James 2:1-7

Show No Partiality

Read James 2:1-7.

Pray -God to hear our worship, to hear our confessions, to hear our cries, and to comfort, rescue, and be glorified

Dismiss Children 

Introduction

(Context) Just some quick context; James, who is the overseer of the church in Jerusalem, is the author of this letter. This letter is sent out to the church at large who is in that day suffering. This letter is dealing with sanctification; Being set apart, how a believer is to order their lives.

(Intro) Today’s sermon is titled “Show No Partiality” as that is the explicit command from this text. 

(Question) How many of us have ever been excluded by our group of friends from some kind of activity? How many of us have ever felt like we were treated less than others? 

(Illustration) We can all relate in some varying degree of hatred towards the injustice of partiality when partiality comes against us. But are you showing partiality today? I hope this is not the case, (according to scripture) as you would be considered a wicked judge. How many of us have heard the term “Lady Justice” and think of a woman wearing a blindfold and has an equally weighted scale in her hand? Lady Justice symbolizes the idea of “impartiality” in the court of law. This idea of impartiality comes directly from God’s word. Leviticus 19:15 says:

Leviticus 19:15

ESV

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.

We hate partiality when it comes against us, but we often love giving partiality to others because it benefits us at the expense of others. If you are being partial to your neighbor today(whether it be people in this church, your family, or strangers), you are sinning against God, because this is not loving your neighbor.

(Proposition) This is what we will be focusing on today: God hates partiality because He is impartial, and we as God’s people are called to mirror this attribute of God.

(Goal) Our objective for this morning is: 1) to see how favoritism or partiality is a sin (V.10), 2) how partiality is contrary to the Gospel, and 3) ways we can battle this sin of partiality. 

The Sin of Partiality

I first want to discuss the sin of partiality. 

Read James 2:1a

James, being the practical man that he is, gives us a straightforward example of partiality that is probably actually taking place in his day. (Read) James 2:2-4. 

I want us to note a few things about this portion of the text regarding the sin of partiality. 

Firstly, notice “who” James is pleading with to not demonstrate partiality— verse 1 “brothers” and verse 5 “my beloved brothers.” 

James knows that the Christian can fall into this sin of partiality, and therefore he is exhorting the Christians in the 1st century and to us many years later to avoid such a type of behavior.

Secondly, note the two types of people that James alludes to in this text. He speaks of the rich man who wears fine clothing, and then speaks of the poor man who is in shabby clothing.

James, giving a practical example, reports that the Christian is not to sit the rich man in a place of honor while sitting the poor man in a place of no respect; such as sitting them in the back or making them sit on the floor.

(Question) Why would they (the 1st century church) and we by proxy, be tempted to show partiality to those who are rich at the expense of the poor? It is because we are tempted to be respecter of persons based on their appearance and status rather than seeing the spiritual need and condition before God. When we show partiality at the expense of others, we are typically furthering our own interests rather than the interests of others. But this is not a part of the royal law according to scripture. (Read) James 2:8-9 (We will come back to this text next week)

(Sin) The Sin of partiality is twofold; Firs— it is sin because we are wrong lifting one person up and treating them well because of outward appearance (Judging outward appearance rather than what is inside of them). And secondly— Partiality is sin because it serves our interest at the expense of another and therefore is not keeping God’s law (Meaning that there is typically a alternative motive). 

(Convicting Question) Let me give you a few examples of how this could look today; What if we sat metal chairs on the right side up and nice cushion chairs on the left side. (Examples- expound) dress, finances, Ethnicity, family, lineage, giving to the church (Tithe), age, experience/employment. 

Are we guilty of this favoritism today? Because if you are, repent! The sin of partiality, just as all sin is, is contrary to the Gospel.

