There are phrases in James... that are hard for me to get a handle on... the meaning elusive...
The exercise... practice... of memorizing... sets the words in my mind... they slip off the tongue... sounding like they have deep meaning... which they do... but I don't necessarily get it... yet...
Asking God to explain the bits that seem odd... and waiting with an ear open... He gives insight...
One such verse...
Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom.
James 2:12
HCSB
The slippery... judged by the law of freedom... knowing this... how should it make one speak... and act...?
Maybe this is straightforward to you... but to me... not so much... until... it just came... an epiphany... by God's grace...
...the law of freedom... it's the law that sets us free...!
It is only within the law that we find freedom... God created us... He knows the way we are meant to live in order to be happy... joyful... filled with life... and it is within the boundary of His law...
I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.
Psalm 119:32
I walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
Psalm 119:45
Speak and act... as those who will be judged... by the law of freedom...
How should this truth... make us speak and act...?
With grace... mercy...
Anyone... outside the law of freedom... is in bondage... a slave to sin...
Do you see...?
Freedom is only found in God's Way... anyone outside that Way is lost... wandering in darkness... bound...
Speak and act as those who will be judged
by the law of freedom!
Those who know the law of freedom... who walk within it... know the freedom... and look with pity on those outside... thinking... What are you doing to yourself...? Come in... come under... this is where true freedom is... joy... peace...
We will not draw those outside by judging harshly... legalistically... with condemnation... but only with grace...
And those who have truly come under the law... know that... they know how He wooed... called... brought us so grace-fully... into the law of freedom...
You see Him... throughout the Gospels... doing the same thing... socializing with sinners... healing on the Sabbath... touching... reaching out to... the unclean...
It was these acts of mercy... compassion... that sent Him to the cross... by those who were religious... legalistic... they killed the One who came to fulfill the law... yet all they saw was Him breaking it...
Speak... act... as those who will be judged... by the law of freedom...
For judgment is without mercy
to the one who hasn't shown mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 2:13
HCSB
(my emphasis)
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