Caution When Reading James 2

James continues to pontificate on the ins-and-outs of human behavior.  

And, as I began to read this morning I found my mouth forming a position of total disagreement with the way James limits the grace of God.

⁹But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.(James20

Make one error and you are done for.

Really?

If one believes that God is merciful and forgiving. And I do. Then James is all wet.  There is no perfect human being. The only one who is perfect is God’s alone.

My opinion only of course.  

I am thinking, at this point, that James took his schooling from writer of Leviticus:  

21 When anyone offers a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, in fulfillment of a vow or as a freewill-offering, from the herd or from the flock, to be acceptable it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.(Lev. 22)

How many of us are without blemish?

To read this portion of James is like reading the Old Testament theology of a God of wrath and total — narrow, limited — judgment. 

To ask people to believe that one mistake — one so called “sin” — means you are doomed to hell; is so against the character of the God I have set my faith on.  

A God, by the way, that taught us to forgive seventy times seven; would not go along with James here.  

To quote my collage freshmen English teacher: Its Balderdash!  Poppycock!

I am quite sure that there are many who would disagree with me on this blog.  

You are welcome to add your comments.

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? ²For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, ³and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’, ⁴have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? ⁶But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? ⁷Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁹But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. ¹¹For the one who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’, also said, ‘You shall not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ¹²So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. ¹³For judgement will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgement.(James 2)