Hey Don't Forget Me! (15)

2 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. ()

(). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

So often there have been groups of people who are over looked and marginalized in society. They are often oppressed. We may describe them as the least among us.

They may suffer from mental illness, could be poor, sometimes they appear disheveled. James speaks to the church concerning this group. He reminds us that our partiality is actually a sin.

We must realize that God choose us to be a part of his family. Its makes it clear.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” ().

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Think about it when we get so hind minded and start treating according to the haves and the have not we are just like the one who oppress us. Isaiah said it this way We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name. ().

(2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

like those who are not called by your name.

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle of James b. Rational Argument 2:5–7

The church knew well that God had chosen the poor. The concept of election was deeply rooted in both Jewish and Christian thought. God chose Israel

Remember The church knew well that God had chosen the poor. The concept of election was deeply rooted in both Jewish and Christian thought. God chose Israel. The only criteria of us being chosen is that we live by his standards. Paul said to the Ephesians “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love”. (). Today Sunday school lesson said we should esteem others better than ourselves. So has we become a beloved community we have to recognize when we hear someone say Hey Don’t forget about me! Are we guilty of over looking people here? Have we purposely left people out because we discounted their value?

When we do this we are in dangerous territory. We are dabbling with sin. James want the Church to reflect the Christ that save them. If we are going to be his people shouldn’t act like him? This is what discipleship is all about. If we are to repair the breach we must first allow God to repair us.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

James shows them the error of their ways. Showing favoritism based on a person economic status is just wrong! Plain wrong! Its just ain’t right!

The Christians do not simply discriminate against the poor, but they do so in favor of the rich. This means that they are siding with the very class which both historically and at present persecutes the impoverished believer. They have made the church into a tool of persecution; they have, in effect, sided with the devil against God.

Partiality means respect of person and we know God has no respective of person, Peter said in Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: if God shows no partiality surely we should not either.

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle of James b. Rational Argument 2:5–7

The Christians do not simply discriminate against the poor, but they do so in favor of the rich. This means that they are siding with the very class which both historically and at present persecutes the impoverished believer. They have made the church into a tool of persecution; they have, in effect, sided with the devil against God.

Partiality means respect of person and we know God has no respective of person, Peter said in Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: if God shows no partiality surely we should not either.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Partiality means respect of person and we know God has no respective of person, Peter said in Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: if God shows no partiality surely we should not either.

We are in this faith walk together!

First when we do this we sin!

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.

(). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you. (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The prophets often reminded the Children of Israel of their responsibility. Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart. (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Secondly there is a better way verse 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Loving your neighbor as yourself is found eight times in the Bible. Not once. Not twice. Eight times. Loving your neighbor as yourself is so important to God that He not only repeats Himself, He makes it a command. And not just one in a list of many commands. Jesus coupled the command to love your neighbor as yourself with loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

James calls it the royal law. It sounds beautiful, and it is when we obey it.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

But loving your neighbor as yourself isn’t always easy. That’s why God made it a command. He knew we’d struggle. Making it a command is actually to our benefit. How is that? We have to do it on purpose, be intentional about it. Sometimes even out of our need.

Too begin to love your neighbor as yourself, you need to know two things: you need to know what love is and that you are loved.

The Bible tells us “this is love. Not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son as a propitiation…” (). You are the object of this love. God loves you. Knowing this is imperative. And not just loved in a general kind of way, but deeply loved and unconditionally loved. We tap into this when we understand that God loved us first. He’s the source of our love. God loved us even before Jesus gave Himself for us. God the Father is the source of all love. Before we can give this love we need to receive it for ourselves. You can’t give what you don’t have.