I will let this word of prophesy from the lips of Jesus speak for itself.
But in view of our attitudes today toward low income / no income people, non-whites, prisoners, & anyone in desperate straits, we are seriously out of sync with the mind of Christ...
This passage may not fit in with the current narrative, but then, much of what Jesus said doesn't fit in with the current narrative...
Matthew 25
31 "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father,
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry, and you fed me.
I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.
I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.
36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing.
I was sick, and you cared for me.
I was in prison, and you visited me.'
37 "Then these righteous ones will reply,
'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?
Or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality?
Or naked and give you clothing?
39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'
40 "And the King will say,
'I tell you the truth,
when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,
you were doing it to me!'
41 "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say,
'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
42 For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me.
I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink.
43 I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home.
I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing.
I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'
44 "Then they will reply,
'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'
45 "And he will answer,
'I tell you the truth,
when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters,
you were refusing to help me.'
46 "And they will go away into eternal punishment,
but the righteous will go into eternal life."
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Monday, July 30, 2018
Jesus foretells the future
Remember this is Jesus, Himself, speaking prophetically here...
Matthew 24
1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, "Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!"
3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?*"
4 Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
9 "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
15 "The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place." (Reader, pay attention!) 16 "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones.
23 "Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.
26 "So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man* comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.
29 "Immediately after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world*—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
32 "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation* will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
36 "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
37 "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
40 "Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
42 "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
45 "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while,' 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24
1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, "Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!"
3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?*"
4 Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
9 "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
15 "The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place." (Reader, pay attention!) 16 "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones.
23 "Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.
26 "So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man* comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.
29 "Immediately after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world*—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
32 "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation* will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
36 "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
37 "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
40 "Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
42 "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
45 "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while,' 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
living for God
I think Peter knew a little bit about what it means to live for God...
1 Peter 4
1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain,
you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had,
and be ready to suffer, too.
For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.
2 You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires,
but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy;
their immorality and lust,
their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties,
and their terrible worship of idols.
4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do.
So they slander you.
5 But remember that they will have to face God,
who will judge everyone,
both the living and the dead.
6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead;
so although they were destined to die like all people,
they now live forever with God in the Spirit.
7 The end of the world is coming soon.
Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
8 Most important of all,
continue to show deep love for each other,
for love covers a multitude of sins.
9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.
Use them well to serve one another.
11 Do you have the gift of speaking?
Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you.
Do you have the gift of helping others?
Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.
Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.
All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
12 Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through,
as if something strange were happening to you.
13 Instead,
be very glad;
for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering,
so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
14 So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian,
for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.
15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder,
stealing,
making trouble,
or prying into other people's affairs.
16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian.
Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!
17 For the time has come for judgment,
and it must begin with God's household.
And if judgment begins with us,
what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News?
18 And also,
"If the righteous are barely saved,
what will happen to godless sinners?"
19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God,
keep on doing what is right,
and trust your lives to the God who created you,
for he will never fail you.
1 Peter 4
1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain,
you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had,
and be ready to suffer, too.
For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.
2 You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires,
but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy;
their immorality and lust,
their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties,
and their terrible worship of idols.
4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do.
So they slander you.
5 But remember that they will have to face God,
who will judge everyone,
both the living and the dead.
6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead;
so although they were destined to die like all people,
they now live forever with God in the Spirit.
7 The end of the world is coming soon.
Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
8 Most important of all,
continue to show deep love for each other,
for love covers a multitude of sins.
9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.
Use them well to serve one another.
11 Do you have the gift of speaking?
Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you.
Do you have the gift of helping others?
Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.
Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.
All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
12 Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through,
as if something strange were happening to you.
13 Instead,
be very glad;
for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering,
so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
14 So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian,
for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.
15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder,
stealing,
making trouble,
or prying into other people's affairs.
16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian.
Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!
17 For the time has come for judgment,
and it must begin with God's household.
And if judgment begins with us,
what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News?
18 And also,
"If the righteous are barely saved,
what will happen to godless sinners?"
19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God,
keep on doing what is right,
and trust your lives to the God who created you,
for he will never fail you.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
LGLO
Matthew 22
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.
35 One of them,
an expert in religious law,
tried to trap him with this question:
36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"
37 Jesus replied,
"'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart,
all your soul,
and all your mind.'
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 A second is equally important:
'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."
There you have it...
