Loving All Our Neighbors

Galatians 3:26–29 KJV 1900

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Option 2—Looking for God

1 . Tell the following true story.

A few decades ago, a young man was driving toward home through the large California city where he worked. He had just finished his job after working overtime that day and was taking a different route than usual. As he made his way through the lanes of traffic, he recognized a well-known mega-church off one of the exits. When he saw that the parking lot was full, he realized there was a service that evening, He glanced at his watch. Maybe he wouldn't be too late, he thought, and he got off the exit.

He found a parking space and walked toward the elaborate building. As he approached the steps leading up to the entrance of the church, he saw two well-dressed men standing at each set of doors, still greeting a few stragglers as they entered. Strains from the pipe organ wafted through the open doors.

The young man climbed the steps and walked toward the nearest entrance. Hope I'm not too late," he said to the men at the door. He was taken aback when one of them said, "Sir, I'm sorry. You can't come in looking like this. "

He hesitated, not believing what he was hearing. " Looking like what? "

"l mean you can't come in dressed like that. "

The young man glanced down and gestured at his clothing. But I just got off work. These are my work clothes. "

"I'm sorry, sir. You need to dress better than that to come inside. "

"So dressed like this, I'm not welcome?" The young man's anger boiled. "l came here looking for God," he said. "But I'm pretty sure he's not here. "

2. Discuss the incident.

ASK: What are your initial thoughts about the church in this story?

ASK: Why do you think the church restricted its services based on clothing? What might their motives be? Perhaps they wanted to maintain a certain image in the public eye,

ASK: Would you call this young man's treatment a form of prejudice? Why or why not?

ASK: How do you think his treatment by this church affected his faith? Such treatment might have led him to give up on seeking God through the church.

3. Transition to the Bible lesson.

As believers, we must be careful to get rid of any type of prejudice in our lives and in our churches. Showing favoritism or prejudice because of appearance, cultural background, intelligence, ethnicity, or any other characteristic is a sin and may turn people away from God. James confronted his audience with their particular prejudice toward the poor. But we can apply his teaching to all prejudice. Today's lesson will encourage us to appreciate, love, and reach out to others because they are valuable in God's eyes.

I. God's Warning about Favoritism

A. The command expressed

James 2:1 KJV 1900

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

James commanded church members not to show partiality or favoritism toward some while shunning or ignoring others. Favoritism is giving attention and privilege only to people who have the means to compensate for the benefits they receive. Those who play favorites use people for their own gain. They think people exist to make their lives better. Those who show favor put themselves at the center of their

ASK: What "rewards" might church members seek by showing favoritism to those with the means to reward them? They might seek to be included in their group of "privileged" people, be given financial support, be praised and recognized for their attention.

Showing favoritism and holding the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, don't mix. God saves people so they might live for Christ rather than for themselves. Christ, not any one believer, deserves the glory from a believer's life. People ought to praise God for how a believer treats others.

ASK: How might a person make sure God gets the praise for the good deeds they do for others? They can say "praise the Lord" when someone thanks them for their service; they can serve others anonymously; they can purposely serve those who have no means of rewarding their service.

When James challenged his readers regarding favoritism, he issued an order The force of his command shows his audience was already g engaged in showing favoritism. "Stop showing favoritism! " James said.

B. The violations exposed

1. The churches' actions

The churches James addressed had a reputation for favoring the rich and dishonoring the poor who visited their assemblies. James gave a hypothetical situation with the understanding that it was reality in the churches reading his letter

James 2:2–3 KJV 1900

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

The fine apparel and jewelry worn by the visitor suggests he had money and influence to share with those who pampered him. His apparel might have also revealed he was a candidate for office and would have political power. The finely dressed man expected to be pampered and likely would not have returned to the church if he weren't afforded certain privileges. We know that because he gladly accepted the best and most visible seat so he might be on display before the rest of the church. He went to church to trade his financial influence and political power for praise and adoration among the people.

In James's scenario, a poor beggar also entered the assembly. His dirty clothes suggested he had no home and nothing to offer the church.

ASK: What would the poor beggar be looking for when he came to church? Perhaps financial help, relief from his suffering, a sense of being loved and cared for, or an opportunity to make a better life.

The dirty beggar would be a drain on the church's time and resources. And those who stooped to help him would risk tarnishing their reputation and stature in the church. So the church told the poor man to stand in the back out of view or to sit on the ground, well below the rich man. The seating arrangements revealed how much the church valued them men.

ASK: What might unbelievers have concluded after observing the seating arrangements for the rich and the poor? That God values the rich above the poor and that a person's wealth equated to his or her value before God.

ASK: What do you think Jesus thought of the early church's practice of honoring the rich and dishonoring the poor? He hated such a practice because it distorted and ruined the grace present in the gospel.

2. The churches' motives

James 2:4 KJV 1900

Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

James's implied answer to his question is "yes." In treating the poor as inferior to the rich, the first-century believers had shown partiality and become "judges" with "evil thoughts. " That means they were critics of the poor and were motivated to make the poor feel less important than the rich by making them either stand in the back or sit on the floor.

The church exists to bring people to Christ. Showing Christ's impartial love to the lost, regardless of their economic status, illustrates the gospel message. The church could have ministered both to the rich and the poor by seating them next to each other and on the same level as everyone else in the church. The beggar would have learned he is loved and valuable in God's eyes.

II. Reasons to Love All Neighbors

James gave two solid reasons not to show favoritism. These reasons translate to believers today.

