Reference

James 2:10-13

Making Faith Credible

THE DANGER OF JUST ONE SIN

Read: James 2:10-13

Intro: Have you ever given yourself a pass—because at least you’re not as bad as someone else? Our world grades morality on a curve. As long as you’re not the worst, you think you’re doing fine. But James crashes through that mindset with one of the sharpest verses in the New Testament: “Whoever keeps the whole law, yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” That sounds extreme, doesn’t it? But to James, partiality isn’t a social slip-up. It is sin. And not just any sin—it reveals our hearts, reveals our judgment, and reveals whether the gospel has truly changed us. If you’ve ever made excuses for your spiritual blind spots—this text of Scripture is for you.

 

We live in a culture built on the myth of “good enough.” We convince ourselves that being a “pretty good person” counts for something. A mom feels proud she’s patient with her kids—except when she’s running late. A husband congratulates himself for working hard—except when he neglects to listen. We patch the moral holes and call it solid ground. But James says otherwise. “Good enough” can’t hold the weight of eternity any more than a frayed rope can hold your life. We’re the people who look fine in public, but when the quiet hits, we wonder, “Am I really right with God?”

 

  1. How Bad Can One Sin Really Be?

 

James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

 

Picture this: you’re hanging over a canyon from a ten-link chain. Nine links are solid. One breaks. It doesn’t matter which one—it’s a long fall.

 

Is James saying all sins carry the same earthly consequences? Of course not. He’s saying all sin injures the same relationship—with God who is the Lawgiver.

 

You might think: “I have kept God’s law in all other respects.” But James says, break one part and the entire thing comes crashing down on you. Breaking one part of the law doesn’t make you partially guilty—it makes you entirely guilty.

 

It’s not about the number of sins. It’s about the nature of sin against a holy God.

 

illus: Imagine you’re driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. Nearly two miles of steel and cable, suspended over 200 feet above the water. Now imagine if a maintenance worker told you, “Hey, good news! 99% of the bolts on this bridge are perfectly intact.” Wouldn’t you frown? Wouldn’t your jaw drop? Wouldn’t you say, “Wait…what about the other 1%? Which bolts are those?” “Well,” he says, “just a few bolts are loose or missing. But hey – most of them are holding!” Would that be reassuring? You don’t want to trust your life to most of the bolts. Even a small breach in a critical spot can bring down the whole structure.

 

Sin isn’t just about quantity—it’s about critical connection. One sin—just one—exposes the weakness.

 

Romans 3:19 “That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

No one talks their way out of this. We’re all in the same courtroom. And it gets heavier…

 

Galatians 3:10 “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law.”

 

Do you think God blesses part-time loyalty? What does He think about half-hearted devotion?

 

Sin isn’t just breaking a rule—it’s breaking trust. Would you trust a babysitter who followed most of your instructions?

 

Neither does God.

 

Stop and let this sink in. If heaven replayed your week—your words, your motives, your private thoughts—what would show?

 

We justify our weak links by saying, “no one’s perfect,” but James won’t let us hide there. He’s not shaming us; he’s inviting us to see the truth before the chain snaps.

 

  1. Does Selective Obedience Still Count?

 

James 2:11 “For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”

 

James calls out our tendency to grade sins on a sliding scale. It’s like someone saying, “I’m faithful to my spouse…except on Thursdays.” Who applauds that reasoning?

 

illus: Imagine a surgeon saying, “I sterilized most of the tools.” Would you still trust the procedure?

 

Obedience isn’t a buffet line. You don’t get credit for picking the “simpler” commands while ignoring the “costly” ones.

 

We dare not prioritize commandments.

 

Mistreating the poor man is rebelling against the same Lawgiver who said, “no adultery,” and “no murder.” It offends the same holiness.

 

R.T. Kendall – “There are two ways to fall short of God’s law: by breaking it openly or by pretending partial obedience is enough.”

Deut 27:6 “Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law.”

Matt 5:19 “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments... shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”

 

This is where we say, “I’m doing better than I used to,” or “At least I’ve never done that!”

 

But God isn’t tracking past victories. He is demanding present surrender. Because you wouldn’t say to your child, “You mostly listened.”

 

Selective obedience still undermines our witness and our assurance.

 

Selective obedience doesn’t just damage you—it teaches the next generation what halfway faith looks like.

