The Sin of Partiality

The Sin of Partiality (personal favoritism)

Don’t be a “respecter of persons”. There’s God and there’s people. There aren’t different levels of people. We should have no distinction among ourselves…that means NO SPECIAL TREATMENT-

We become respecters of people (show favoritism) when we take our eyes off God.

Reggie White story. Ask them about a starstruck story.

We respect (revere) God, and we love people.

If we get our fulfillment and satisfaction from the Lord Jesus Christ, then we will live in such a way that we give everything to Him; we live as respecters of Him. But if we get our fulfillment elsewhere, maybe from those who are higher-ranking than us, then we become respecters of those people..we show favoritism to those ppl.

We should look DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD. Partiality, favoritism is the norm for the world. World: what can they do for me? Christians: How can I love my neighbor?

with the homeless man..I felt uncomfortable, I didn’t want to be approached, reluctantly called his wife, and I was thinking about him getting my phone dirty. Then he said “I’m a Christian. Being a Christian is hard.” So we prayed together, hugged. And I walked back to my air-conditioned office thinking, 1) I wonder what happened for him to get to that point, 2) that could have been me…and 3) Wow, God sees him the same way He sees me, the same way He sees my son, the same way He sees the Spiritual mentors in my life. $20 bill analogy

then talk about rich people in Charleston…if you focus on God’s Word, it will begin to make itself present in your life. He’ll start teaching you without you even noticing. God was showing me, as I hope He’s showing you tonight, that regardless of status, or appearance, or race, or background, or political affiliation, or anything else, we are all people of this WORLD, the world that God so loved, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him may have eternal life with Him and not be eternally separated from Him…we ought to love our neighbors with that in mind, and do everything we can to get them to Jesus.

Tim buying the guy lunch and sharing the gospel..showing NO FAVORITISM, just loving his neighbor as himself.

2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

You can’t hold to the faith (walk in the will of God) while showing partiality (being out of the will of God).

Faith in Him, rooted in love for Him, is incompatible with partiality.

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? (Jn. 7:24 - don’t judge on appearances. I know wonderful people who are very wealthy. I know wonderful people who are very poor.) 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?

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. (If we are showing partiality, then we’re not practicing Holy Love)

1 Tim 5:21

Lev 19:15

Prov 28:21 - In the beginning it may have taken a large bribe for them to be partial, but when we desensitize ourselves to that sin, then we will compromise our integrity, our faith, for something as small as a piece of bread.

If you show partiality, you sin against God. (partiality is against God’s nature)

When we practice partiality (you guessed it, just like every other sin), we walk out of the will of God.

We are called to judge, but not by appearance

To keep ourselves from falling into the sin of partiality, we have to see that each person, regardless of status, position, affiliation, etc. is a human being with a soul that will face eternity at the end of their life here on earth

See VALUE in every person you meet the way God does.

Don’t place added value to someone that God doesn’t place there..

On the flipside, don’t take away value from someone that God hasn’t taken away.

See people the way God sees people.

Homeless man in Myrtle vs millionaires in Charleston. God sees them the same that He sees you and me (explain how God sees us).

Eternity mindset - seeing others as people who will one day face eternity- seeing others the way that God sees them. Jn 3:16- the world.

2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 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? 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?

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

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 2:1–9.

What is partiality?

Don’t be a “respecter of persons”. There’s God and there’s people. There aren’t different levels of people. We should have no distinction among ourselves…that means NO SPECIAL TREATMENT-

Reggie White story. Ask them about a starstruck story.

We respect (revere) God, and we love people.

Partiality is of the world. We are called to be set apart from the world (holy).

We should look DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD. Partiality, favoritism is the norm for the world. World: what can they do for me? Christians: How can I love my neighbor?

When we become respecters of people (show favoritism), we take our eyes off God.

If we get our fulfillment and satisfaction from the Lord Jesus Christ, then we will live in such a way that we give everything to Him; we live as respecters of Him. But if we get our fulfillment elsewhere, maybe from those who are higher-ranking than us, then we become respecters of those people..we show favoritism to those ppl.

with the homeless man..I felt uncomfortable, I didn’t want to be approached, reluctantly called his wife, and I was thinking about him getting my phone dirty. Then he said “I’m a Christian. Being a Christian is hard.” So we prayed together, hugged. And I walked back to my air-conditioned office thinking, 1) I wonder what happened for him to get to that point, 2) that could have been me…and 3) Wow, God sees him the same way He sees me, the same way He sees my son, the same way He sees the Spiritual mentors in my life. $20 bill analogy

then talk about rich people in Charleston…if you focus on God’s Word, it will begin to make itself present in your life. He’ll start teaching you without you even noticing. God was showing me, as I hope He’s showing you tonight, that regardless of status, or appearance, or race, or background, or political affiliation, or anything else, we are all people of this WORLD, the world that God so loved, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him may have eternal life with Him and not be eternally separated from Him…we ought to love our neighbors with that in mind, and do everything we can to get them to Jesus.

Following God’s example of showing no partiality (Rom 2, Jn 3:16)

Giving others grace (unmerited favor) regardless of who they are. “They don’t deserve it.” Well, we don’t deserve the grace of God..that is the definition of grace…it’s undeserved, unmerited favor.

They will know we are disciples of Christ by the way we love

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