Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

James 2:9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

What is human nature? Well, in this case we are using the term human nature to mean that we all sin and/or we all have sin. This contexts is important because in reading the book of James his words above we immediately think as sinner that we must prove that we are not partial. We prove that by being a fair judge which seems to make sense.

(Remembering God's children have been restored by a new birth to one judge, and that judge is not themselves or other men and woman)

But law is very specific who can and cannot judge matters of this life. Let us remember under the law not everyone was entitled to judge. Unfortunately, today their are so many of us that think because we are a Christian's reading our bible having knowledge of sin we are entitled to judge, and/or have an obligation to judge.

James 4:11 Don't speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. 4:12 Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?

This is the context James was addressing, and the second point we should not overlook is James is speaking of (2) two laws, 1. One being the Law of Moses, and the second the law of Christ, which these Christian's were under.

However, like us thought they could judge under both laws at the same time depending upon their circumstance, which is not being impartial judge at all.

Levitius 24:22 You shall have one kind of law, for the foreigner as well as the native-born: for I am Yahweh your God.'"

Numbers 15:16 One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.

Levitius 19:15 "'You shall do no injustice in judgment: you shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.

Proverbs 18:5 To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.

Matthew 22:16 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter who you teach, for you aren't partial to anyone.

In other words, a simple truth should suffice for an honest, truth loving person. If we are under Christ law having no judgment of our flesh any longer, how could we think that I am freed owing to nothing of my own righteousness and than use a law that we are no longer under that was created to condemns us as sinner?

Rom. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.{NU omits "who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit"}
8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

So the mere fact that brothers and sisters, i.e. Christian's were using two laws instead of one made them partial.

James chose this course of action in his writing to show the hypocrisy that all sinner accept by nature. Its true, we see the weakness of others clearly, and are willing to judge them for even if we ourselves can't stop practice a sin. This mystery of the law, blinds us when we judge others when the truth in us is condemning us as a sinner which would be the Christ. We are not being impartial so instead we justify our conduct through legal justification that is using scriptures under the old laws of the flesh the very law we have been freed from in Christ.

Romans. 8:3 For what the law couldn't do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;
8:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.

So here is the kicker James is speaking about the law of Moses, a law that could not be kept by any person born into sin, they must have a redemption/atonment by the lost of an innocent life of one of God's creations (an animal) to pay a price for a very short time until atonement was needed again depending upon the circumstances.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him.

Hebrews 10:4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

So if one cannot keep a law and they judge by that law it makes them a partial unfair judge once again. However, the law of Christ isn't for judging our brothers and sisters, but for removing our judgment of sins so that we have no judgment under the Old law. In fact, let us remember, any laws of the flesh because the flesh is dead in Christ. These brothers and sisters had been freed from judgments, but why were their hearts set upon judgment rather than being thankful for their freedom in Christ?

It was Christ that removes sins not their judgment of them, judgment does not remove sin it exposes sin making sin greater not less.

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Romans.7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit to death.

Romans.7:13 Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.

Let us understand that coming to Christ is a self-judgment that moves us towards the kindness of God who is willing to forgive us. Wars of the scriptures moves people to more war in proving they are right by defeating us.

James 4:1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members?

Psalms 46:9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire.

The reason for their judgments was very simple they were still in the flesh they were in a war against the influence of their old nature under sin and that of others, moreover there were wicked Spirit forces involved by thinking in fleshly terms, that is, thinking in judgments of the flesh whick kill the Spirit life of Christ within them.

Thus, and death would start working in them instead of the life of Christ. It is this process that served to discipline and tested their faith, but they were not cast off from Christ because they had been chosen and accounted sinless for this very purpose to be perfected in faith by trusting in these fiery trails in that promise God had made with them and in them!

1Cor. 3:13 each man's work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man's work is. 3:14 If any man's work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.
3:15 If any man's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire. 3:16 Don't you know that you are a temple of God, and that God's Spirit lives in you?

What would they find in their fleshly? Judgments leading to death by judging themselves and others by an unobtainable law that would constantly condemns them in to death and not life.

This process caused them to justify themselves instead of accepting without word the far greater power of Christ life that actually had justified them. This process last until Christ once again gave them faith, that is, life by the Spirit refining them into putting complete trust in Christ as God's grace, God's unmerited kindness, and/or undeserved kindness above any laws of the flesh, death!

Once again finding themselves in an superior elevated state of Christ life in them; seated in Christ and with Christ above their refinement was completed for God’s time frame they learned not to put confidence in flesh, and that all flesh causes a state of death, it is the Spirit that is life. This is the process that conforms us to Christ image, something we have no control over, and something we can't say when its start and when it ends because we belong to Christ as his body members.

This process is working in all of God's children and that is why James started in his letter that enduring in this process that will take place throughout our life in the flesh on earth.

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator.

Romans 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.{The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."}
Rom. 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 8:36 Even as it is written, "For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter."{Psalm 44:22} 8:37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

poweredinpeace.com see also nu-truth.com