 

When our kids see us praise God on Sunday and grumble on Monday, they learn to grade sin on the same curve. But when they catch us confessing quickly, forgiving freely, and showing mercy in the small things, they get a front-row seat to real grace.

 

Your integrity—or lack of it—is shaping the theology of your home.

 

  1. What Does Judgment Sound Like Without Mercy?

 

James 2:12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

 

James shifts the spotlight from how we treat others to how we’ll be treated by God.

 

If you've been set free by mercy, live like it. Let your words and actions echo the grace you've received.

 

Speak like someone who’s been forgiven. Act like someone who’s been set free.

 

What does judgment sound like without mercy? It sounds cold. It sounds condemning. It is crushing.

 

It sounds like law with no grace applied.

 

illus: In 2012, then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney was caught on a “hot mic” at a private fundraiser. Speaking candidly to donors, he remarked that “47% of Americans” were dependent on government, saw themselves as victims, and wouldn’t vote for him. He likely assumed the comments would stay in the room—but they didn’t. The recording leaked, and the fallout was immediate. Critics labeled it cold, judgmental, and dismissive of struggling Americans. For many, it wasn’t just a political gaffe—it revealed what sounded like a lack of sympathy and compassion. The moment followed him for the rest of the campaign.

Now imagine if heaven played back a week’s worth of your conversations—unedited. Not just your public ones, but your private moments.

 

Would they sound more like Jesus—or more like that hot mic moment? Would your words sound merciful—or measured, cutting, and dismissive?

 

A.W. Tozer – “A Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself.”

James isn’t just teaching speech etiquette. He’s saying: your words reveal your theology (what you believe about God).

 

If your tongue runs on criticism and contempt, don’t be surprised when your faith is powerless, and you’ve sapped the anointing.

 

The “law of liberty” frees you to speak life—not like a courtroom prosecutor, but like someone who’s been pardoned.

 

What is this “law of liberty?” It is the freedom to show mercy to others as God has shown mercy to you.

 

That liberty does not give us room to criticize – it gives us power to love.

 

James is saying: don’t live like you’re still in bondage. Speak and act like someone walking in grace.

 

Mercy isn’t just for altars and church aisles—it belongs in kitchens and carpool lines.

 

Mercy triumphs when you answer a sharp word with a soft one. It shows up when your child spills the milk again and you choose patience over anger. It shows up when you forgive your spouse before they apologize.

 

Mercy shows up when you decide you don’t have to win every argument. That’s the real music of the law of liberty — grace in motion.

 

  1. Can Mercy Really Win in the End?

 

James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

 

This verse is the thunderclap at the end of James’ argument. He’s saying: If you’ve received mercy, you must be quick to give it.

 

R.T. Kendall – “Mercy is not for the deserving. It is for the guilty. To refuse to show mercy is to deny the very gospel you claim to believe.”

Micah 6:8What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

 

John Stott – “Nothing grieves the Spirit more than a hard and unforgiving heart.”

 

And Jesus made this unforgettable in one of His parables. I’ll paraphrase it…

 

It’s a story about a man who owed a king millions of dollars—more money than he could ever pay back in ten lifetimes.

 

The king calls in the debt, and the man falls to his knees, panicking. “Please! Be patient with me. I’ll pay it all back!” he promises (even though there’s no way he could).

 

The king looks at him and—shockingly—erases the debt. Just wipes it clean. No payment plan. No interest. Total mercy.

 

But then, the man walks out—and immediately finds another guy who owes him a couple thousand bucks.

 

He grabs him by the throat and demands, “Pay me now!” The second guy begs in the exact same way: “Please! Be patient with me. I’ll pay it back!”

 

But instead of showing mercy, the first man throws him in jail.

 

When the king hears about it, he’s furious. “I forgave your massive debt—and you couldn’t forgive a small one?”

 

So the king reverses the mercy. He hands the man over to the jailers until every cent is paid.

 

Then Jesus drops this bomb: "That’s how My Father will treat you if you don’t forgive others from your heart."

 

Conclusion:

 

Mercy isn’t weakness. It’s divine strength. It doesn’t just cancel judgment—it transforms how you see people. Not as cases to be solved, but as souls to be loved.

 

Here’s the good news woven through the entire argument: the only One who ever kept every link unbroken was Jesus.

