MERCY REJOICETH AGAINST JUDGMENT

James 2: 1-13 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2: For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3: And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5: Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6: But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7: Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? 8: If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11: For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12: So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13: For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Carnal reasoning shows partiality to one while neglecting another based on outward adornments. God chose those who were too poor in sin to provide righteousness for themselves. Evil judgments exalt those who appear to offer a return and reject those who have nothing. God rejects those who come in the goodly apparel of their own righteousness but freely gives the vilest wretch the riches of faith, making him an heir of his kingdom. Unjustified religionists rejoice to draw men before the law. God satisfied his own justice in the person of his Son and therefore he delights to show mercy. Carnal men blaspheme the name of God, setting themselves up as gods, rejecting those rich in grace because by outward appearance they seem vile. We rejected the Just One for the same reason. Yet, it is by that worthy name that sinners are called and made the very righteousness of God in him.

Brethren, one of the worst enemies we face is the old, legal, unjust judge that resides within each of us. We may try to justify such legalism by saying that our partiality was an effort to fulfill the royal command. Yet, when we begin to vainly imagine that we have kept ourselves unspotted from the world, the Holy Spirit reminds us that one evil thought is enough to convict us as transgressors before the whole law of God. Is your rejoicing in that soon you will stand alone before the thrice holy God in unbending justice? Or is your rejoicing that you are now complete by faith in Christ through God's abounding mercy? Therefore, as believers, having beheld the wrath due to us poured out on our Substitute at Calvary, let us speak and do as they that shall be judged in the Lord our Righteousness. Brethren, having received mercy from God instead of what we deserved may he give us grace to rejoice in the same mercy toward one another!