crackedharp Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 I'm not sure there is a difference between the perfect/royal law? He is referring to "love your neighbor as yourself" and "Love the lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul". This law frees us from having to worry about a list of do's and don'ts...If we truly are focusing on the "perfect law", we will still be following all of God's commands, but not out of fear, or because we are trying to meet a list of requirements, but because we have been forever changed and forever freed from sin. We now obey His law through the power of His grace, the outpouring of His love within us... It is probably only in the past year or so that I have really realized the liberty that life in Christ gives. It is hard for me to express it, but I finally know I am free, a slave to sin no more. Christians sometimes get so bogged down in things like the length of women's skirts, whether to go to Disney movies, what kind of music is acceptable...I think that lately I am really impatient with such discussions. If I am truly free, if I am a new creation, then suddenly I'm not driven by how long my hem should be, or what my radio dial is tuned to. Because I am a child of Christ, I will now by his grace act and think differently. The same music I used to tolerate as "not that bad" is suddenly offensive and no longer something I want in my life. It's not that I don't listen to it because it is "bad", it is because I am free from that way of thinking, the mindset in those songs. Now I hear the lyrics and think, "If you only knew the real Answer!". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamamaSellers Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? To love others as yourself. It is a great way to show the love of Christ. By loving others as yourself you know that you are obeying the word of God and following the heart of Jesus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 James mentions that if we are doers of the Perfect Law and not just hearers, we will have freedom. This freedom is LOVE which is decribed in the Royal Law in Chapter 2. It is better by far to show others the love of Christ than it is just to hear it and walk away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisSong Posted August 28, 2006 Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The "perfect law" is the law of the Spirit, the law of love that God has poured out on His by His grace and forgiveness that we give to others (if we're obedient to do so!). This perfect law is to love and treat others as we would like to be loved and treated; this includes people we do not like. In so doing, we are loving God, because He is love! The perfect law is also the Royal Law because it was bestowed on us by the King of Kings. It brings us liberty because it breaks the bonds of hatred and selfishness that satan would have us live in. "O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJeff Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 The perfect law that James is referring to is God's love. As in 1 Cor 13, this love conquers all and when possessed, will keep the holder in the light of the liberty of freedom from sin. The Jews refer to this as the Kingdom Law. To me this means that the Kingdom of God lies within and mandates our character and nature to the degree that we allow it to operate by the Holy Spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Posted January 20, 2007 Report Share Posted January 20, 2007 The ''perfect law'' which James mentions is to love your neighbour as yourself. It relates to the ''royal law'' because it sums up all Jesus taught. The great commandment proclaimed by Jesus '' to love one another as I have loved you'' from John 15:12 is the whole bases of christian ethics. This is what brings liberty and freedom we are no longer captives of the mosaic law. Just imagine if we stopped being so self obsessed, and transfered all this obsession we have for ourselves into love for one another then God could use us to make a real difference in the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenifer Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? TO LOVE GOD ABOUT ALL TO LOVE OTHERS BEFORE OUR SELF IN REGARD TO THEIR NEEDS BEFORE OUR OWN IF WE LOVE OTHERS ABOVE OURSELVES THEN WE WILL NOT SIN AGAINST GOD OR THEM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanharmelink Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? the perfect law or the royal laaw is given and embodies the 10 commandments. The law of love is the highest kaw given to us If all things that are done in love. words and deed that is the royal law. Faviritism has no place in the christiian life. If we stumble with one sin we sin in breaking the law.By keeping the law of love we will experienced freedom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJB123 Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 Perfect law means liberty or freedom. Free Will to do what is right in the eyes of God. Royal law is to love the Lord with all our heart soul and mind and our neighbor as ourselves. Believe the Word of God and do what scripture says to do, then we are free. Free to live a righteous life and worship God with our heart soul and mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissioned Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? The "perfect law" that James mentions is the law which gives us liberty. It is perfect because it sums up, as Jesus had taught, "all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40). It is one of the two great commandments proclaimed by King Jesus: "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12). How would you define it? I would define it as "the path to righteousness". We must follow this path if we ever hope to live and reign with Jesus. How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The "royal law" is the law give by King Jesus. It brings liberty because we no longer live in adherence to a written code, but from the love that God has placed within us, as a natural outflowing of our lives given for others. It is the perfect law and the liberating law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 The perfect law that James speaks of is the same law that God gave to Moses in the Torah and that Jesus reiterated to the scribes and the Pharisees, love your neighbor as yourself. God is love. Love should be the unlying factor in everything that we do as Christian human-beings. I would define the perfect law as loving God with my total being and loving, with no prejudice, my neighbor as myself. If I cannot do this, I am in spiritual trouble. My relationship with God and those around me is based on a love relationship. My ability to practice love in real ways reveals where my heart is. I cannot say that I love God and hate my brethren and others around me. Perfect love casts out all fear and truly brings liberty to the soul. We need to permit the love of God to flow in us and through us to those around us. If we have a hard time doing that, we must permit the Holy Spirit to give us a hand. It's all about love -- John 3:16. