James 2:1-13 – Partiality Proves Pointless Preening

James  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Review

Last week we read James 1:19-27.
Receive the Implanted Word
Being angry and not sinning
We can’t change ourselves. God’s Word in us changes us.
Being a doer of the Word, not just a hearer
Acting on the Word of God. Not just listening and forgetting, but doing what it says.
The Nature of True Religion
We think we’re religious, but we don’t do anything.
Orphans and Widows.
Does your faith match up with your actions?
Have any of you had opportunities to practice some of what James is sharing?

Pray

Pray for our hearts to be obedient to God’s Word.
Have our behavior and our words change to reflect Christ to the World.
Trust in the Lord for the trials He has placed before us.

Introduction

We’ll read this next section in a couple of pieces.

Partiality Presents Problems

James 2:1 ESV
1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
Once again, James is reminding his audience that he loves them when confronting them about partiality. He’s not beating them up, but revealing how a Christian should treat those in their midst.
James 2:2–4 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?
We all have done this. Sometimes we think if we can befriend the rich friend then we can benefit materially from their friendship. Instead of caring for those before us, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, popular or unpopular, clean or unclean, fit or crippled, we easily make distinctions based on what we think we’ll benefit from.
James talks specifically about the rich though because he knows that God has favored the economically disadvantaged throughout the bible.

Poor People Prefer Preference

James talks specifically about the rich though because he knows that God has favored the economically disadvantaged throughout the bible.
Year of Jubilee
Exodus 23:10–11 ESV
10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.
Psalm 12:5 ESV
5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
Luke 4:18 ESV
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
James again
James 2:5–7 ESV
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?

Percipient Perspicacity Posits Purity

That is, discerning understanding promotes good judgment and mercy.
James 2:8–13 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. 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. 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.
James focuses on the sin of economic partiality, but there’s more than this. We discriminate against others based on external appearance, gender, clothes, social status, music preference, age, nationality, and lots of other reasons. When we practice partiality, whether we know we’re doing it or not, we fail to love our neighbors as ourselves. We should pray that God would show us where we are failing to love our neighbors, and then change our ways. Repent. We should also trust that God is merciful to cover our sin. Let’s be the kind of people who extend the love and mercy of Jesus, without partiality, to all.
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