Someone asked: “Why does the Scripture say that committing one sin makes you guilty of all?” (James 2:10) What alternative exists that makes one “right” with our Holy Creator?

Comment,

James 2:10 is complimented by Galatians 3:10 where we learn that the codified law (Sinai – Moses), in order to attain righteousness (a right standing) with the Father through law-keeping, the law must be kept, obeyed, in absolute perfection (James 2:10) because Elohim is Perfect in Holiness and Righteousness and NOTHING impure will ever enter the Kingdom (Rev 21:27); herein lies the human conundrum, everyone born of Adam’s genome has sinned and fallen short of Elohim’s standard of perfection (Romans 5:12; 3:23).

Therefore, anyone who seeks eternal covenant relationship with Elohim through law-keeping is under a “curse” (Galatians 3:10) because the law only defines our culpability but provides no form of reconciliation with the Father through atonement as mandated by Leviticus 17:11 (Romans 3:20); therefore, the Father, in His mercy and compassion and grace, offers us the righteousness- sinless perfection of His Son, Jesus Christ; this righteousness apart from the law (Romans 3:21); a gifted/imputed righteousness earned for us by Jesus’ perfection is imputed-gifted into and over our lives by faith in Jesus as our Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:21); a divine gifting of righteousness as first pictured in Genesis 3:21 which is an act of pure grace (unmerited favor we did NOT earn) actuated through the simplicity of faith-trust-belief that Jesus is Messiah who died to atone for our sin-debt owed the Father, a sin-debt we could never pay our self through vain acts of obedience to a law, rule, day or diet.

As a result of this gifted-imputed righteousness of Messiah Jesus over our life through faith in Jesus as our Messiah, the Father then agrees, by New Covenant promise, to forgive-forget our sin, eternally (Hebrews 8:12), thereby reconciling fallen humanity back to Himself as we are made “positionally right” with Elohim via New Covenant promise; then, the Father endows the faithful in Jesus with the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) who continues a good work within the redeemed via daily sanctification (Galatians 5:16) where the Spirit enlivens the Spiritual Law written upon the human heart (Romans 2:14-15; 8:2) and mates that Spiritual Law with a redeemed conscience i.e. “the new creation” in Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:17) and the Spirit produces divine “fruit” (Galatians 5:16-23) through the redeemed in Jesus, fruit that fulfills all law, both codified and spiritual; in this, there is eternal peace with Elohim (Romans 5:1).

Therefore, James 2:10 testifies that righteousness (a right standing) with Elohim (Genesis 1:1) is not possible through the law or vain attempts to obey same but that righteousness with Elohim can only manifest through faith in the “Righteous One,” Jesus our Messiah, and this righteousness is gifted-imputed by New Covenant promise and said righteousness cannot be earned through self-righteousness and anyone who seeks covenant with Elohim through self-righteousness is “cursed” (Galatians 3:10).