top of page

OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW OF LIBERTY

Writer's picture: Olufunmilayo AdekusibeOlufunmilayo Adekusibe

 

Today’s Reading:

James 2:1-13

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11For 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. 12So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.” (vv. 10-13)

 

“For the person who keeps all the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.” (v.10). This does not teach that, for example, a murderer or an adulterer is guilty of all other Laws. James’ view here, probably is that the Law is an expression of God’s will for mankind, it should be an unfragmented whole; in a way that breaking any part of the Law constitutes breaking the Law as a whole. We are not to use this verse to justify sin in our lives. Because we feel we cannot keep one of God’s Law, and so, resign to fate that we cannot keep the rest. James is reminding us that when we break a Law, we are sinners. We cannot just decide to keep part of the Law and abandon the rest. Keeping the Law should not be at our convenience, we must strive, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep all the Laws. Whenever we need to ask for forgiveness, we should do so and then renew our effort to put our faith into action.


The Law gives a corrective standard of judgement, which is a perfect faith present in the perfect works. To disregard the will of God as shown in the Law is not only to break an isolated regulation, but also to rebel against God himself.


Therefore, the law of liberty (v.12; 1:25), which is Christ’s second great commandment: Love for our neighbour (Jn.13:34), refers to the standards of divine love, which ultimately becomes our standard of conduct (Mk. 12:31). It is the standard by which we judge others that we will be judged; also, the mercy we give will be the level of mercy we will receive. We are to show mercy to others because we receive mercy from God – we are to feed the poor, and with the measure of divine water of fasting, we are to wash the defilement from our souls. Only God in his mercy can forgive our sins; forgiveness is not earned; it is imbibed by the help of the Holy Spirit. When we do not forgive others, it means we do not understand and appreciate the forgiveness of God (Matt. 6:14-15; Eph. 4:31-32).


We are saved by God’s free gift of grace through faith, not by keeping the Law. We are encouraged to obey Christ. Paul reminds us that we all shall stand before our Lord Jesus Christ in Judgement (2Corin. 5:10) and so, weigh our deeds. The grace of God has not nullified our faithfulness to the Law, it has granted our obedience to the Law, a new basis. For the Law is no more an external set of rules, but law that sets us free – we should willingly and happily obey it, in response to God’s love through His Son Jesus Christ and we have the Holy Spirit to help us (1:25).

Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ? Do so now! because tomorrow may be too late.

OLUFUNMILAYO TITILOLA ADEKUSIBE


Prayer:

  1. Father break every unbroken part of me, and remould me to suit your purpose for my life, in Jesus name.

  2. Every part of me cooperating with darkness, be delivered by the power in the blood of Jesus, in Jesus name.

  3. Demonic strangers in the garden of my life, be uprooted by fire of God, in Jesus name.

  4. Father unite your Church to serve your purpose, in Jesus name.

  5. O Lord grant our leaders divine wisdom to manage crisis, in the name of Jesus.

9 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Commentaires


bottom of page