James 2:10 –
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
This is a tough one! How can coveting our neighbor’s car fall into the same category as murdering someone? Well – SIN IS SIN. In context – this verse was addressing about a conflict between the rich and the poor in the congregation.
Jesus did not free us from “the law. He lived to show us how to live by its precepts. We are not to ignore it. Through Grace we are now better able to live by it.
To tie this together with the remainder of Chapter 2, verse 17 says…"So you see, faith by itself is not enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”
These two thoughts point to Jesus. Yes – Jesus died for our sins. And, Yes, our deeds will not get us into heaven. Only Jesus provides the path to heaven. Deeds will not take us there. But, if we don’t demonstrate our faith by doing work for the kingdom, our faith is stagnant – DEAD !
So what does this say? Be aware of “The Law” and faithfully follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit so that we might be the hands and feet of Jesus!
Proverbs 6:4 – “Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.”