Jesus boiled down into 2 basic ideas which should be the whole focus of our thinking & living.
iow, if we focus on those 2 things, everything else will line up behind it.
1. Love God
2. Love others
LGLO
There you have it...
;-)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.
35 One of them,
an expert in religious law,
tried to trap him with this question:
36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"
37 Jesus replied,
"'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart,
all your soul,
and all your mind.'
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 A second is equally important:
'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."
There you have it...
Jesus boiled down into 2 basic ideas which should be the whole focus of our thinking & living.
iow, if we focus on those 2 things, everything else will line up behind it.
1. Love God
2. Love others
LGLO
There you have it...
;-)
Friday, July 27, 2018
a word for someone
I could be wrong but I feel like someone needs to read this psalm today...
Psalm 121
1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 The LORD himself watches over you!
The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
7 The LORD keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
Psalm 121
1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 The LORD himself watches over you!
The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
7 The LORD keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
2 passages
2 of the passages I feel God's given me for 2018.
Maybe they will give you the strength & hope you need today?
Don't be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord is the one who goes before you.
He will be with you.
He will neither fail you or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Don't throw away this confident trust in the Lord,
no matter what happens.
Remember the great reward it brings you.
Patient endurance is what you need now,
so you will continue to do God's will.
Then you will receive all that He has promised.
Hebrews 10:35-36
Maybe they will give you the strength & hope you need today?
Don't be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord is the one who goes before you.
He will be with you.
He will neither fail you or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Don't throw away this confident trust in the Lord,
no matter what happens.
Remember the great reward it brings you.
Patient endurance is what you need now,
so you will continue to do God's will.
Then you will receive all that He has promised.
Hebrews 10:35-36
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
the rich
James 5
1 Look here, you rich people:
Weep
and groan with anguish
because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
2 Your wealth is rotting away,
and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.
3 Your gold and silver have become worthless.
The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire.
This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.
4 For listen!
Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay.
The wages you held back cry out against you.
The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury,
satisfying your every desire.
You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.
Shouldn't we warn them?
Whew...
It doesn't look good...
1 Look here, you rich people:
Weep
and groan with anguish
because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
2 Your wealth is rotting away,
and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.
3 Your gold and silver have become worthless.
The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire.
This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.
4 For listen!
Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay.
The wages you held back cry out against you.
The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury,
satisfying your every desire.
You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.
Shouldn't we warn them?
Whew...
It doesn't look good...
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
greatness
We try so hard to "be # 1"
I think Jesus had something to say about that...
Matthew 18
1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked,
"Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"
2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.
3 Then he said,
"I tell you the truth,
unless you turn from your sins and become like little children,
you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5 "And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.
6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin,
it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck
and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
hmmmmmmmm....
I think Jesus had something to say about that...
Matthew 18
1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked,
"Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"
2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.
3 Then he said,
"I tell you the truth,
unless you turn from your sins and become like little children,
you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5 "And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.
6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin,
it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck
and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
hmmmmmmmm....
Monday, July 23, 2018
still...
https://youtu.be/ofDFAaCkUK0
This is all I've got this morning - click on the above link & listen to this song...
"While the storm rages on, & I can't find my way, still I will trust you, Lord."
This is all I've got this morning - click on the above link & listen to this song...
"While the storm rages on, & I can't find my way, still I will trust you, Lord."
Sunday, July 22, 2018
prejudice
Given the attitudes expressed these days toward & about the poor,
and given the breaks given the 1%,
these words of James are timely...
James 2
1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry,
and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.
3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person,
but you say to the poor one,
"You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"...
well,4 doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters.
Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?
Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?
6 But you dishonor the poor!
Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
7 Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ,
whose noble name you bear?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures:
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
9 But if you favor some people over others,
you are committing a sin.
You are guilty of breaking the law.
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.
11 For the same God who said,
"You must not commit adultery,"
also said,
"You must not murder."
So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.
13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others.
But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
and given the breaks given the 1%,
these words of James are timely...
James 2
1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry,
and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.
3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person,
but you say to the poor one,
"You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"...
well,4 doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters.
Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?
Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?
6 But you dishonor the poor!
Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
7 Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ,
whose noble name you bear?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures:
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
9 But if you favor some people over others,
you are committing a sin.
You are guilty of breaking the law.
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.
11 For the same God who said,
"You must not commit adultery,"
also said,
"You must not murder."
So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.
13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others.
But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
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