Articles
Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment
Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)
God is a God of justice. He has issued laws to which He holds men accountable and by which man will be judged. The severity of law is stated by James just prior to our featured passage: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (Jas 2:10). A high standard, indeed.
If this is the end of the story, we are doomed. But God is also a God of mercy. He has pitied us in our helplessness and at great cost provided pardon for our transgressions. He did not have to do this; He freely chose to offer salvation to those who didn’t deserve it. God’s mercy moderated His judgment.
But James attaches a qualifier: “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy” (2:13a). He addresses some among his readers who have not been merciful to the poor but instead have dishonored them (2:2-6). And this was not some private slight; they had been humiliated and discriminated against in the public assembly. So, there is both warning and comfort in James’ observation. If we are merciful, we have a quality of spirit that secures exoneration from our sins. And if we are not merciful, God will give us what justice demands.