 

He hung on the cross for every broken one of ours. The law condemned us, but mercy triumphed at Calvary. He didn’t just cover our guilt — He credited us with His perfect obedience. That’s why we can stand before a holy God and say, “Mercy has won the case.”

 

Being merciful proves you understand the Gospel. Without it, faith becomes a scorecard. With it, faith becomes freedom.

 

For Prayer Ministry:

 

Lord, expose where I’ve made excuses for “just one sin.”
Help me see that even my small compromises weaken the chain of trust between us. Show me where I’ve called “good enough” what You call broken.

 

Set me free from the lie of selective obedience.
Give me grace to stop grading sin on a curve. Teach me to follow You fully — not because I have to, but because I love You. Make my integrity a testimony my children can see.

 

Help me give the same mercy I’ve been given—especially at home.
Let mercy triumph in my family room, my workplace, and my thoughts. Remind me I owe no one revenge, but everyone mercy.

 

Closing Prayer:
Father, thank You for keeping every link secure in Jesus. Teach me to walk in that freedom, so that mercy—not measurement—defines my life. Let Your grace be the loudest voice in my home, my church, and my city. Amen.

 

 

--------------------

 

Transcript

Find James chapter two in your Bibles. Today it is the third Sunday of the month, and it is prayer ministry Sunday. And typically, we will be opening the prayer lines now and praying for about 25 minutes and then having our sermon. But this has been a profoundly difficult week for our church. For many involved in our church just going through some trauma, and you may have heard about it.

I'm not going to go into it today. It may make the news. You'll find out if it does. But we are ministering to victims and other things of just some terrible sin from a former member of ours. And so it's been that week.

And we thought, well, because it's providential that prayer ministry Sunday is today. And so what I decided to do was flip the order of service, and we're going to have prayer ministry at the end so that we don't feel rushed and can be more effective. And that was fantastic. In the first service, we prayed right through, and folks, everybody got out on time that needed to. And so many came for ministry.

And I want to say to you that the church needs prayer. I had two men who belong to our church call me within 24 hours in tears, saying, pastor, pray for my marriage. I don't know if it's going to make it, and I need help, and I need you to bless my wife and I need you to pray for me that I can see problems and trouble in me. And there's always messes behind the scenes that you would never expect or never predict. But what we do have is a loving God, a risen savior, and the power of the Spirit to help us.

And so the fireworks, though, start now because we're going to look into God's word and we're going to have a truth encounter. And then after the truth encounter, we're going to open up the prayer lines. We're going to have a power encounter. And God's going to bring signs and wonders and healings and powerful stuff he did in the first service. He does it every month.

He's gonna do it today. You don't have to be a member of our church to get in one of our prayer lines. We are eager to pray for anyone and everyone. And you will meet God in the prayer lines today if you want to meet him. And so that's my pitch for what's getting ready to happen.

And how's everybody doing? All right, look, I'm fired up. Even in the midst of turmoil and difficulty, the sun rises and Jesus is still Lord and the gospel's still true. And the church is still alive and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. And so.

So look, even in dark days, and we make no light of that, we don't skid by. I just have a victorious God and he's given me salvation. Does that make sense? And so look, we're going to go forward, we're going to help everybody that needs help today, and we're going to look into God's word, we're going to receive it, and you're going to be blessed. You're going to be built up in the spirit.

If you're new, welcome to Great Commission Church. It's not all that different. This is kind of who we are. But God's real and we're real. So that's how it goes.

Making Faith Credible is the teaching series. I'm going verse by verse through the book of James. And this series, Making Faith Credible is all James, chapter two. This is part three. Today I'm going to preach a message called the Danger of Just One Sin.

And let me say to you, I prepared this message months ago, has nothing to do with just the events that we're all dealing with. But. But God was way ahead of us. And so I think you're gonna see that today because God is good and he wants you to glorify him and be safe and sound in him. So our text is James 2, 1013.

James 2, 1013, they read this way, for whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For he who said, do not commit adultery also said, do not murder. Now, if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you become a transgressor of the law.

So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who. Who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Let's bow for prayer today.

