Show no Partiality (James 2:1-13)
Notes
Transcript
Today we are in the 4th sermon in our series in the book of James and today we start in the 2nd chapter of James.
Before we get into our text this morning, I want to ask a question...
What lens are you viewing life through?
(My mom and dad both struggling with having a cataract on their eye’s....)
[James writing to a church’s with blurred vision]
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. 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.
1 point that helps us understand this passage.…
Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
(1 Samuel 16:7) Prophet Samuel.… Man’s looks outward… But God see’s the heart…
Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. (4 sub points)
a. Show no partiality.
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?
Church in New York City.… Celebrity VIP section…
James is communicating that evil thoughts drive us to show partiality or as the NLT translates favoritism...
Partiality and favoritism are not at all from God and are therefore a destructive force that hits the church.
Partiality and favoritism is the great enemy of unity and drives wages of division in the house of God.
What I have found is when partiality and favoritism shows up in the church,
what begins to take place is we hold people accountable at different levels based off who they are.
(Explain) Made distinctions based off status....
Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
Are you viewing people the same way as the world
or
are you viewing people the same way as God.
God has created man and women in His image,
so how do you think God feels when we favor some people over others because of their name, gifts, status...?
As James communicates that when you start making distinctions about people, it is because you are driven by your evil thoughts… not Godly thoughts…
James tells us that those evil thoughts are causing us to bring false judgements on people,
which leads us to dishonor the very people that God has honored.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
a. Show no partiality.
b. Honor God’s chosen.
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?
A sobering question we have to ask ourselves… are you dishonoring people that God has honored?
James articulates that those who love God are the heirs of the kingdom.
God looks at the heart, therefore, he honors people based off the condition of the heart.
1 Samuel 2:30b The Lord said “I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.”
(Here we have James communicating..… dishonor the poor man who has honored God.… don’t have a place for you… but have given honor to the rich man who has despised God… here is a good spot for you…
God will honor those who poor in spirit because they acknowledge that they need God.
God honors those who give honor to him.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who love God.
Receiving the kingdom of God has nothing to do with if you are rich or poor,
have lots of education or not much education,
have a great job or even no job,
receiving the kingdom of God has everything to do with if you love God or not.
You are not God’s prized possession based off any earthly accomplishments,
but rather you are God’s prized possession because God choose you! Amen!
James tells the church listen.… Has not God choose the poor to be rich in faith… So what are you doing dishonoring them…
(Imagine being told that you are dishonoring the very people that God is honoring?)
[Imagine giving honor to those who have blaspheme the name of Jesus.]
When your priorities are on the things of this world, you are going to miss what God is doing…
When your priorities are in your own self-interest, you are always going to miss the mark for what God has for you.
That is why it is so vital that we embrace God’s calling which is revealed in His Word.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
a. Show no partiality.
b. Honor God’s chosen.
c. Embrace the royal law
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. 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.
Embracing the royal law is that we cling to the law that was fulfilled in King Jesus.
Remember Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but he came to fulfill the law.
James is telling his readers if you fulfill the royal law, the law that is complete in Christ,
you will love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus simplified the law and intensified the law…
simplified 2 laws… love God and love people…
intensified the law… hat = murder… lust = adultery....
To embrace the royal law, you need to love your neighbor as yourself… simple...
But if fail in this and show partiality,
you are convicted as a transgressor of the law,
because showing favoritism is a sin.
And this is were James turns up the intensity of his message.
James 2:10 “10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
(We like to category sins… But James does not do that… adultery, murder, and favoritism all in the same conviction as a transgressor...)
James is highlighting the seriousness of treating people differently based off who they are and what they look like.
Because as kingdom people, we have to ask ourselves if we are viewing people from the world’s lens, or the Kingdom’s lens…
To view people through the lens of the Kingdom, we need to embrace the royal law of God.
And by embracing the royal law, we will speak and act as those under the law of liberty.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
a. Show no partiality.
b. Honor God’s chosen.
c. Embrace the royal law.
d. Live by the law of liberty.
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.
We are able to live out the royal law, because we have been set free by the law of liberty.
When Jesus came and paid the price on the cross. (Substitutionary atonement) [the law required payment]
James is making the point that believers need to live in accordance to the law of liberty that has freed them.
Therefore, when you are living in light of being free by the law of liberty,
your judgements are guided differently from the world.
When you speak and act as one who is freed by the law of liberty,
your judgements will be guided by mercy not partiality...
I beleive what James is getting at… transactional treatment.…
(Rich man can open doors… Poor man cannot… )
When our judgement is rooted by our evil thoughts, we will judge with partiality and favoritism.
But, if we judge in accordance to the law of liberty, that is the law that sets us free,
we will judge with mercy and grace.
If we live under the law of liberty we will see people through the eyes of our Father in heaven.
When the poor and marginalized come into your presence,
you will not see them as man see’s them, (man looks at the outward appearance)
no you will see them as God see’s them. (God looks at the heart)
Close with a story of a pastor.… Pastor of the city… spiritual l leader of the city… janitor of the city…
