Partiality

2.12.2025

James 2:1-7

Introduction

Has anyone been excluded? Think back to the elementary playground with me. Maybe there was a game of kickball, wiffle-ball, red-rover, or backyard football and you couldn’t wait to play. Names keep getting called, but none of them are yours. Name by name, you hope to hear yours, but to no avail you aren’t chosen. Finally, they come to the last person and instead of greeting you with cheers for joining the team, the “team” sighs and says “Okay, we’ll take Jacob but we get ball first!”

What’s happened? It’s clear that you aren’t wanted, you aren’t valued as a member of the team? How does that feel? Pretty awful, if we’re being honest.

You remember the old line “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Do you think that statement is true? That statement was created in 1862 to fight childhood bullying, but I’m not sure it’s actually true. Sure, sticks and stones can break your bones, but the actions, words, and attitudes that we are treated with can break us down and break us apart.

Tonight, we begin our study in the second chapter of James’ letter. He is still flowing out of the previous sections we’ve been thinking about with the hearing the Word and being Doers of the Word. Look back to James 1:25, “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” To be hearers and doers of the Word, we must look into the perfect law, pray that we would persevere by God’s grace, and seek to implant the Word into our lives. Tonight, we see a specific way that we can do that. James tackles a pressing issues for his original readers and it’s urgent for us to hear too. He urges this audience to not show partiality in any type of way.

Read James 2:1-7

James 2:1–7 ESV

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 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, 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,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 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? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

Main Idea: Christians are to treat everyone with worth and dignity, because of Jesus.

You can’t hold the faith and show favoritism at the same time. (V1)

Straight away in V1, we find a command from James and the reasoning behind the command.

Command: “Show no partiality”

He meets the issue head on and says “Look you can’t do this, you have to stop doing this.”

Reason: “as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”

First, notice what the reason is not:

It is not because of feelings.

It’s not because of kindness.

Do all of those things matter?

Of course they do!

But what we find is the primary reason that you and I, that James’ original audience isn’t to show any kind of partiality, favoritism, or decisions based on external factors because it is an offence against God, an offence against the faith that we confess.

Transition: Guys, if we show partiality to those around us, those that come into our gatherings as a youth group, but also as a church, you realize that we have failed the calling of James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

So what is this reason?

The main reason is that we hold the faith in Christ, the Lord of glory.

We cannot show partiality toward anyone, specifically in this example because of their appearance, we are in contradiction of our confession, in contradiction of our faith.

We confess Christ, so we do what he does.

The very word that describes us is “Christians” and if you break that word down it means “Christ-Ones.”

In Christ we are new creatures, we have new hearts, new minds, new eyes, new passions, new loves, new categories.

So what I want you to see is that if you confess Jesus Christ as savior and Lord, then you have to be like him.

What we believe and confess informs how we live!

So what does Jesus say about this? Has he said anything about judgment?

Matthew 7:1–5, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

John 8:1–8, “but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.”

Luke 6:31–36 “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

And see what Paul says in Romans 2, Romans 2:1–3, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?”

So do you see that condemning others, showing partiality in our reception of people is the opposite of doing what Christ has commanded us?!

When we show partiality, we are making a false profession of our faith, a false statement about who God is!

God shows no partiality! Paul tells us this in Romans 2:6-11

Romans 2:6–11 ESV

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

RC Sproul said this, “

Paul shows that what pleases God is not knowledge of the law but obedience to God’s will revealed in it. Therefore, “God shows no partiality”

R. C. Sproul

So God shows no partiality, and we ought not show it either. Our call as Christians is to do what he does, because he has saved us by means of his Son on the cross!

Application: During youth group, you might gravitate toward familiar faces and overlook newcomers. This creates an environment where some feel unwelcomed. Take initiative by making it a goal to greet at least one new person each week. Invite them into your conversations, ask them about their faith journey, and share your own. Your effort can create a culture of hospitality and support, reflecting the heart of Christ, who welcomed everyone with open arms. Pray for the courage and words to reach out, recognizing that every soul matters to God.

Remember who you are and who you aren’t.

Notice what James does next in V2-4, he paints a picture of how partiality plays out in the Christian gathering.

See the rich man comes in and the Christians gathered say “Oh wow, look at you, you look great! Why don’t you come sit right over here!” And then, the man dressed in less nice clothes walks in and the Christians size him up and go, “Hey you, why don’t you just sit in the corner, better yet, just sit in the floor at our feet.”