Father, this preacher needs your help. Our church needs your care. We pray for the power of the Spirit to be among us, to break down strongholds, to give hope again, to pull us out of the miry clay and put our feet on a rock, a firm place to stand. Lord, we pray that the that the saints of God would receive what they need from you today. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us right now our daily bread and God for the unredeemed sinners here who are in a condition that we were formerly in before we received Christ, God, we pray that today is the day of their salvation. Show them the beauty of the gospel and the beauty of Jesus and cause them to come running into your arms, Lord, for forgiveness of sins so they can become a child of God. Lord, we pray that you will not allow the enemy to steal the seed planted in the hearts at the preaching of your word. This is our prayer in Jesus name and a faith filled church said.

Amen. All right. I wonder, have you ever given yourself a pass? Because at least you're not as bad as someone else.

Just me. Okay. Well, our world grades morality and righteousness on a curve. And the idea is, as long as you're not the worst, you think you're doing fine. But James crashes through that mindset with one of the sharpest, most direct verses in all the New Testament when he says, whoever keeps the whole law, yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

If you've ever disobeyed one of God's commands, he says, you disobeyed all of them. Does that sound extreme to you?

It does to me. But to James, the sin in question in James chapter two is this sin of partiality. Is this sin of taking this poor man and casting him aside and ignoring him and. And giving our attention to those we think can move us forward in life. That sin of partiality is no social slip up.

According to James. It is sin. And it's not just any sin. It's a sin that reveals our hearts, it's a sin that shows us that our judgment is impaired, and it's a sin that reveals whether the gospel has truly changed us.

So if you've ever made excuses for your spiritual blind spots, then, friend, this text of scripture is for you. We live in a culture built on the myth of good enough. We convince ourselves that as long as we're being a pretty good person, that that has to count for something. Well, a mom feels proud when she's patient with her kids, except when she's running late. A husband congratulates himself for being a hard worker and a provider, except when he realizes he's been neglecting to listen to his family.

In other words, we patch up the moral holes around us and try to tell ourselves we're standing on solid ground.

But James says otherwise. Can I tell you good enough cannot hold the weight of eternity for you any more than a frayed rope can hold up your body weight?

We're the people that look fine in public, but when the quiet hits, we wouldn't tell anybody. But we wonder sometimes Am I really right with God?

Our text today has four verses and therefore I have four questions I have from the text for us. That's how I've outlined this message. Question number one, how bad can one's sin really be? This is James, chapter 2, verse 10. For whoever shall keep the whole law.

By the way, friends, if you're new to church, the law I'm talking about is not civil government. These are the laws of God in the Bible. For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

I want you to picture this with me. Picture that you're hanging over a canyon from a 10 link chain. Now look, we, we live in Mississippi, we don't have canyons. We have ditches, right? So we got to go out west and we got to get something deeper.

But you're hanging from a 10 link chain and there's a canyon beneath you. Nine of the links are solid, but one of them breaks. Does it matter which one? No. One of them breaks.

It doesn't matter. It's a long fall to the bottom of the canyon. Well, Pastor, is James saying that all sins carry the very same earthly consequences? What's the answer to that? Of course not.

He is saying that all sin injures the same relationship, the relationship with God, who's the lawgiver. That's what it does. And you might be thinking something like, look, I've kept God's law in all these other respects, sex. But James says, break one part and the entire thing comes crashing down on top of you. You see, breaking one part of God's law doesn't make you partially guilty.

It makes you entirely guilty. And friends, we're not talking about the number of sins here. We're talking about the nature of sin. It's against a holy God. Alright, let's go out west again.

Imagine you're driving across the Golden Gate Bridge in California. There are nearly two miles of steel and cable suspended 200ft or more above the water below. Now look, you've stopped at the visitor center and you've gotten a little map and you bought the T shirt and all of that. And as you're walking back to the parking lot, a maintenance worker stops you and he says, hey, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I got some good news. 99% of the bolts on the bridge are perfectly intact.

Wouldn't you frown? Wouldn't you draw? Wouldn't your jaw drop? I mean, wouldn't you say, wait a minute, what about the other 1%? Which bolts are you talking about?

And the guy says, well, look, it's just a few bolts out of the many thousands. They're loose or they're missing, but hey, most of them are holding. Would that be reassuring to you?

You don't want to trust your life to most of the bolts because even a small breach in a critical spot will bring down the whole bridge.

Friends, when James is teaching us about the nature of sin, it's not just about quantity. It's about this critical connection. One sin, just one, exposes the weakness. That's why Paul said in Romans 3:19 that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. In other words, no one talks their way out of this.