A. God's loving character

James 2:5 KJV 1900

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Many of the people who made up the early church weren't financially wealthy. Yet God lovingly chose them to be rich in faith and heirs of Christ's coming Kingdom on earth. The poor in Christ had riches and positions of power that visitors with earthly wealth couldn't match. All the members of the church, regardless of their financial standing, lived as princes and princesses waiting to one day inherit the blessings of Christ's Kingdom. There they will rule and reign with Him.

ASK: What illustration might you use to capture the difference between being rich in this life and being an heir of Christ? Perhaps the difference between owning a paper airplane and owning a private jet.

Every believer is an heir of Christ's Kingdom because God loved them when they were still sinners. Every believer ought to show unbelievers God's love regardless of the person's financial standing or ability to reward privileged service.

James 2:6–7 KJV 1900

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

ASK: What was absurd about the believers showing favoritism to the rich? The rich oppressed believers and blasphemed God's name.

James reminded the believers that the rich had oppressed them. Such oppression included harshly treating the church members and using positions of power to make their lives miserable. Rich landowners and merchants often stole from the poor and took advantage of them.

Some of the rich even dragged believers into court to harass them The rich oppressors also blasphemed Jesus' name, treating it with disrespect. That should have offended the believers in the early church, for all believers belong to Christ and are called to His name.

B. God's royal law

James turned to what he called the royal law to further support his argument. The word royal" means the law is supreme, or that it is the law under which all God’s laws about personal relationships fall. The royal law states we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

James 2:8 KJV 1900

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

James had become aware of Jesus' teaching about loving one's neighbor as oneself. Jesus had shared the royal law in response to a Pharisee who tried to trick Him into saying something blasphemous.

Matthew 22:34–40 KJV 1900

But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

ASK: What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? To look out for the needs of others and care for others like you do for yourself.

On another occasion, a lawyer asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan in response (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus' point was that a neighbor is anyone with a need.

ASK: What does it take to be a person ready to meet a " neighbor's" need? It takes submitting ourselves to God, seeking to do His will, watching for needs we can meet, and regularly asking people how we might help them.

Ill. God's Judgment on Favoritism

A. Favoritism violates God's law

James's readers had apparently not thought about the consequences of their attitudes and behavior. Their favoritism was a big deal in God's eyes and a serious hindrance to their churches' ministries.

James 2:9 KJV 1900

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Sin can be defined as anything that violates God's character or His commands. The believers' persistence in favoring the rich over the poor was a betrayal of God's generous character and a violation of His law. They had broken God's commandment to love their neighbor. They had committed this sin repeatedly and now stood before the law convicted as transgressors. James's terminology suggests that their behavior had been exposed, bringing with it a sense of rebuke and shame. Those guilty of this sin of favoritism might have had true faith, but if so, it was a weak faith.

James 2:10–11 KJV 1900

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

The Jewish believers in the churches James addressed came from a background of law-keeping, but they had overlooked an important principle: if one offends in even one point of the law, he is guilty of all. There is no hierarchy among the commandments. One cannot assume that because he hasn't committed one of the "biggies," he is therefore not a sinner or a lawbreaker deserving of judgment.

James emphasized his point by comparing favoritism to the sins of adultery and murder Note that both commandments have immediate implications of violating the image of God in man. Adultery violates God's image by destroying marriage, the closest of human relationships and one ordained by God from the beginning (Gen. 1 :26, 27', 2:23, 24). Murder violates God's image by destroying an individual God created in His image (Gen. 9:6).

ASK: What similarities does the sin of favoritism share with the sins of murder and adultery? The sin shows disregard for the image of God within the person being shunned. It disregards God's love for the person.

Those in James's audience had broken the law just as much as if they had committed adultery or murdered someone. If it were possible for an unbeliever to commit only the sin of favoritism, he would still be guilty before God and condemned to eternity in the Lake of Fire.

ASK: How does considering the punishment for favoritism change your perspective on the seriousness of the sin?

B. Favoritism means loss of reward

James 2:12 KJV 1900

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

The phrase " law of liberty" was James's favorite way of referring to Scripture. He wanted his readers to understand that a relationship with Jesus Christ is not a lawless existence. The law of Christ provides freedom from sin, not freedom to take advantage of God's grace and continue in sin (Rom. 6:1—2). Believers live under a higher law than that of Israel. While the Ten Commandments forbade adultery and murder, the law of liberty forbids favoritism.

James 2:13 KJV 1900

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Those who show no mercy will be judged without mercy by God. Did James mean one might lose his salvation because of favoritism? Absolutely not. Even under the Old Testament law, a person stoned for committing murder lost his life without losing his salvation.

James taught that shunning the poor and needy and showing favoritism to those we think have something to offer us brings God's judgment on us in the form of forfeited eternal rewards. When we stand before Christ our judge, He will reward us for serving Him sincerely. If we consistently showed favoritism, we would not receive the rewards we all. had the opportunity to gain by mercifully and lovingly helping others.

ASK: What is your response to losing eternal rewards?

ASK: Why should we see the possibility of losing eternal rewards as a sobering warning? Our eternal rewards will offer us a prime opportunity to glorify God for eternity. For that reason, we will want to have as many as possible in Heaven to use as our means to glorifying God for working through us while on earth.

Because God has shown us mercy, we should be merciful to the poor and to others who may need our help. When we have true faith in Christ, we will love our neighbors through acts of mercy and compassion. And we can know Christ will reward us accordingly in Heaven.

James confronted believers in the early church who showed favoritism to the rich while discriminating against the poor. Their practice of partiality clearly contradicted Jesus' example and God's commands to love one's neighbor and treat the poor fairly. Instead, these believers were judging those who were physically poor yet rich in faith while favoring the very group who often oppressed the Christians and even blasphemed the name of Christ. A true faith, James taught, shows mercy and love to all people. When we show prejudice or partiality of any kind, we sin against God.