No Partiality Allowed (James 2:1-12)

James 2:1-13

No partiality allowed

Sunday, September 4, 2022

Pastoral Prayer

Iglesia Bautista Latina De Effingham (Bro. Tony Munoz)

Hindu Peoples of the Central Hills of Nepal; upcoming Women’s discipleship through the book of Acts; connections through this event.

Us: To be a people who fulfill the royal law to love one another without partiality, that we would be a people who keep our eyes on the glory of Christ and not ourselves; the receiving of the Word.

Introduction

Back in 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks, I heard from two fellow church members that they were being stared at, they were being observed cautiously. Why? Because of their skin color. You see, they were both of Middle Eastern Background. Both of them were faithful friends, church members, and citizens of the United States. But, because of their skin color they were treated in an unfavorable way. People became judges of them by only looking at the color of their skin and associating them with terrorists.

This is not the only time in our American history where such wrong judgments took place. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, everyone of Japanese descent was rounded up and put in camps, identifying each and everyone of them as guilty as if they were the ones who bombed Pearl Harbor themselves.

But race is not the only time favoritism and partiality is shown. It appears in the culture of the world around us. Sadly though, it also appears frequently within the people of God as well. And James has a strong word of rebuke for us in this. And that is what we are going to see this morning in our text from James 2:1-13. (Potentially explain chapter and verse numbers).

Just a reminder of the setting of James, it is to new believers who have been scattered away from their homes, away from their homelands, and are facing opposition. Yet, they are being taught from James that God is using these various trials for their good, to bring them to the day of completion; they need to just endure in being faithful in receiving God’s word and doing it. That brings us to James 2:1-13 this morning, but for the sake of looking back at the thesis of the whole letter, let’s start our reading this morning in James 1:26.

Main Idea: The sin of partiality robs the glory of Christ and fails to uphold the righteous law of God; therefore let it be put to death in us.

The sin of partiality

The law of love

The sin of partiality

Notice how James starts this new section in his letter in James 2:1, my brothers, or brothers and sisters as seen in the footnote of the ESV and in other translations. This address is used here to draw attention to who James is writing to.That is, his familial relationship to them. James while having to give a hard rebuke, a firm warning does so with love and care for his siblings in Christ. He wants to see them reach the day of completion, to be made perfect and whole in Jesus. James is all about making disciples. He wants to help others to understand what it looks like to follow King Jesus.

And brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the entire reason we gather to open God’s word each and every week, to seek to grow to maturity and reach the day where we are made perfect in Christ either in us departing from this world through death and being united to Jesus or his returning and calling us to himself. Therefore, may we see the pastoral heart of James here and receive these hard words to stir us onward. For we must be continually growing as disciples and then helping others along the way.

The call here then is for us to show no partiality, no favoritism, as we hold to the faith. For a true and pure faith has its eyes set on the glory of the King. In verse 1, the faith is defined as faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord is the title of king, ruler. But the other description, the Lord of glory or the King of glory is a title that was foretold in Psalm 24. A glory that has only previously been described to God the Father. It is his glory being sought to be proclaimed in the world. And it is this glory that the eyes of the Christian are to be set on instead of exchanging the glory of Christ for other glory.

When favoritism is shown, glory is being taken away from the King, as we say our glory is worth more than honoring him. In showing favoritism, we become glory robbers. We rob Christ of his glory instead of laboring to make much of King Jesus and loving those who he has laid down his life for. For in our favoritism, we seek to show favor to those who would benefit us while neglecting others to the shame of Christ.

Just how do we do this? How do we rob Christ of his glory? We see this in verses 2-3 as James moves to a specific illustration. He shows us a distinction that is being made by one's wealth and outer appearance. We read there in verses 2-3….

While we are unsure if this specific thing was happening or not, the example should cause the reader to pause and examine what areas of favoritism is being shown by them. How they are elevating those who seem to have a certain social standing and appearance while disregarding and shaming those with poor dress and a poor social standing. The reality is though, there are all kinds of ways in which we see favoritism in the world around us

There is the favoritism shown in what we will call the good ole boy system. If you are unfamiliar with this phrase, it is where those who have long standing ties or connections to a company, program, institution are shown favoritism along the way. If it comes down to the Good Ole Boy connection and another, the Good Ole Boy will win out in favoritism being shown. Other areas where favoritism shows up are in favoritism based on age, race, gender, political party, and like interests. This shows up in the workplace, in our communities, in the political sphere, in the schools, even in our churches. Favoritism is all around us.