Every mouth stopped. We're all in the same courtroom. And if that's not enough, it only gets heavier. Galatians 3:10. Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law.

Cursed everyone.

Do you know anybody that's obeyed the whole Bible? Because if you do, don't bring them to this church. It will ruin everything. We need grace, right?

Do you think God blesses part time loyalty?

What does he think about half hearted devotion?

You see, friends, sin isn't just breaking rules, it's breaking trust.

Would you trust a babysitter who followed most of the instructions for your little infant?

Neither does God.

We need to stop and let this sink in. What we do though, is we justify our weak links by just saying, you know what? Nobody's perfect. But in our text today, James will not let us hide in that closet. He's not shaming us, he's inviting us to see the truth before the chain snaps.

How bad can one sin really be?

All right, that's question number one. Did you make it through it? They kind of get worse. All right, here we go. Question number two.

Does selective obedience still count?

We're talking about obeying God. James 2:11. For he who said do not commit adultery also said, do not murder. Now God picked two big ones right in this list. Now, if you do not commit adultery, but you do commit murder, you become a transgressor of the law.

I think everybody kind of, kind of understand. You got these two big sins. If you skip one of them and you make it through it, but you do the other one, you've still broken God's law. Here's what's happening. James is calling out our tendency to grade sins on a sliding scale.

It's like someone saying, look, I'm faithful to my spouse except on Thursdays.

Do you know anybody who would applaud that kind of reasoning?

Imagine you're on a gurney and you're heading into surgery and the surgeon says, hey, just want you to know I sterilize most of the tools. You still getting the procedure?

My brothers and my sisters, obedience is not a buffet line.

You don't get credit for picking the simpler commands while ignoring the costly ones. And may I just say to us soberly, we dare not prioritize God's commandments. They're all important. And so if you go back to James chapter two and you think of this sin that he is talking about in this chapter, mistreating the poor man is rebelling against the same lawgiver who said, no adultery and no murder.

It offends the same holiness.

One of my favorite scholars, R.T. kendall, wrote, There are two ways to fall short of God's law.

By breaking it openly or by pretending partial obedience is enough.

Let me show you where God said this in the old Testament, Deuteronomy 27:6, cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law. Now look, we've been having lots of guests in our church and you're wondering what we're like. Let me just say unequivocally right now, without apology, and I want you to know this for sure. We believe the Bible, Genesis to maps. Amen.

Right. We want all of it. And we also say that you have no right to call yourself a Christian and and not have the same view of Scripture that Jesus had. John 10:35, he said the Scriptures cannot be broken. And so when Moses says in Deuteronomy 27:6, curse is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law.

All the way back in the Old Testament, you don't have a choice about the Scriptures. It's all or nothing.

There's judgment that comes from not trusting in God's word. Jesus said something similar in Matthew 5:19. Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments says our Lord shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Well, I guess we're all sitting at the back of the room in heaven if all it takes is to break one of them.

And look, here's where our self righteousness rises up in a sermon like this. And in your mind, here's what we begin to say, well look, I'm doing better than I used to. Or at least I've never done that.

But can I tell you, God isn't tracking past victories. He's demanding present surrender. But none of you would say to your child, I'm so proud of you. You mostly listen to me.

Did you know that selective obedience does two things? Number one, it undermines our witness. It fills the church in truth with the charge the world has for us. And that is we're filled with hypocrites. Selective obedience just means I'm going to live this half hearted life and I'm going to departmentalize everything that's important to me and God gets Sunday morning undermining our witness.

Let me tell you what else it does. And this one's going to affect you even more because you're going to feel torpedoes our assurance. When you have besetting sins that you're managing people don't know about, they're in the dark still and they're a secret. And you're just too embarrassed to confess that to a trusted Christian leader that can help you get free from that. When you keep it in the dark, the devil owns it and it ruins your assurance.

So it makes you live this secretly panicking spiritual life where you're afraid at any moment God's going to throw you into hell and you're baptized.

Selective obedience. And by the way, selective obedience doesn't only damage you, it teaches the next generation that lives at your house what halfway faith looks like.

If my children were getting older and they were all lukewarm, I'd want to look at myself.

Because the number one leadership in all the world is people. Do what people see. You know, the world never burned a casual Christian at the stake. They are no threat. Selective obedience.

When our kids see us praise God on Sunday, but then they hear us grumble about our lives on Monday, they learn to grade their sins on the exact same curve.