Contrary to the Gospel

(Read) James 2:1b

(question) How and why is partiality contrary to the Gospel? Let me first remind us that the Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, has died for our sins and has risen from the grave, saving sinners through faith in His finished work. But why is “partiality” contrary to this message? Has God chosen His elect based on how well they dress? Has God chosen His bride based on how great we are? Has God chosen us because we are rich in this life? NOOOO! God has not chosen or called us based on our appearance, for we are naked before Him, and we have nothing to boast about, for all our works are nothing but filthy rags. 

(Read) James 2:5 (Chosen)

(Read) James 2:7 (Called) 

God does not reward man based off of his good, because no one is good no not one. Turn with me to Romans 2 and 3.

(Read) Romans 2:9-12. —ALL— God shows no partiality—If for a moment you thought that you were good, look at what Paul states about you.

(Read) Romans 3:9-18, (Preach) Romans 3:22-24— ALL— 

God shows no partiality. If you believe that God will save you based on ethnicity today, you are mistaken, because God only saves through Jesus Christ. If you think God will reward you because you are rich, you are only casting pennies at the feet of Jesus who will footstool you. If you are old and grey thinking to yourself that “That God will accept me because of all the good I have done in my long life,” you are awaiting judgement for your sin. I beg you to turn to Christ through faith. Little one, children, listen to me: if you think that God will accept you because you have listened to your parents, He will not, and it is only through Christ. 

Brothers and Sisters, God shows no partiality in two ways regarding the Gospel: 1) If you die without the Gospel, you will be condemned in your sin equally. 2) If you have the Gospel, you are saved equally through faith in Jesus, the Lord of Glory. 

God shows no partiality. He either sees you as a condemned man, or He sees the righteousness of Jesus covering you. 

How To 

So we see that partiality is a sin against God and it is contrary to the Gospel that saves. How do we battle the sin and live according to the Gospel? 

(Read) James 2:1c 

Some of our translations might say “glorious Lord Jesus Christ.” The Greek reads “τὴν πίστιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς δόξης” In English, “Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the glory.” Most commentaries agree and are correct in noting the word “glory” in this text, comes from the Jewish character James— is referring to the “shekhinah,” the dwelling glory of God manifested in the Old Testament. Theologically, this is telling us what John in his prologue says about Christ: John 1:14

John 1:14

ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

James is telling us that if we have faith in Jesus Christ, that He is the same object of faith that Abraham, Isaac, and Moses placed their faith in: the LORD of Glory. But what does this have to do with not showing partiality? Church, it is the very reason we ought not to show partiality. We serve the almighty God of all creation, who, as the LORD of glory, died for us while we were yet sinners. The vast, immeasurable riches of God, which are found in knowing Christ, surpass all the fading wealth of man. When we show respect to one person at the expense of another, we are forgetting that we serve a God who has given the perfect example of humility and impartiality.

Turn with me to Phil 2:3-8.

The Lord of Glory, who deserves all honor and praise, and while he dwelt amongst us, he deserved to be seated in the most honorable place; yet, He was nailed to a cross so that you and I might live. Have this attitude inside yourself that was in Christ Jesus. Stop thinking “me, me, me, it is all about me!” but look to Christ and say it is all about “He, He, He, because He has saved me!” 

Look around this room today, and ask yourself, am I looking out for their interests, or am I looking out for my own? Do I want my own comfort, or the comfort of a rich man in fine clothing, at the expense of another?

Conclude

I want to conclude by saying this: God hates partiality! Are you being partial today? Are you looking out for your own interests over the interests of others in this body? If you are, I beg you to remember that those whom you look down upon, if they are in Christ, are blood-purchased, adopted children of God whom Christ Jesus Himself, the Lord of Glory, laid His life down for. 

Show no partiality, for God is not a respecter of persons. Showing partiality divides the body, it pits one another against each other, and it is a sin that is contrary to the Gospel. Look to Christ in His example and have this attribute of humility that was in Christ Jesus, the Lord of Glory, and you will soon forget about the riches of this world.

Church be humble, and show no favoritism.

Pray—Thank you for saving us. Regeneration. Grant humility as we show no partiality.