Swanky

James 2

There are a few places where every person should feel seen, loved and valued no matter what their position, economic status or ethnicity may be. Families, communities and governments can fail us all by treating people with partiality, however Jesus’ church is command to excel in handling people properly.

I. Show no partiality (1-4) Partiality should diminishes as we grow

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 2)

2 My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.y 2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

As you (Indicates you are in process) commited to learning and growing

2 Cor 3:18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Church Example: 2:2For if someone comes into your meeting

9 Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!aa

aa Mt 24:33; 1Co 4:5; Jms 4:12; 1Pt 4:5

1 Peter 4:5 ESV

but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Lev. 19:15: “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”

II. Do not honor the rich above the poor (5-7) Honor in its proper place

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 Yet you have dishonored the poor.d Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?

This type of Judgement speaks to our motives

We desire to be associated with greatness

Jesus sees the lowly

26 If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.x

Orphans and Widows have very little in there state to offer.

Glorious Lord Jesus

Describing Jesus as the Lord of glory suggests particularly the heavenly sphere to which he has been exalted and from which he will come at the end of history to save and to judge (cf. Jas. 5:9). This reminder is particularly appropriate in a situation where Christians are giving too much “glory” to human beings

Jesus Calls the lost

9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10 And as Jesus2 reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, h“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

An invitation from Jesus isn't Chucky Cheese

Jesus was a friend of sinners not because he winked at sin, ignored sin, or enjoyed light-hearted revelry with those engaged in immorality. Jesus was a friend of sinners in that he came to save sinners and was very pleased to welcome sinners who were open to the gospel, sorry for their sins, and on their way to putting their faith in Him.

III. Fulfill the law by loving others (8-13) Display your mercy

8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself,A,g you are doing well. 9 If, however, you show favoritism,h you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.i 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery,B also said, Do not murder.C,j So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.k 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy.l Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Love one another

Christianity has come and changed the out put.

We see different

We act different

We forgive different

We help different

We stay different

We leave different

We calculate value different