But when they catch us confessing quickly, when they see us forgiving freely, when they observe us showing mercy in the small things, you know what happens then? They get a front row seat to real grace.

Did you know that your integrity or your lack of it is shaping the theology of your home?

So let me ask again. Does selective obedience still count?

Question number three. What does judgment sound like without mercy?

James 2:12. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. Here's what's happening. In verse 12, James is shifting his argument, his spotlight from how we treat others. That's what he's been talking about.

And he shifts it to how we will eventually be treated by God.

So he says, if you've been set free by God's mercy, would it be just too hard to ask that you begin to live like it. In other words, speak like someone who's been forgiven, not someone who hates themselves and has no confidence in God.

Act like someone who's been set free and not someone who's been. Who's afraid to walk in the liberty that Jesus gives us. So, Pastor, what does judgment sound like when there's no mercy connected to it? Well, friends, it sounds cold and it sounds condemning. And you know the problem with church and spiritual life?

It just sounds condemning all the time. If you just swim in that, you're swimming away from Jesus. Because Everybody knows John 3:16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal Life. But John 3:16 comes immediately before John 3: what? 17, where he says, I was sent into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world would be saved through me.

So look, if you have a very frowning condemning God, that's not the God of the Bible.

And if you're saved, God isn't mad at you, but he might be heartbroken with you. He might be looking at this and going, it's time to return to me. You've been alienated for too long. You cut off all the ordinary means of grace. Your tank is empty.

You have no power to say no to temptation. All of those are these red flags coming from the spirit of God. And God is. He's cupping his hands over his mouth and saying, child, it's time to come back. Selective obedience just tells you where you've been.

And this is judgment without mercy.

It sounds like the law with no grace applied. And my Facebook memories today, it was showing me the presidential campaign of 2012. And first of all, just to encourage your heart, 2012 was 13 years ago. All of you people are getting older, just so you know. But I already had this illustration In 2012, then presidential candidate Mitt Romney was caught on a hot mic at a fundraiser.

He's speaking candidly to his donors and he says, hey, look, 47% of Americans are dependent on government. All 47% of them see themselves as victims. And all 47% of them are not going to vote for me anyway. Let me just say something. He was exactly right.

You just can't say it out loud in American politics. So he thought that those comments were would stay in the room. But everybody has a cell phone now and it all has a phone and there's video on it and you know how it goes. So the recording leaked and the fallout was immediate. His Critics, which is the entire media, labeled it cold and judgmental and dismissive of struggling Americans.

For many, they said, this is no political gaffe. This just showed us this man's heart. It sounded like a lack of sympathy, and he had no compassion. And that moment followed him the rest of the campaign, and he subsequently lost in spectacular fashion. Why did you remind us of that bad news, Pastor?

Well, now I want you to imagine something. Imagine if heaven played back a week's worth of all of our conversations and our thoughts unedited. Imagine if the hot mic caught us from heaven. Not just your public thoughts and words, the private moments. Here's the question.

Would they sound more like Jesus or more like that hot mic moment? Would your words sound merciful and measured, or would they sound cutting and critical and dismissive?

Nobody said it better than AW Tozer. A Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself and friends. In our verse, James isn't only teaching speech etiquette to believers. He's saying, did you know that your words reveal your theology? Theology is what we believe about God.

So if your tongue runs on the motor of criticism and contempt, then don't be surprised when you look up and you have a powerless faith. You SAP the anointing. In your life, you got no power. When you pray, it doesn't even feel like anybody's listening. You certainly can't pray and help anybody else.

And you just stumble and fall and you look up and you go, if I have to be honest, my life's no different than my worldly friends who don't know Christ. This is how it declines.

The law of liberty frees us to speak liberty life. And I don't mean like a courtroom prosecutor. I mean like someone who understands they've been pardoned. Look, I needed Jesus to die for me, or I had no hope in becoming right with God. It's not the collective us that mattered in that equation at that moment.

For me, I needed him to die for Trevor's sins. And they are far more than you could ever think. But that doesn't make me feel too bad, because I know it's the same for you. Does that make sense?

So what is this law of liberty that James talks about? Here's what I think it is. Let me give you this definition. I think the law of liberty means it's the freedom to show mercy to others the way God has shown mercy to you.