A number of years ago I was told of a case of favoritism in the church I belonged to as a member at the time. For Sunday School, the church had a men’s class, a women’s class, a co-ed class, a youth class, and a children’s class. So, similarly structured to ours has been here at Central City. But favoritism came into play when a 19 year old decided she wanted to attend the women’s class which was all older women. Someone in that class asked her wouldn’t she be better off in the younger class of coeds, showing favoritism to the older ladies instead of this younger lady. Had she been like them in age, she would have been gladly welcomed. But with her being younger, she was neglected and essentially being told to sit at our feet, we do not value you enough to have you join us. We value our click rather than the glory of Christ was the response their actions communicated.

When we act in favoritism, we reveal how poor and evil of judges we really are. Look at how James describes this in verse 4….

In showing favoritism by distinguishing between the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the good ole boy and the unknown, male and female, and the color of our skin we declare a judgment. A judgment rooted in mere appearance and proximity. And this judgment is from evil thoughts within our own evil hearts. Listen to what Craig Blomberg and Mariam Kamell write in their commentary on James, “When we attempt to discern people’s value based on external features, we not only try to usurp God’s role as judge, but we fail miserably in the process.”

Our judgments of favoritism lead us to be terrible judges. How? Notice what James calls us to listen to or pay careful attention to in verses 5-7.

First, in verse 5, our poor judgment is exposed in seeing how our poor judgments cause us to miss the very people chosen by God. Is this not what James has already told us back in James 1:9, “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation”? As the poor of this world have been united in faith to Christ, they have been exalted. For God chose what was low and despised in the world so that our only boast might be in him (1 Cor 1:28-30).

Therefore, by showing favoritism to the rich and neglecting the poor, these Christians are neglecting the very ones God has chosen for himself to be his people. These Christians are neglecting the very ones who are fellow heirs with the King of glory. They are neglecting the very ones who love God. By showing favoritism to the rich and neglecting the poor, these baby Christians are failing to encourage their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Similarly with the earlier example of the young lady going into the ladies class. Those ladies were missing out on being faithful to carry out Titus 2 in ensuring this young lady was equipped for a life focused on Jesus, a life living out the gospel in everyday life. They missed out on encouraging their younger sister in Christ and bringing glory to Christ in exchange for their closed circle.

Secondly, our poor judgment in showing favoritism is shown as our eyes are pointed that our judgment is not rooted in true justice there in verse 6, which says…

For instead of the guilty being held accountable, our poor judgments continue to exalt the guilty instead of us uplifting the helpless and innocent. In our favoritism we show disregard for those being oppressed. By showing favoritism we further bring shame and dishonor to the vulnerable, because we continue to elevate the unjust in this world. And all of this in hopes that our glory might be elevated.

For in the time of this being written, these poor Christians would be dragged off to court and oppressed by the rich in attempts to make them even richer. Whether it was for collection of debts or land that was no longer able to be cared for, the rich would have had their thumbs pressed against these poor believers causing them harm. And by these poor judgments of favoritism being shown towards them, it was as if those showing favoritism were empowering them to further carry it out.

Do we not see that by exchanging the glory of King Jesus for our own leaves us blinded to what true justice is? But there is a third way our poor judgment is shown as well. And that is what we read in verse 7, which says….

In showing favoritism, we are poor judges because we align ourselves with blasphemers. To blaspheme means to revile, to speak to with irrelevance or neglect. As for the phrase, by the name by which you were called, this is referring to being identified with Christ as Christians. The term Christian originally was used by gentiles to insult early followers of Jesus. And yet, it is this name that has stuck and we have been happy to identify with for nearly 2,000 years now.

To show favoritism towards these blasphemers who dishonor the name of Christ, we say that our glory is more important than the glory of Christ. For we are more concerned about ourselves instead of bringing honor to his name.

If we are to seek a true and pure faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, we cannot be poor judges showing favoritism. For in doing so, we withhold the glory that belongs to our King alone.