He gives this hypothetical or realistic example, and let me ask you, what feeling does it evoke in you?

It’s awful!

It ought to shock us!

It ought to anger us!

Do you know that feet were seen as disgusting in the first-century?

And yet, in this scenario, James says that the Christian leaders were telling the poor to just take a seat next to their dirty nasty feet!

That communicates that they weren’t valued. They weren’t bringing a lot to the table.

And look at what James says in V4, (James 2:4) “have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

So when this was being done in the Christian gathering, what was taking place?

The Christians, the Christian leaders, had effectively self-appointed themselves and now sit as a judge does making judgments and drawing conclusions.

James is referring back to a verse in Leviticus where this was also taking place. And before we read it, are you catching the theme? All throughout Scripture and human history that God’s people have struggled with the sin of partiality.

Look at Leviticus 19:15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”

Even within the Israelite Legal System, favoritism wasn’t allowed. Why? Because it’s not just!

Think about the picture of lady justice. Her eyes are blindfolded, because being level-handed, being equal, being just requires that no favoritism be shown.

And that is James point.

For you and me to essentially self-appoint ourselves to sit as judges over people as to where they belong or don’t belong, is for us to sit in a seat where we don’t belong!

Your job and my job is not to draw judgments and show favoritism or partiality, but to treat others like Jesus has.

Think about Jesus’s disposition toward others.

He was fully grace and fully truthful.

He welcomed the little children.

The call of scripture is to welcome others into our gatherings. Later in Leviticus 19 we find the call for the people of God (Leviticus 19:34), “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

This was the rule for the Israelites and I believe James is helping us to see that a similar rule applies to us.

We are called, by God and His Word, to make the church a welcoming place.

Jen Oshman says that the church, and I’ll say our student ministry ought to be, “a porch light in a dark night.”

J.T. English says this, “The most welcoming place on the planet should be the church, and the most welcoming people on the planet should be Christians. Why? So that sinners can hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Welcome, we are invited to fling open the doors of the church and open the doors of our lives so that all people will have the chance to hear about who Jesus is and what he has accomplished for a lost and dying world.”

Think about that statement. The church ought to be the most welcoming place on the planet. For teenagers, First Students ought to be the most welcoming place for 7-12 graders in our area. That’s one of our goals as a student ministry. To welcome in those that don’t know Jesus, so that they might come to know him and become one of his children, become part of the church.

I have this sign in my kitchen that’s an old Anglican saying and it’s a mantra for our household. It reads this, “To all who are weary and need rest, to all who mourn and long for comfort, to all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares, to all who fail and desire strength, to all who sin and need a savior, to all who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and to whoever will come; this home/church/student ministry opens wide her doors and offers welcome in the name of Jesus Christ, the mighty friend of sinners.”

Isn’t that what you want said of your life, your student ministry, your church?

That’s the heart of Christ!

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28–30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

So why would we not want to be as he is.

Application:

If we are looking at this example and thinking about our lives, we have to ask some hard questions. Am I falling to this temptation? Am I welcoming to everyone? Am I treating others as Jesus would? Am I seeking to make my life, my student ministry, my church the most hospitable place on planet earth?

Here’s the question we are going to ask in small groups: How can I help to build gospel culture?

You might ask, “What is a gospel culture?”

Well I’m glad you asked!

Turn in your bibles to Romans. We’re going to read one verse: Romans 12:9–13 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

This is a gospel culture!

A pastor I look up to so much has written extensively on this topic and he offers this insight:

In a gospel culture, the people do not eye one another with negative scrutiny and merciless comparisons and guarded aloofness, but they move toward one another with rejoicing, acceptance and honor. Why? Because in every true Christian, Christ is there, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). David wrote, “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (Psalm 16:3). There is excellence in every true Christian, and it isn’t hard to find. About two questions into a conversation, and the excellence will start pouring out of that person. And then the gospel calls us to make a significant emotional commitment: “. . . in whom is all my delight.” That language – “all my delight” – is almost idolatrous! Our churches tend to live on a starvation diet of personal affirmation. Let’s risk a more generous tone of delight in one another.

