James 1:25

But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.

Contrasted with the man who merely "glances" in a mirror the person looking into the perfect law of liberty is represented as "continuing to do so," a mere glance being insufficient.

Gibson said that "The conception of the gospel as a law is characteristic of James";[55] but that conception was also that of the apostle Paul who wrote, "Do we then make law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish law" (Romans 3:31), also, "And so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

The perfect law ... It is impossible, logically, to refer this to the Law of Moses; because the writer of Hebrews declared that "If the first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second; for finding fault with them ... he saith I will make a new covenant" (Hebrews 8:8). True the Psalmist declared that "The law of the Lord is perfect" (Psalms 19:7); but that passage is doubtless a prophecy of the new covenant.

The law of liberty ... Even less is there any excuse for making out that this may be applied to the law of Moses, for an apostle said of Moses' law that "It is a yoke of bondage which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear" (Galatians 5:1; Acts 15:10). The Mosaic law was slavery; the law of Christ is a perfect law of liberty. Whereas the law of Moses could not make its adherents perfect (Hebrews 7:19), the law of Christ leads to the absolute perfection of the redeemed in Christ (Colossians 1:28, etc.)

The view is also erroneous that would make "the law of Christ" spoken of in this passage to be merely "the ethical side of Christianity."[56] All that Christ commanded is part of his law.

Regarding the perfect law of liberty presented in this remarkable passage, it should ever be remembered that this is the same as the law established by faith (Romans 3:31), the same as the "law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2), and the same as "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2). And what is this wonderful law? "I have no hesitation in answering: it is the gospel ... the gospel is a law; let none be alarmed."[57]

[55] E. C. S. Gibson, op. cit., p. 5.

[56] Walter W. Wessel, op. cit., p. 949.

[57] R. Wardlaw, Biblical Illustrator, op. cit., p. 186.