Yet, the argument is not finished. These 3 reasons are but the logical reasons given to call out our poor judgment in favoritism. There is even more of a reason that we should show no partiality. And that is in doing so we miss who the true judge is in all his glory. For he judges under the law of love, which is where we turn now in our second point this morning.

The law of love

In verses 8-11, James shifts from calling us to not show partiality based on us being poor and evil judges to pointing us to the law. In James 2:8-11 we find three if-then statements that point us to the demands of the law. These 3 if-then statements aren’t separate, but each builds off of the previous one.

First, there in verse 8 we see the standard, that if we really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” (implied then) we are doing well.

Now, we have already seen James use the term law of liberty once in James 1:25, he uses it again in verse 12. We have seen him use the perfect law there in James 1:25 as well. And now, here in James 2:8 he uses a third description of the law, the royal law. Each of these are James’ way to not describe 3 different laws, but the law as fulfilled by King Jesus. In particular, it says according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Therefore more importantly, the royal law here is looking at our relationships with one another.

Notice the progression here in verses 9-10. James says, “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

Then, the final if-then clause goes another step further though. This time giving an example first, then the if-then clause there in verse 11, which says….

To be guilty and a transgressor of all means that we are guilty of God’s judgment. Judgment that leads to death and separation from God. This being the death that we all deserve, because none of us have kept the royal law. None of us have kept from showing favoritism in some shape and form. None of us, whether Christian or non-Christian are thriving in this area.

And God, being a good judge doesn’t show partiality. He doesn’t show favoritism in his judgment. He is a good judge who judges rightly and fairly across the board. For all are transgressors of his law. All are guilty according to his standard. And yet, even so, God extends his mercy to all who will humble themselves and come to him to receive that mercy in Jesus Christ.

For while we are unable to fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures in loving our neighbor as ourselves, Jesus did. We see Jesus tell his disciples in John 10:12-13, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Romans 5:6-8 adds, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus willingly went to the cross while we were still unlovable. We had nothing worthy of love in us, and yet he showed his love for us in shedding his own blood as the means of covering our sin. The blameless exchanged places with the guilty so that the guilty could become blameless.

Christian, this is the love that Christ has shown for us. God’s mercy has gone out, and that mercy triumphs over his judgment when we are united to Jesus by a pure faith. But again, that pure faith is not a faith that just hears God’s word, but does it.

Therefore, if we are to say we see the glory of Christ, the goodness of God as judge, then we must speak and act accordingly. We must seek to put our poor judgments of favoritism to death. For we cannot say that we expect mercy from God if we withhold mercy from others. For that is what we see in verse 13, “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

One who has tasted the mercy of God in Jesus is one who shows mercy towards others. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to no favoritism because to show favoritism withholds mercy. And God has not withheld his mercy from us, so why should we withhold it from others? Speak and act like one who is under the law of liberty, under the law of the King himself!

And for you who are here and have never tasted the mercy of God. You who have in fact continued to reject Jesus. Friend, see the love of Christ in how he came and shed his own blood to cover your sin. All that is required of you is to accept this love and place your faith in Jesus, that his death and resurrection can save you. That in him you can have eternal life, in him you can experience mercy instead of judgment. I’d love to talk with you more about this when we finish here. Come find me up front and let’s talk about what it looks like to come and follow Jesus and to taste his love.

The call to fulfill the royal law is to look to the one who fulfilled the royal law, the King himself. It is an invitation to come and taste the mercy of God for us in Jesus.

Brothers, sisters, and friends, favoritism is an act of evil and poor judgment. And again, sadly it is all around us, wherever we look. But that doesn’t mean we sit back and sulk. It means we need to first ensure that we have tasted the mercy of God that triumphs over judgment. Second, we need to ensure that we speak and act as those who have tasted that mercy. Third, we need to be proclaiming the glory of King Jesus as only when eyes are turned from one glory to another will hearts be changed. Glory from self to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Likewise, if we are to press against the current of the overwhelming display of favoritism around us, it will only by pointing others to Jesus. Telling them of who he is and what he has done to come and rescue the outcasts of society, those who feel unloved, those who feel abandoned. Jesus has not forgotten them; he never will. He is the answer, not system change, not advocating for social change. The answer lies in the gospel, the news of Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray….