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THE LAW OF LIBERTY AND THE LAW OF MERCY

James 2:12–13

So speak and so act as those who are going to be judged under the law of liberty. For he who acts without mercy will have judgment without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

AS he comes to the end of a section, James reminds his readers of two great facts of the Christian life.

(1) Christians live under the law of liberty, and it is by the law of liberty that they will be judged. What he means is this. Unlike the Pharisees and the orthodox Jews, Christians are not men and women whose lives are governed by the external pressure of a whole series of rules and regulations imposed on them from outside. They are governed by the inner compulsion of love. They follow the right way, the way of love to God and love to other people, not because any external law compels them to do so nor because any threat of punishment frightens them into doing so, but because the love of Christ within their hearts makes them want to do so.

(2) Christians must always remember that only those who show mercy will find mercy. This is a principle which runs through all Scripture. Ben Sirach wrote: ‘Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray. Does anyone harbour anger against another, and expect healing from the Lord? If one has no mercy to another like himself, can he then seek pardon for his own sins?’ (Sirach 28:2–5). Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy’ (Matthew 5:7). ‘If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses’ (Matthew 6:14–15). ‘Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged’ (Matthew 7:1–2). He tells of the condemnation which fell upon the unforgiving servant, and ends the parable by saying: ‘So, my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart’ (cf. Matthew 18:23–35).

Scripture teaching is agreed that those who would find mercy must themselves be merciful. And James goes even further, for in the end he says that mercy triumphs over judgment – by which he means that in the day of judgment those who have shown mercy will find that their mercy has even blotted out their own sin.