Dear friend,
From time to time, I ask myself, "What is my ministry producing? First and foremost in me, and then in those to whom I minister?" If it doesn’t ultimately produce love, everything I’m doing is wasted effort (see 1 Timothy 1, verses 5-7).
Therefore, I want to look at two beautiful phrases that James uses in his epistle about love, because I believe these two phrases give us a very wonderful insight into what love is and what it will do. The first phrase is found in the epistle of James, chapter 1, verse 25, where James says this:
“The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.” (NIV)
James speaks about "the perfect law that gives freedom". You may wonder what that law is, but if you go on a little further, James himself makes it plain. In the same epistle of James, chapter 2, verse 8, James says this:
“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’, you are doing right.” (NIV)
There the phrase that James uses is, "the royal or kingly law" and he specifies it, "Love your neighbour as yourself". Love is the kingly law. Love is the perfect law that gives freedom.
Let’s look at three phrases, briefly, that James uses. He calls it "the perfect law". In other words, it includes everything. It omits nothing. If you keep that law, it will take care of every aspect and every requirement of God.
Second, it’s the law that "gives freedom". You see if you are really motivated by sincere love, you’ll always be able to do what you want. Paul says, "Against that kind of fruit [the fruit of love] there is no law" (Galatians 5:23). You don’t need to be restrained by any other law because love always does the right thing.
And then he calls it the "royal law". It’s the kingly law. When you walk in the law of this divine love for God and for your neighbour, you’re living like a king. You see, a king, in a certain sense, is above the law. He’s above other laws – he’s the king. That’s the picture of a king. Of course, in today’s democratic society it’s a little difficult to adjust to that thought. But when James uses the phrase, "the royal or the kingly law", he’s meaning you don’t have to bother about all the details of all other laws, because as long as you keep this law, it takes care of all the rest.
So just think that over today – those three beautiful phrases about love. It’s the perfect law. It’s the law that gives freedom. It’s the kingly law. You don’t live like a slave. When you live by the law of love you live like a king. You’ve been set free, and everything else that God requires is contained in that one law.
For reflection and prayer
When you live by the law of love you live like a king.
