James 2:1-13

Show No Partiality

James 2:1 ESV

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

This is the command - the rest is the illustration

James 2:2–7 ESV

2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

The Spirit of the Law vs the Letter of the Law

We should not just look at this situation and feel that it is the only one it applies to

We should see this as an example or illustration not a cop out

Socially Rich and Socially Poor

Cliches - this passage is a great passage that commands us not to be “clichy”

This helps us to see that we should not be doing with many things

We exalt the “socially rich”

These are the people that everyone wants to invite out and hang out with

These are the people that are easy to love and talk to

We neglect the “socially poor”

The EGR’s

These people are the ones who get excluded from the group texts

We don’t include these people in our plans

Social outcasts

Why should we not “show partiality”

James 2:8–9 ESV

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

We fulfill the law when we love those who are hard to love

When we show partiality we are breaking the “royal law”

You shall love your neighbor as yourself

Refer to the good Samaritan passage to elaborate - Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25–37 ESV

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Samaritan’s were the social outcasts of the day so for one to be glorified is Jesus flipping things on their heads

The injured man would have been unclean - which is why the priest and levite wrongly neglected to help him

This man was ceremonially unclean - some people we interact with mite be socially unclean

Never the less we are still called to love them and care for them anyway

Guilty of all the law

James 2:10–11 ESV

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

You may avoid sexual immorality, stay away from lying, and never murdered anyone but if you don’t love your neighbor as yourself you might as well have done all these things.

When you break one law you break the entire law

Law of Liberty & Mercy - Judgement

James 2:12–13 ESV

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Law of liberty (v.12)

The ability to live in freedom by having the freedom to obey God and do what is right

We are not doing good works to earn salvation but rather we are doing good works because its the right response to salvation

We should love because he first loved us

Judgement (v.13)

God will not show mercy to you if you show no mercy

A sign the someone has recieved mercy is that they show mercy