James 2:10

‘For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.'

This is a no escape clause which embraces us all. In order to back his argument up against anyone who might say that this behaviour is so human that it is not really all that bad James then points out a cardinal principle, and that is that ‘whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all,' That is, he has become a lawbreaker. We are reminded here of God's perfect standard, which is why Paul can declare, ‘all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This verse is extremely important because as a result of it the whole world becomes guilty before God (see Romans 3:19). Not one of us can say that we have always without exception so lived that all others have been treated by us in the same way as we would have treated ourselves under similar circumstances. And once we have failed to do so we have become Biblical criminals, a position from which there is no going back until the consequences of that sin have been fully met. It should be noted here that James is making quite clear that no one (apart from One Who did no sin - 2 Corinthians 5:21) can be accepted by God on the basis of his good works or personal merit. For he is making clear that all are sinners. From a legal standpoint they can never therefore be accepted by God on the basis of their works. Always the law will point at them and cry ‘guilty'.

To us some may seem more guilty than others, and the sins that others commit may appear as far worse than those we commit ourselves. But the fact is that before the bar of God we are all guilty. There we will be in no position to point the finger at others. There, unless we find mercy, we will be too busy unable to defend ourselves.

The Bible makes clear that we cannot pick and choose between the laws of God. Moses, after a series of curses, tells us in Deuteronomy 27:26, "Cursed be he who does not confirm (all) the words of this law to do them". The Hebrew omits ‘all' but LXX, the Samaritan Pentateuch and Paul in Galatians 3:10 all include it and it is clearly to be implied. Compare Deuteronomy 11:32 where we read, “you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the ordinances that I set before you this day.” Jesus confirms it when He says that ‘not one jot or tittle of the Law shall fail until all is fulfilled' (Matthew 5:18).