Unifying Factor #5 – We need God’s mercy (v. 12-13)
As we come to the end of our journey through this exploration of unity and distinction, James brings us to the final unifying factor – our desperate need for God’s mercy. In verses 12-13, James uncovers the pivotal role that mercy plays in unifying us beyond our distinctions and biases.
“So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:12-13
Mercy
James reminds us that mercy isn’t just a kind gesture; it’s the cornerstone of our faith. Through Christ’s sacrifice, mercy and justice kissed at Calvary. Our triumph lies in mercy’s victory over judgment, a victory that redefines our relationship with God and with each other. Mercy is the song we sing. It is the vessel that carries our prayers to the heart of God. It is what ushered the Holy Spirit into our lives. Mercy is our only hope. Mercy is our greatest friend. Mercy is the cornerstone of the Kingdom of God. Mercy is our hallelujah.
Our unity isn’t just a mere agreement to coexist; it’s a shared recognition of our desperate need for God’s mercy. We all stand before God as equally flawed beings, equally dependent on His mercy for salvation. This understanding obliterates any basis for our judgments and divisions. James challenges us to rethink our interactions and judgments. Mercy isn’t just a theological concept; it’s a tangible force that reshapes our attitudes. It challenges our legalistic tendencies and humbles us to extend the same mercy we’ve received to others, regardless of their backgrounds.
New Every Morning
Did you know that our God’s mercies are new every morning? Did you know that our God has cast our sin into the depths of the sea and has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west? Our God is so merciful that when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, He made us alive together with Christ. And not only that, but Christ has seated us with Him in the heavenly places! Did you know that the eternal Son of God took on flesh, lived as a man, and was tempted in every single way that we are so that there is no weakness in you that He cannot sympathize with? Family, do you know that our God sits on a throne, and He has self-named it “the throne of grace” that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need? Even if you are the most judgmental person on the planet, there is a word for you today: Mercy triumphs over judgement.
The gospel destroys our distinctions because it unifies us all in our sinfulness, but even more glorious, it destroys our distinctions because it unites us in our salvation.
The Foot Of The Cross
In the end, James’ message about unity and favoritism isn’t just about erasing distinctions; it’s about embracing our shared humanity, our shared inadequacy, and our shared triumph through mercy. The gospel erases the boundaries that our fleshly judgments construct. It reveals the astonishing reality that, in our sinfulness and salvation, we are all in the same boat. We are all recipients of God’s relentless mercy.
Do we want the resurrection power of God? Do we want to new creation activity of the Holy Spirit among us? Do we want the mind of Christ? Do we want to be re-humanized? There is only one way—the royal law. It is the dirty, hard, gritty, uncomfortable, inconvenient, self-crucifying love which Christ loved us with, bursting out onto the scene of all of our interactions. But the royal law is only given power by the bloody cross. If we are going to love our neighbor as ourselves, we must find ourselves being loved by Jesus. Our human hierarchies are leveled at the foot of the cross. Our disunity that comes from pride is consumed at the foot of the cross. Our boomerang hearts are transformed into white hot arrows of love at the foot of the cross.
