----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Maz" <mazzy@...>
> I don't agree that James is pulling OT law into the new covenant.

I believe he is because he is quoting the OT through this entire passage as 
a polemic against those who were showing partiality.  In James 2, Lev. 19 
and Ex. 20 are used in the present tense, meaning the author fully 
understood that the Old law informs the law of liberty that will judge us. 
Use of the present tense *is* pulling them into the New Covenant, but it is 
not as if an eschatological shift has taken place that has not altered the 
Old law as applied in the New Covenant (CT's biggest inconsistency here is 
the Sabbath, which they allow to be altered... while the rest is unaltered). 
The Old law is now the "law of liberty" personified in the Lord of glory 
(2:1).

> James explains what the Royal Law is: Loving your neighbor as yourself.

Exactly.  The Royal Law is Leviticus 19:18, which is a summary of the second 
half of the decalogue and a paraphrase of the 10th commandment (coveting is 
the antithesis of loving your neighbor as yourself).

> Leviticus 19: 15 You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be 
> partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your 
> neighbor fairly. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge 
> against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as 
> yourself; I am the LORD.
>
> By violating the Royal law sin is committed.

Correct.  The Royal Law is Leviticus 19:15-18 being applied in the New 
Covenant.

>In my mind James is bringing it all together in the Law of Christ, the law 
>of liberty by which we will be judged.

True.  This is the eschatological shift that has taken place... Leviticus 
19:15-18 is still in force in the New Covenant (because it is being applied 
against those who are showing partiality), but it has been transformed by 
the Lord of Glory (2:1) into the perfect law of liberty (1:25, 2:12).

>We will be judged by the law of Liberty. .

"Judged" means it is a law to be obeyed, my original point.

Chad Bresson
Xenia, OH