The freedom to show mercy to others the way God has shown mercy to you. And if that's true, then that kind of liberty, that freedom we have, doesn't give us any room to criticize others. It gives us power to love others.

So I want to say that I'm talking about mercy right now. And it sounds like a church word. But mercy isn't just for altars and church aisles. Mercy is also for kitchens and carpool lines. We show it better in those places.

Can I tell you, mercy triumphs when you answer a sharp word with a soft Word. Proverbs 15:1. A gentle answer turns away wrath.

Mercy shows up when your child spills the milk again and you choose patience instead of anger.

Mercy shows up and appears when you forgive your spouse who sins against you more than anybody before they even have the opportunity to apologize. That's being merciful. And here's one for me. Mercy shows up when you decide that you don't have to win every argument.

What does mercy sound like? What does judgment sound like without mercy? Question number four. Can mercy really win in the end?

Here's verse 13. For judgment is without mercy. To the one who has shown no mercy, mercy triumphs over judgment. That verse is the thunderclap at the end of James argument. He's saying, anyone who's received mercy from God must be willing to quickly give it out.

Dr. Kendall reminds us, mercy is not for the deserving, it's for the guilty. To refuse to show mercy is to deny the very gospel you claim to believe.

Now Jesus illustrates this in an unforgettable parable. Let me paraphrase it quickly. There was a man who owed a debt to a king, millions and millions of dollars. He could not pay it back in 10 lifetimes. But here's what he said to the king.

Please be patient with me, I'll pay it all back. That's what he promises, even though there's no way he could do it. And the king looks at him and shockingly, he just erases the debt. He says, I'll have mercy on you instead of throwing you into debtors prison. You can just go free and I'll cancel it.

As soon as the king canceled this man's debt. He goes out from the king's presence into the marketplace and he sees another dude and that dude owes him a couple thousand bucks. And Jesus parable says, he grabs him by the throat and he says, pay me what you owe me.

And the guy that he grabbed by the throat, that owed the very small debt, looks to that man and he says the exact same words that this man said to the King. And those words were, please be patient with me. I'll pay it back. But instead of showing mercy, the first man throws him in jail. Now, how do you think the king reacted when he heard the news?

Jesus said he was furious. He reverses the merciful verdict that he gave that man and he brings him back into his presence. And he said, how dare you? I forgave your massive debt and you couldn't forgive a small one. And then the Bible says he handed him over to the jailers.

Now, and my text says he handed him over to the torturers until he could pay back every cent, which was impossible, which means eternal judgment. And then Jesus drops this bomb. That's how my father will treat you if you don't forgive your brother from your heart.

You can't do that without mercy.

Can I ask you a question? Is a merciful person a weak person or a strong person couldn't hear you.

It's divine strength that comes from heaven. It transforms how you see people. No longer cases to be solved, but souls to be loved.

Did you know that Jesus hung on the cross for every broken link in our chains? The law condemned us. Mercy triumphed at Calvary. And he didn't just cover our guilt, he credited us with his perfect obedience. And that's why we can stand before a holy God and we can say with confidence, I have Jesus righteousness.

That's why I get to go to heaven. You see, being merciful proves that you understand the gospel. Well, Pastor, how do I apply this to my life in the prayer line today? Three ways. Number one, you come with this kind of prayer in your heart.

Lord, expose where I've made excuses for just one sin. In other words, help me to see that even my small compromises weaken the chain of trust between us. Lord, show me where I've called good enough what you call broken.

Number two, Lord, set me free from the lie of selective obedience. Lord, would you give me special grace that I would stop grating on a curve my sins Instead, teach me to follow you fully, not because I have to, but because I love you. God, would you make my integrity a testimony that my children can see? Number three. Lord, help me give the same mercy I've been given, especially at home.

Lord, let mercy triumph in my family room, my living room, my workplace and my thoughts.

Do you receive that word today about for prayer? Father, thank you for keeping every link secure in Jesus. Teach me to walk in that freedom so that it's mercy and not measurement that defines my life. God, let your grace be loudest. The loudest voice in our homes, in our church and in this city.

In Jesus name, amen.

Getting ready to have prayer ministry. But here's how this is going to go. We're almost at the hour mark, and so our kids have had ample time in children's ministry. In the back, we're going to open our prayer lines and we're going to pray for people. It's going to take a few minutes and I encourage everybody to stay for prayer, but you don't have to just whether you think God wants you to or not.