The honor of Romans 12:10 is not flattery. It is the practical outworking of the doctrine of glorification. It is gospel obedience to honor another Christian with, “Here is how I see Christ in you. Here is how I see his glory appearing in you. Last Tuesday when I had a need and I called you, . . . .” That discourse among the people of God is highly conducive to a joyous gospel culture. I have never met anyone too encouraged in the Lord!

At Immanuel Nashville, every Tuesday evening is Immanuel Theology for Men. We gather in our café for three purposes: doctrine (we are going through Romans right now), walking in the light, and honoring one another. What we call “honor time” starts out like this. I say, “Okay, men, Romans 12:10 says, ‘Outdo one another in showing honor.’ So this is competitive, but everybody wins. So, who’s first?” Typically, hands go up immediately as men start honoring one another openly and sincerely. A culture of honor strongly excludes all sarcasm and jocular put-downs, which are common but destructive. The Lord has so helped us in this way that, by now, it would feel obviously weird and clearly wrong if any man started playing the usual games of undercutting and foolishness. A cheerful giving of honor is so attractive, so life-giving, so manly, that it sweeps aside the alternatives.”

Guys, let’s seek for the next however long, until the Lord returns, to build a gospel culture in this ministry, in this church. That we would love each other the way that Christ loves others. Let’s welcome those that don’t look like us, that may be way different than us, those that might be up or down, let’s welcome them all and introduce them to Jesus!!

So remember who you are (a sinner, who has been redeemed by the grace and mercy of Christ) and who you aren’t (the righteous, holy judge of all).

The final point for the evening is found in V5-7 and James grabs our attention.

Double down on God’s Economy and see people they way he sees them. (V5-7)

“Listen”

James is grabbing their and our attention.

He means business and we should too!

He sees the sin occuring and his showing his readers the serious deadliness of it. We should have the same attitude toward this heinous sin.

“Has God not 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?”

Does this sound familiar?

It should!

Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” in the Sermon on the Mount.

This statement by James is an echo of what the Lord Jesus has taught in the most famous sermon.

Remember, the first shall become last and the last shall become fast.

We have to pray every day that God by his grace and through the power of the Spirit will help us to live in God’s economy, valuing what He values and seeing others the way that He does!

That’s got to be one of our prayers each day.

“Lord, help me to see the world and the people you have made the way you do. Help me to love them and point them to your Son!”

Then look at V6 (James 2:6) “But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?”

Do you see the irony?

The ones they were welcoming into their gatherings, rolling the red carpet out for, are the very ones that oppress them and drag them into court!

That’s often true of our own lives. We live our lives for the praise of others, we live with the hope of being noticed by those above us. Why? So one day, we might be on their level. You may say, “No, I don’t do that.” Well I’d like to call your hand and suggest that you need to take a closer look on your life, heart, and motives.

We have to see people the way that God sees them.

Remember the most famous verse in all the Bible, John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Martin Luther called this verse “the Bible in miniature.”

JC Ryle says this about John 3:16, “There is a deep sense in which God loves the world. All whom He has created He regards with pity and compassion. Their sins He cannot love, but He loves their souls. Christ is God’s gracious gift to the whole world.” (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels - John, p. 97)

Here’s the point: We have to live in God’s economy, double down on it and then we must see people the way that God sees them.

If we fail to do this, we fail to fulfill the royal law according to Scripture that we are going to see next week:

Read James 2:8–13 “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 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. 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. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

This is our section for next week and we’ll work it then, but it is inextricably connected to this passage.

If we are going to fulfill the law of liberty, the call on our lives, as Christians, then we have to see the world, we have to see sinners, we have to see outcasts, we have to see everyone the way that God sees them!

“Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

What if we actually took God at his Word and implemented that in our hearts, lives, and minds?!

Application:

Do you see what James is saying in these final verses? We have to, in order to be obedient, to honor Christ, to build up the church, to build up each other, to honor each other, double down on God’s economy, value what he values, and then see people the way that he sees them; through the eyes of compassion. They need Jesus. You need Jesus. I need Jesus. That should be our heart.

Main Idea: Christians are to treat everyone with worth and dignity, because of Jesus.

Application Questions

How can you help cultivate and create a culture of hospitality in your daily life and at First Students? (Think about V1)

How can you seek to build a gospel culture in your life, this student ministry, and our church as a whole? (Think about V2-4)

How can you daily see the world and the people God has made the way he does? Why does this matter for our lives as Christians? (Think about V5-7)