Daily Devotional | The Whole Law

Does it matter if you break just one law? Biblical Law should be seen as one unit with many parts. Old Testament scholars tell us that there are 613 laws in the Old Testament. James teaches that if you break one law, no matter how small, you’ve broken the entire Law.

James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” He is not saying that Christians are to keep all 613 laws. That would be missing the point. Rather, James is stating that as sons and daughters of the King our hearts and behavior should reflect His royal Law. James says that one way we keep this Law is by loving our neighbor as ourselves (v. 8).

I believe James is reflecting on the words of Jesus when He spoke to a religious expert. This person tried to test Jesus, asking Him, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt. 22:35-40).

Loving God and others is central to our obedience as believers. First John 4:20 reinforces this idea, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” Loving God and loving others is not only expected but should be a great desire of the believer. Only Jesus did that perfectly, but as God’s children our lives should overflow with His love.