James 2:8 KJV
[8] “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:”
Laws are passed and put into effect to help us govern our lives. They are for serving the community by helping to provide safety and freedom. It is sad to see the lawlessness that is going on in America today. As Christians, we feel burdened when the wicked rule. They want to ignore the laws that honor God, as well as the laws that uphold decency and morality. They want to pass laws that cause moral decay and bring corruption to our lives.
James tells us that we are to live by an even higher standard than that which society sets. We are to live by the royal law, which was established by a Royal King. Praise God we are no longer under the law, which our Savior fulfilled on the Cross of Calvary. And, He has given us the greatest commandment, which is to love God with all of our hearts!
However, the royal law teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means that we want those around us to prosper and be blessed more than ourselves. By practicing this law in a world that is so self-driven and self-centered, we will shine brightly as Christians. Sinners will never know the love of Christ until they see it in us.
A good illustration of the royal law would be: after hearing that a car had been stolen out of the parking lot where we work, then walking outside to our parking spot, we began praising the Lord that it was our car that was stolen instead of a co-worker’s car. That would be loving our neighbor as ourselves.