Favoritism, All Sin is Equal, Faith without works is Dead

James 2:1–9 (ESV)

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.

Sin of Partiality

It is a great sin to show partiality to people based on their life circumstance.

It is a sin to give special treatment to those with high status in society.

Just because someone has much, doesn’t mean that they are much.

Often times it is the rich people of the world that oppress everyone else

They would never show you the same favor

This is why I don’t understand the obsession with celebrities

Many of them offer the world very little other than entertainment

Those who are lowly often make the world work

Loving your neighbor means loving all of them

We don’t get to pick the neighbors that we love.

When we do we are sinning along with the murderers and adulterers

James 2:10–13 (ESV)

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.

All Sin is Equal

This carries over from the last section specifically talking about favoritism but applies to other sins as well

All of the laws came from the same place (verse 11)

Because they came from the same place they hold the same weight

If we want to be shown mercy we need to show mercy

Verse 13 is an echo of Matthew 7:1–2 “1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

James 2:14–19 (ESV)

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

James 2:26 (ESV)

26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Faith without Works is Dead

Your works reveal your faith

works are the fruit of what we believe

Faith means nothing if we do nothing with it

Taking action is what makes faith work

Peter walked on water not just because he believed he could, He walked on water because he stepped out of the boat

We cannot separate the two

If you take works out of faith, it is as good as dead

If you attempt works without faith they are meaningless