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Favoritism – Lesson 4 James 2:1-12
As Christians, we are to be impartial in our treatment of others. Today’s lesson fits right in with Lesson 3.
In Lesson 3, James dealt with us being more than hearers of the Word of God. We are to practice our faith every day, seeking to grow into what God expects of us. James even goes as far as telling us that true religion is showing mercy to the most vulnerable among us.
In the second chapter, James starts with one of the significant problems in living our lives for God. It is one that we don’t talk about often. However, it does hurt our effectiveness and that of the church.
You can probably remember a time when someone hurt you because they were partial to another friend, employee, or even a family member. Unfortunately, it happens all the time, and as a parent, we try to teach our children to treat everyone equally.
When we practice favoritism as Christians, we can destroy our ability to reach others for Christ or minister to new believers. How we act daily affects our ministry.
Beware of Personal Favoritism
James opens this chapter by admonishing us, as followers of Jesus, to be impartial in dealing with other believers. Instead, we are to practice our faith in a way that treats everyone equally.
We are all the same. All of us were sinners in rebellion against God and unworthy of His salvation. To show favoritism to individuals would be like saying we are more valuable to God than they are.
James says in verse one, “2 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.” James 2:1 NKJV To make things even more explicit, he gives the following example of an individual in the church assembly.
2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:3-4 NKJV
None of us want to become judges with evil thoughts. But, unfortunately, when we show partiality, this is what we do. We lose track of what it is God wants us to do. Partiality keeps us from serving God in love and faith.
Remember how James ends the first chapter? Do you remember what He says true religion is? It is a plan to do good to those in the most need and to do so without showing partiality to those of God’s family.
God chose the poor
James points out God’s preference starting in verse 5, “5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” James 2:5-7 NKJV
We need to remember how many times God points out in the Old Testament and New Testament that we are responsible for the poor. He proclaims Himself as their protector and condemns those who misuse or abuse the poor. We also see Jesus paying particular attention to the poor.
Practical Christianity is serving God by paying attention to those He has chosen. Sadly we see many wealthy leaders taking a stand against the truths of God. Instead, they proclaim evil as good and make laws protecting those who practice evil.
Royal Law
When you serve God, it comes down to not only being impartial but to loving others as you love yourself. If you love others in the same way you love yourself, you will not show partiality but will recognize that all deserve the same love and respect.
Even the ones doing wrong need our prayers and love. It is the sinner that Jesus came to save, not the righteous. He loved us while we were still in rebellion against Him.
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
James takes the next step and defines partiality as sin. Do you ever think of partiality as sin? Most people do not, but it is clear that James is not one of those people. He is clear that if we show partiality, we are sinning.
We can not do what God has called us to do when sinning. Therefore, to serve Christ and fulfill our primary task, we must be impartial in sharing God’s love.
Do the whole law
He also says that you are not guilty of just one sin when you break God’s law. Instead, you are guilty of all the law.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now, if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
Christianity is not about obeying a set of laws even though God does not change. His truths about what is and is not wrong do not change with time. What was sin in the past is still sin and still carries a price. For example, if we are partial to some, we hurt others and cause pain or hurt, which is sin.
The law of liberty judges us, and we should show it in all our actions. Our responsibility is to show mercy to all equally as Jesus did to us. To fail to show our love to all brings us under judgment.
12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
Judgment
James is quick to warn us about the consequences of judging others. Judgment is unmercifulness, and we do not want to be judged, certainly not by our standards.
We depend on God’s grace. He has offered us mercy in place of judgment, and we do not want to place ourselves under judgment.
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
You can join us anytime. Following are links to the Previous Lessons from James: Faith Grows Through Trials – Lesson 1, Tempted by God – Lesson 2, Doers of the Word – Lesson 3, Impartial – Lesson 4, Faith – Works What Saves – Lesson 5, The Untamable Tongue – Lesson 6, Fighting and Quarreling – Lesson 7, Friendship with the World – Lesson 8, What is submission to God? – James Lesson 9, Judging and Boasting – James Lesson 10, Rich in What? – James Lesson 11, Be Patient and Persevering – James Lesson 12 and the last Critical Points of James – James Lesson 13