in nobility, in love for Christ.” E.G.W. (Counsels on Stewardship, cp. 33, pg. 162)

“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” (James 2:5-7) The poor who are rich in faith will inherit the Kingdom The rich who oppress the poor blaspheme the name of Jesus If a brother or sister uses his wealth or position to profit from others in church, he is blaspheming the name of Jesus. He or she is humiliating Jesus before others.

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2:8-9) James is talking about the Ten Commandments, as stated in verse 12. That is a royal Law, because it is the law of the KING OF KINGS. James explains the commandments on how to treat others, like Jesus did in the Mount of Blessing. Those commandments are summed up in a single commandment, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” When we have respect of persons or we don’t loving them, we are sinning against the Law of God.

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” (James 2:10-11) We are not exempted from keeping the Law just because we love our neighbor. On the contrary, we don’t really love our neighbor when we break any of the Commandments. I cannot love my neighbor and lie to him (Exodus 20:16). I cannot love my neighbor and insult him (Matthew 5:22) Transgressing the Law of God damages our relationship with Him and with our neighbor.

If we sincerely love God, we will necessarily love our neighbor. That’s a result of accepting the salvation Jesus gives as by the cross. Anyone who does not love will confront a merciless judgment. But those who love will have a blessed assurance in the judgment. They know that God is merciful to those who love.

“Justice and Mercy stood apart, in opposition to each other, separated by a wide gulf. The Lord our Redeemer clothed His divinity with humanity, and wrought out in behalf of man a character that was without spot or blemish. He planted His cross midway between heaven and earth, and made it the object of attraction which reached both ways, drawing both Justice and Mercy across the gulf. Justice moved from its exalted throne, and with all the armies of heaven approached the cross. There it saw One equal with God bearing the penalty for all injustice and sin. With perfect satisfaction Justice bowed in reverence at the cross, saying, It is enough.” E.G.W. (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, on James 2:13)