And you can go get your children once we stand and open the prayer lines, because it'll be about the right time. But over in this corner is our healing line. So if you've got some kind of chronic illness, it just won't go away. You got an acute illness, a diagnosis you weren't that just rocked your world. You're facing surgery or you're recovering from surgery or you need healing in your heart, you're filled with anxiety or depression or even thoughts of hurting yourself.

We want to pray for your healing. Over here in that corner, this is a big one. Recently is conflict in your relationships, your marriage. Maybe you're estranged from your children. Maybe you just got this break.

You're not getting along with a friend or a co worker and this dark cloud of conflict just won't go away. Let us pray that God will lift it. Over in that corner is employment, all things to do with your work. I need a. I need help at work. I need a different job.

How else did I say those things? I don't want to miss it. I need peace at work. My finances in general need prayer. Or maybe we added education over there.

If you're a school administrator or a teacher or you just got this big conflict at school. If you're a student and you're like, the last place I want to go tomorrow is school. It's scary. I'm facing bullying or something like that. Go back to the employment line.

Let us pray for you over there and then that one. You know, we're praying for our ones. You know how Jesus said he'd leave the 99 and go after that one lost sheep. We've been praying for our ones. They've been coming.

We want to pray that fire keeps burning. But it might be you who needs prayer for your own salvation. Maybe you don't know if you have the right kind of relationship with God. Go over this line. Let our prayer teams pray for you in that area.

And Angie and I are going to be right down here for anything else and especially trauma from the recent events that we've all been going through. And so we're going to have five lines. If our prayer ministry partners will go to your places right now, that will get this going.

Let's give them a second to get there. And prayer ministry teams look. And if you're at a line and it's shorter and there's a longer one, go relieve that long line, please.

And elders, if you look up and we've got especially long lines, come help us out. All right, let's stand together.

The Holy Spirit's about to move in this room. You know that, right? Let's ask him to do it. Father, this is your time. We are humbling ourselves and saying that we don't have it all together and we need help.

God, I pray for our prayer ministry teams. Give them prophetic words and God, let them hear your voice to know how to pray for our brothers and sisters. God, I pray for the reluctant God that you have something for them in this moment that will pass away if they don't take advantage of it. God, I pray you would stir their hearts to get prayer. Father, glorify Jesus in this time.

In Jesus name, Amen. Our prayer lines are open and we are dismissed.
-----------------

Come and join us this Sunday at the Great Commission Church for a truly remarkable and uplifting experience.  Great Commission Church is a family-friendly church in Olive Branch, MS. Great Commission Church is not just any ordinary place of worship; it's a vibrant community where faith comes alive, hearts are filled with love, and lives are transformed. Our doors are wide open, ready to welcome you into the warm embrace of our congregation, where you'll discover the true essence of fellowship and spirituality. At Great Commission Church, we are more than just a congregation; we are a family united by a common mission – to follow the teachings of Christ and spread His love to the world. As you step inside Great Commission Church, you'll find a sanctuary that nurtures your faith and encourages you to be part of something greater than yourself.

We believe in the power of coming together as a community to worship, learn, and serve. Whether you're a long-time believer or just starting your spiritual journey, Great Commission Church welcomes people from all walks of life. Our vibrant services are filled with inspiring messages, beautiful music, and heartfelt prayers that will uplift your soul. Every Sunday at Great Commission Church is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and connect with others who share your faith and values.

At Great Commission Church, we believe that faith is not just a solitary endeavor but a shared experience that strengthens and enriches us all. Our church is a place where you can find purpose, belonging, and the encouragement to live a life in accordance with Christ's teachings. Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church and experience the transformative power of faith in action. Be part of a loving and supportive community that is committed to making a positive impact in our world. Together, we strive to fulfill the great commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations. We look forward to having you with us at Great Commission Church this Sunday, where faith, love, and community intersect in a truly amazing way.

Great Commission Church is a non-denominational, family-friendly Christian church located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We are a short drive from Germantown, Southaven, Collierville, Horn Lake, Memphis, Fairhaven, Mineral Wells, Pleasant Hill, Handy Corner, Lewisburg and Byhalia. Great Commission Church is conveniently located, making it easy to find and attend. Many people have even called it their go-to “church near me” or the "Church nearby" because of how accessible it is and how quickly it feels like home.

See you Sunday at Great Commission Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi!