James 2
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Read James 2
Give a title to this section of James. What is it about?
In chapters two and three, James discusses various temptations and trials common to all believers.
Showing partiality or favoritism to one person while discriminating against another person or even a whole group of people
What does it mean to show partiality?
To favor some people over others or to pay special attention to a person because of his wealth, social standing, position, authority, popularity, looks, or influence.
Of all people upon earth, the very people who should not show partiality are believers. Why?
1. Everyone who is in the church is a brother—everyone stands on an equal footing before the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Everyone who has faith in our Lord Jesus Christ bows before Him as Lord. This means that the person bows before Christ as a servant or slave.
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism.
Principle: We must never favor one Christian brother or sister over another. Everyone in the church must work together, each one showing the love of Christ, helping to meet each other’s needs.
THE PICTURE OF PARTIALITY: TWO UNBELIEVING CHURCH VISITORS (vv. 2–3)
QUESTIONS:
1. What does it mean to show partiality? In what situations are you tempted to show favoritism?
2. If someone is shunned in your church, how do you think that person is going to react? How would you react?
3. Who in your church seems to be less accepted than others? What can you do to correct the situation?
What are five things wrong with showing partiality and favoritism?
1. Showing partiality sets one up as the judge of men (v. 4). It makes one as God; it says who can worship God and who cannot, who is acceptable to God and who is not.
2. Showing partiality reveals evil thoughts (v. 4). The person who shows partiality focuses upon mundane and changeable things. Such thoughts are corrupt because they focus upon corruptible things and neglect the person entirely.
3. Showing partiality discriminates against the poor and lowly, a people who are loved by God (v. 5). Psalm 140:12 “I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.”
4. Showing partiality shows a disgraceful attitude (v. 6a). It dishonors, humiliates, shames, disgraces, and insults the poor and lowly person.
5. Showing partiality shows foolish behavior (vv. 6b–7).
Two things are said about the rich that need to be heeded.
⇒ The rich and high usually oppress the poor and they readily grab what they can, using the very laws of the land to do it. The idea is that they use the law unjustly in order to protect and increase their wealth and power.
⇒ The rich and high usually blaspheme the name of Christ. They blaspheme His name by denying, mocking, ridiculing, persecuting, neglecting, ignoring, and rejecting Him as the Savior of the world.
The point is this: Why would the church and its believers show partiality to such people over the poor of the earth?
Happy is one who cares for the poor; the Lord will save him in a day of adversity.
ILLUSTRATION:
How can you better show Christ’s love to everyone without partiality? By truly caring about the souls of people. Listen to this terrific example of what one pastor did:
A pastor was praying about the lack of growth in his church. He was deeply burdened about it. The Lord answered him saying, “I love sinners too much to send them to your church.”
After much prayer and repentance, the pastor began to seek out sinners in the community. These people soon began asking him spiritual questions, looking for direction. The pastor invited one of these couples to church.
Though the couple had never been to church, they came one Sunday morning because they felt the pastor’s genuine concern. But the awful truth about his congregation was quickly demonstrated. Two of the deacons who had been busily seating people now whispered, “Pastor, two people have come into our church and, well, we don’t know what to do. The lady has on a very short dress and the man looks like a rough character.”
The pastor went to see. There was the couple he had invited. To the surprise of the deacons, the pastor was truly glad to see them. He said to the couple, “Come with me. You will be my special guests today. Sit right here on the front row. And after church, please come to my home. My wife has prepared a good meal.” The couple was saved that very service!
QUESTIONS:
1. What foolish sins are at the root of partiality? In which of these areas do you have room for improvement?
2. Think of an instance when a poor or lowly person was shunned in society. What happened? How should the situation have been handled?
3. Why are the rich viewed as better than the poor in most societies? How can you prevent yourself from having this dangerous attitude?
THE WARNING AGAINST PARTIALITY (vv. 8–11)
1. Showing partiality is sin; it violates the royal law of love (vv. 8–9). The great law of God is the law of love:
Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.
He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.
Why is love the Royal Law?
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The point is this: believers are to love people, not show partiality, discriminating against some. Showing partiality is sin and it makes us transgressors of the law.
2. Showing partiality makes a person guilty of the whole law of God (v. 10). How is this possible? How can a person be guilty of all the law if he breaks only one law? Men follow God or else they do not follow God.
This is significant for us to notice and heed, for it means …
• that we cannot pick and choose what laws we will keep and what laws we will violate.
• that we cannot build up a merit system with God by keeping most of the laws and be allowed to break a few of the laws.
• that we cannot become more acceptable to God because we keep most of the laws and break only a few.
• that we are not more righteous than other people because we keep more laws than they do and break fewer of what men call the more meaningful laws.
The point is this: showing partiality makes a person a terrible law-breaker, the most serious offender imaginable.
3. Showing partiality is just as serious a sin as adultery and killing (v. 11)
QUESTIONS:
1. What one law is critical to the Christian life? What are some practical ways you can love the unlovely this week and avoid the sin of partiality?
2. Discuss why partiality is such a serious sin. What other commands are broken by showing partiality?
THE MOTIVATION TO AVOID PARTIALITY (v. 12–13)
There are two things that should stir us to love and care for all people, showing no favoritism whatsoever.
1. We will face the judgment of God (v. 12). Therefore, we should speak and act like people who will stand before God to give account for what we have done.
2. We will receive a reward for our behavior. God is going to treat us exactly as we have treated others
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
ILLUSTRATION:
The story is told of a scorpion wanting to cross a river. Since he could not swim, he asked the fox to carry him on his back. The fox was not willing at first, because of the threat of the scorpion’s sting. But the scorpion said, “Why would I sting you? That would drown both of us.” The fox agreed to carry the scorpion, but the scorpion did sting the fox midstream. The fox chided the scorpion, saying, “You foolish creature; now we will both die. Why?” The scorpion only replied, “It’s my nature.”—SOURCE UNKNOWN
Because the scorpion did not show mercy, he brought about his own death. Likewise, believers, when they do not show mercy to others, bring about their own ruin. May God help us to have His merciful nature and to show it to others at the needed hour. We must love and care for all people, showing no favoritism whatever.
QUESTIONS:
1. What will God consider important when He judges Christians? What motivates you to show Christian love to people? Do you think you will receive a reward or condemnation for how you have treated others?
2. Why does God require us to show mercy? Whom do you have trouble showing mercy to? How can you improve in this area?
