James 2:10-13
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.

James tells us a person who breaks one law God has given is in contempt of breaking all His laws. And while each law has its own earthly consequences, the contempt of breaking even one law bears the same punishment as breaking one or all laws. It is vanity for one to think they can do a good deed or deeds to make up for the failure to follow the law. Knowing one has broken God’s laws by failure to follow one law; they should extend grace and mercy to others. For those that extend mercy, God will extend mercy back to them.

The Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, sets us free in liberty. There is no difficult burden with the Gospel as there was under the law. For Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Those who place their faith in Christ are no longer tied to the chains of sin that weigh them down. We will all be judged according to the Gospel and our eternal condition set by it. As each person stands before God the Book of Life will be opened and there they are judged. There will be no mercy for those the Gospel condemns; nor there any accusation against those who have accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore our lives should be lived according to the Gospel. Our conversations should be that of the Gospel, our temperaments should follow the Gospel, and our extension of mercy and grace to others should be a Gospel love for others. For we are being judged with grace and mercy even though we have not measured up to God’s standard; therefore do not hold back mercy lest God hold back mercy from you. Pray the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a part of life. Pray you extend it to others who are in need of mercy and grace. Pray that you look upon people the same way Christ would with love, grace and mercy.