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erudite1949 Posted September 26, 2007 Report Share Posted September 26, 2007 Love is the perfect law. I am coming to understand that the Bible is a love story...God's love to us and His guidance for living the very best life and beyond. This is his plan for us. Love is the perfect law...the law that the Prince of Peace gave to us. Love God with all your soul and all your strength and love one another as yourself. ALL ELSE hang on these laws. You are never in conflict with God's laws for living by choosing to act on these two laws. I'm amazed that He made these laws so simple, that even a child could follow them. He loves us so much, that he wants NONE of us left out of his kingdom. In fact, we really need to struggle to be left out. This is, the perfect law. I believe that the Royal Law is God's complete law. Further, I think that James 2:8 reflects the second half of this law. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. This, along with "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul..." makes up the first part of this Royal or "Sovereign Law". We are held accountable for loving ourselves; that is a sin; there can be no doubt. James makes it clear. We have two duties under one law in order to fulfill our Christian responsibilities, further, if one fails completely, routinely and without any tug from our conscience, in completing these duties, based on the tenor of the entire book of James, they should, examine themselves to see whether they are in the faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Lizzie Posted January 1, 2008 Report Share Posted January 1, 2008 The perfect law is the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ" (Rom8:2), it is the law of being free. The Truth Jesus speaks of in John 8:32 is a spiritual freedom from sin and death, rather than the secular version which means freedom without discipline and responsiblity, in other words, freedom to sin. Only after we have taken on board the perfect law can we have any possible chance of being able to enact the royal law; that is being able to love others as we love ourselves. Father wants us to love ourselves as much as He loves us, otherwise we would be endeavouring to give to others from an empty vessel. We can't truly love our neighbours without having first abided in the perfect law and spiritual renewal Christ brings. The perfect law brings liberty in that we are set free from all bondages, fears, selfishness, and sicknesses in our lives, through Jesus Christ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riyamg Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? The perfect law is the law of LOVE that gives us the freedom..It is mentioned in more than one occasion in the Bible and Jesus referred to it as the greatest commandement when He said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" and "Love your neighbour as yourself".(Mark 12:30,31) How would you define it? I would like to call the perfect law LOVE which is the universal theme of the whole Bible..It is said from the beginning of creation. It is a way of life in which one should forsake all what he has to care for his fellow human beings..God has given us the ultimate example for this in that He gave His only Son for our sake that we could be reconciled with the Father even though we sinned and fell short in everything.. How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? The perfect law and the royal law is almost the same in its theme of love..The royal law being "Love your neighbour as yourself".. In what sense does it bring liberty? It brings liberty in the sense that it sets us free from the bondage of earthly law... I would like to highlighten a point here that no law in the earth surpass this royal law and if you abide by the royal law there is no need of being afraid of breaking any rules either.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mephibesheth Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The "perfect law" is the law of Christ written on and living in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the law that says "you are my son, today I have become your Father" and "deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow my Son." It is closely related to the "royal law" to love thy neighbor. The perfect law gives us not only mercy and forgiveness through faith in Christ, but also power and freedom to obey God's moral law of love, which is His heart. This is so because he has removed our old heardened heart and replaced it with a soft one (as the prohpet Ezekiel foretold) that holds God's desires in it, instead of the evil desires we used to have. Psalm 37:4 says "delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Because our evil desires were circumcised by the Holy Spirit at rebirth (Co 2, Ro 2) and replaced with Godly desires, we receive not only mercy and forgiveness, but also the freedom to obey God's commands. It should be noted that the freedom we have is NOT a freedom to disobey God's commands (as some in their perverted, unrenewed minds think and act), but a freedom to obey God's commands. This freedom to obey for those spiritually born stands in contrast to the enslavement of the unspiritual man portrayed in Ro 7 ("The law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual"). The freedom to obey God's law is the "joy of our salvation." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mephibesheth Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The "perfect law" is the law of Christ written on and living in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the law that says "you are my son, today I have become your Father" and "deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow my Son." It is closely related to the "royal law" to love thy neighbor. The perfect law gives us not only mercy and forgiveness through faith in Christ, but also power and freedom to obey God's moral law of love, which is His heart. This is so because he has removed our old heardened heart and replaced it with a soft one (as the prohpet Ezekiel foretold) that holds God's desires in it, instead of the evil desires we used to have. Psalm 37:4 says "delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Because our evil desires were circumcised by the Holy Spirit at rebirth (Co 2, Ro 2) and replaced with Godly desires, we receive not only mercy and forgiveness, but also the freedom to obey God's commands. It should be noted that the freedom we have is NOT a freedom to disobey God's commands (as some in their perverted, unrenewed minds think and act), but a freedom to obey God's commands. This freedom to obey for those spiritually born stands in contrast to the enslavement of the unspiritual man portrayed in Ro 7 ("The law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual"). The freedom to obey God's law is the "joy of our salvation." