Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.
3 sermons cite this verse
… don't believe me have you ever taken the lord's name in vain have you ever lied have you ever coveted have you ever been angry with somebody james 2 10 says that if you offend on one point of the law, you're guilty of all of it. And so seeing our complete weakness, our inability to do anything whatsoever to alleviate our wretched condition, God did the ultimate for us. Recognizing that our righteousness could never get us to heaven, God imputed his righteousness upon our lives and made us righteous by his blood, dying for our sins. Romans 5, 6 says, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates his love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Why did Christ die for us? Because there was no other way to satisfy the righteous demands of God. Why did Christ die for us? Because we had no ability to improve ourselves, much less save ourselves. Why did Christ die for us? Because we faced a future in hell because of our sin. …
Yet though this is so plain, both from our own moral sense, and the declarations of Scripture, still for many reasons it is necessary to insist upon it; chiefly, because, it being very hard to keep God's commandments, men would willingly persuade themselves, if they could, that strict obedience is not necessary under the Gospel, and that something else will be taken, for Christ's sake, in the stead of it. Instead of labouring, under God's grace, to change their wills, to purify their hearts, and so prepare themselves for the kingdom of God, they imagine that in that kingdom they may be saved by something short of this, by their baptism, or by their ceremonial observances (the burnt offerings and sacrifices which the scribe disparages), or by their correct knowledge of the truth, or by their knowledge of their own sinfulness, or by some past act of faith which is to last them during their lives, or by some strong habitual persuasion that they are safe; or, again, by the performance of some one part of their duty, though they neglect the rest, as if God said a thing to us in nature, and Christ unsaid it; and, when men wish a thing, it is not hard to find texts in Scripture which may be ingeniously perverted to suit their purpose. The error then being so common in practice, of believing that Christ came to gain for us easier terms of admittance into heaven than we had before (whereas, in fact, instead of making obedience less strict, He has enabled us to obey God more strictly, and instead of gaining easier terms of admittance, He has gained us altogether our admittance into heaven, which before was closed against us); this error, I say, being so common, it may be right to insist on the opposite truth, however obvious, that obedience to God is the way to know and believe in Christ. …
Why, this is quite another thing. Here is not a word said of being unworthy to eat and drink. Indeed he does speak of eating and drinking unworthily; but that is quite a different thing; so he has told us himself. In this very chapter we are told that by eating and drinking unworthily is meant, taking the holy sacrament in such a rude and disorderly way, that one was “hungry and another drunken.” But what is that to you? Is there any danger of your doing so,— of your eating and drinking thus unworthily? However unworthy you are to communicate, there is no fear of your communicating thus. Therefore, whatever the punishment is, of doing it thus unworthily, it does not concern you. You have no more reason from this text to disobey God, than if there was no such text in the Bible. If you speak of “eating and drinking unworthily” in the sense St. Paul uses the words, you may as well say, “I dare not communicate, for fear the church should fall,” as “for fear I should eat and drink unworthily.” 9. If then you fear bringing damnation on yourself by this, you fear where no fear is. Fear it not for eating and drinking unworthily; for that, in St. Paul’s sense, ye cannot do. But I will tell you for what you shall fear damnation;— for not eating and drinking at all; for not obeying your Maker and Redeemer; for disobeying his plain command; for thus setting at nought both his mercy and authority. Fear ye this; for hear what his Apostle saith: “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all.” (James 2:10.) …