​The Judgment of God (2:12–13)

The Judgment of God (2:12–13)

Every orthodox statement of faith concludes with a declaration regarding the return of Jesus Christ and the ultimate judgment. Not all Christians agree on the specifics of these future events, but they all agree that they will happen. No one would argue against the significance of a final judgment. Jesus (John 5:24) and Paul (Rom. 8:1) both told us that Christians will never be punished for their sins. Instead, our actions will be judged and rewarded (Rom. 14:10–13; 2 Cor. 5:9–10).

People will judge what we say. Read what James 2:3 says to the two visitors. God will judge what we say and how we say it. Even the things we say without thinking will be judged (Matt. 12:36). God looks at the heart when He judges the words we say (Matt. 12:34–37). In some of His warnings in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:21–26, 33–37; 7:1–5, 21–23), Jesus told people to be careful when and what they spoke.

People will judge what we do. For more information, read Colossians 3:22–25. God does not remember our sins against us anymore (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 10:17 says that our sins affect our character and actions. We can't sin and still be faithful servants. When we tell God about our sins, He forgives them, but He can't change what happens because of them.

People will judge our attitudes (v. 13). James talked about two different ways of thinking: one is to show mercy to others, and the other is to not show mercy. God can be merciful to us if we have been merciful to others. But we must not turn this truth into a lie. It doesn't mean we get mercy by being merciful, because we can't earn mercy. If you have to earn it, it's not mercy! It also means we should judge sin in other people's lives. A man once told me, "I don't judge anyone, and God won't judge me." He was so wrong!

God is the source of both mercy and justice, so they don't compete with each other. God can show mercy where He finds repentance and faith, but He must punish where He finds rebellion and disbelief. The way a sinner is treated depends on their heart. The truth is shown in the parable of our Lord in Matthew 18:21–35. The parable does not depict salvation; rather, it illustrates forgiveness among fellow servants. We have the kind of heart that is open to God's forgiveness if we forgive our brothers.

We will be judged "by the law of liberty." Why did James choose this name for God's law? One reason is that following God's law frees us from sin and lets us live freely (Ps. 119:45). Law also makes us ready for freedom. A child needs rules and regulations because he or she isn't old enough to handle the choices and responsibilities of life. He receives discipline from the outside so that he can learn to discipline himself and one day be free of rules.

Freedom does not mean having no rules. The worst kind of bondage is having a license to do whatever I want. Liberty means being able to be everything I can be in Jesus Christ. Licensing is limiting; freedom is fulfilling.

The Word is called "the law of liberty" because God knows what we would have done if we had been free. The Christian student who only obeys the rules because the school has them is not growing up. What will he do after he leaves school? God's Word can change our hearts and make us want to obey.

This part makes it clear that our beliefs should guide how we act. If we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that God is merciful, that His Word is true, and that He will judge us one day, then our actions will show what we believe. Before we go after people who don't believe in orthodox doctrine, we need to ensure that we live by the doctrines we defend. Jonah had great theology, but he was mad at God and hated people (Jonah 4).

How we treat other people is one way to tell if our faith is real. Can we pass through the test?