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We are not lawless in our pursuit of God. We seek God through wisdom and understanding as though it is the most precious hidden treasure (Proverbs 2:1-6). But how do wisdom and understanding translate into our everyday lives and how is it incorporated into the law by which we live as Christians?

The book of James regards works of followers of Christ, works meaning the everyday lives by what we speak and do, as a product of wisdom and understanding from God, enabling us to portray the righteousness of Christ’s sacrifice for us. 

“Speak and act as those we are to be judged by the law of freedom.” James 2:12

“Who among those is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom…but the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.” James 3:11-17

This “perfect law of freedom” (James 1:25) that James speaks of is the pursuit of Christ in all that we do because we know that “for freedom, Christ set us free” (Galatians 5:1).  When we seek Jesus fully through the Word we become free to follow him faithfully without regard to the judgment of those around us because we are most focused on walking in the wisdom and understanding that comes from God. This wisdom and understanding from the Holy Spirit and from the Word of God is “the royal law” (James 2:8) by which we live our lives and is the freedom for which we stand. We must grow to love Jesus more each day, as the deepest yearning and longing within us, to then learn to better love ourselves as bearers of the image of God, which will allow us to more fully love those we encounter as worthy to receive the love of God into their lives also.

This is the law I live by which is also the freedom I walk in daily – loving God fully so that I may love others well. 

Consider the purpose of Jesus Christ walking in the flesh, just as we are now, to pursue the hearts and souls of those he encountered so they would know the invitation into freedom. Now we walk in that same freedom that Jesus offered, walking with the Holy Spirit of God to continue loving others as we grow daily in wisdom and understanding.

This should be a daily growth and a daily pursuit. We fight for our freedom in Christ every day through prayer, the reading of Scriptures, and the professing of our faith to others through our everyday works. Just as any good regime or workout, some days will challenge us more than others, but in those days we ask for greater wisdom and understanding. We seek God more intently, asking through faith, to endure as we firmly live by the law of freedom through Christ Jesus.

Shawnee McClure