“God wants me to go to church, so I am there, in fact, most Sundays. I am a pretty good person, and I don’t go around committing the big sins. I’d say that I’m a ‘faithful Christian.’” Such a sentiment can probably be (and likely is) expressed by many folks, but is it truly the case that “good folks” who “go to church regularly” are fulfilling the law of Christ?
The word “law” emphasizes that there are directives that must be followed. James refers to “the royal law,” which the Christian is obligated to “fulfill,” which states, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (2:8). Christian love is not merely some kind of emotion. Christian love involves action. Paul wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).
I cannot “fulfill the law of Christ” by simply “going to church” on Sunday! I must be involved in the lives of church members and be an active servant. I must “bear” my fellow Christians’ “burdens” and “do good” to them regularly (Gal. 6:10). Am I doing that?