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The perfect law is Gods desires that gives us freedom, the perfect law is what James calls the "Royal law" that is love thy neighbour as yourself, its perfect as it sums up what Jesus taught. By following the perfect law you are doing Gods will therefore you are holy and you would be saved, it is the only way, to listen to the word of God and to follow it. The perfect law brings freedom as it is written! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? I BELIEVE THE PERFECT LAW IS THE WORD OF GOD.THE ROYAL LAW IS TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART , MIND, SOUL AND STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. I FIND THAT LATELY I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO WALK IN LOVE TOWARD OTHERS AND IT'S BECAUSE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD NEEDS SOME REPAIR. I HAD BEEN STRUGGLING WITH DAMAGED EMOTIONS FOR SO LONG THAT I HADNT REALISE IT HAD BEEN AFFECTING MY WALK WITH THE LORD.WALKING IN LOVE BRINGS LIBERTY FROM BEING IN BONDAGE TO OTHERS EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT LIKE US OR EMBRACE OUR FAITH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor George Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The "perfect law" is the law of love. Loving God and loving one's neighbor sums up the law. My definition of the "perfect law" is when we learn how to first love ourselves through the forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Once we can forgive ourselves, then we can move on to love ourselves and soon after love others as we love ourselves. I also learned that the gospel is the law and God's word is perfect. That's the law that can set us free. The "royal law" is very much similar to the "perfect law" in that it tells us to "love our neighbor as we love ourselves." These scriptures are there to give us liberty, whereas the law of the Old Testament keep us in bondage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Q3. (1:25) What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? To me the Bible is the perfect law; as we obey it we are set free from worldly customs and traditions and also from carnal thinking. It is perfect because it is God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy Crans Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The perfect law is to "Love your neighbor as yourself". When we have anomosity toward someone we only hurt ourselves and are bound by chains. With love we are free from the chains that bind us. It is so easy to get upset with someone and hold unrest in our hearts, but it only hinders our walk with the Lord. With the love of Jesus in our hearts we can forgive and forget and break the chains that we are bound by. The "royal law" , I bellieve, is the perfect law. It is the king of laws. It is a commandment not a suggestion. We are to love others as He loves us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithj7 Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The "perfect law" is not the Mosaic Law, as interpreted by the Pharisees of Jesus' time. This perfect law is what Jesus taught us: Love God with our all hearts, souls, and mind, and love our neighbor - any human being - as ourselves. In using the term "royal law" in James 2:8 and saying "Love your neighbor as yourself", James is reminding us that the KING or Jesus, commanded us of the kingdom of God to follow this law. James is underlining that fact the Jesus, as King, is commanding this. Jesus fulfilled the prophesy in Jeremiah 31 and we are now living under a new covenant: "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts." This brings us liberty in that we don't need to be burden by the legality of the law. We need to allow the Spirit of God to direct our lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithj7 Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 I think the perfect law of liberty, which we are to study to do it, is everything that Jesus has said, everything in scripture that pertains to living an effective Christian life, eg being a servant, a good Samaritan, a preacher of the gospel, one who listens before he speaks, who studies scripture for its reproof, instruction and correction in righteousness, who sets his friend's need before his own, who has learned to turn the other cheek and to love his enemies etc. The Royal law is to <span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>LOVE</span> God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. This fulfills the spirit of all the Old Testament law and contains the perfect law of liberty. If we are filled with and obedient to God's Holy Spirit of LOVE/TRUTH/HUMILITY/POWER, then certainly we will never again know fear of man and of the things which are death to the spirit of man. Satan's two unsubstantial weapons of fear and lies will have no power over us. We will live in total freedom from the power of the spirit of the air (Eph 2:2) I don't know if you are still on this board, but your post, especially the bold and coloring, was very useful for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Riv Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? The perfect law is to love. To love your neighbor as yourself. "AGAPE" One who loves rather than be loved, it is giving selfless, not expecting anything in return, and then we have the discription of "love" written by Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians 13. The royal law I believe is the law of love, seems almost the same as the perfect law of liberty, you are to love God and your nieghbors, but it is Jesus who sets us free from our sins to truly be able to love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royk Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? How would you define it? How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? In what sense does it bring liberty? This is a great reminder that if we have God's fruits of the spirit, then loving others in AGAPE sense should beocme more and more automatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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