The Sin of Partiality and Favoritism
THE SIN OF PARTIALITY AND FAVORITISM
INTRODUCTION
From time to time we need to consider some questions about our life
Are you satisfied with your life? Are you at peace with yourself?
Are you enjoying life? Could your life be better? What can I do to make it better?
You are probably thinking the answer is prayer, Bible study, and faithful to church
You are correct, but James has an answer that may surprise you
James is going to show us that one of the ways to greatly improve our life is to think of others
To always be thinking about your own life is not good for you
To think about others is good for you, to care about others is to care for yourself
The world thinks that the best life can give you comes at the expense of others
James tells us the best life for you is when your life is at its best for others
A life that is open for others is a life that has been opened for God to bless
So, now the question is, what is your attitude toward others?
How selective are you when it comes to friends? Who do you want to sit next to in Church?
How do we determine who we will sit by in Church?
Who are the people that you want to come to Church?
Are there people that you don’t want to come to Church? If so, who are they?
Our attitude toward others is a good evaluation of our spiritual life
Are we being partial toward others? Do we show favoritism toward others?
As we think of others, are we directed by the standards of the world instead of the Holy Spirit?
Do we look at the face and the outward appearance to decide if we will invite them to Church?
Are we more concerned about their physical appearance than their spiritual condition?
Are we looking for those who can help us instead of looking for those that we can help?
If that is true, “then God help us”
God help us if we desire others to bless us instead of wanting to be a blessing to others
James is going to show us that favoritism and partiality is wrong, especially for the Christian
He will show us what it is like, he will tell us how to overcome it and avoid it
What James says in 2:1-13 can come under the title of “pure and undefiled religion”
The last verse in chapter 1, Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Partiality is not to be found in the Church it is not to be found within Christianity
What kind of a first impression do we make as individuals and as a Church?
What do others think when they first meet us? What do they think when they come to know us?
As a Church, what is the first thing that we reveal to the lost, the backslider, the un-churched?
What impression do we make upon the visitors to our Church?
That is what James is concerned about in the beginning of this chapter
When people come to our Church, what does our actions say to them?
Does our action toward them depend upon who they are? Is that what controls our actions?
Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with
respect of persons.
What a way to introduce what he has to say, “My brethren,” those united together in Christ
Jesus has accepted me, Jesus has accepted you, we are brothers and sisters in Christ
Jesus accepted me the way I was, He accepted you the way you were
That tells us that he will accept others the same way they are, regardless of who they are
And when He does, they will become our brothers and sisters in Christ
So, we need to pay attention to what James is telling us, it is a family matter
have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,
“The faith of our Lord Jesus” is our Christian life, our life because of Christ
It is the daily life that we live because of Christ, the life that is to represent Christ to others
James tells us that, proclaiming “faith in Christ” and practicing partiality do not go together
As a Christian don’t claim to hold to the faith and then show favoritism
“Have not” means stop doing that if you are and don’t start if you are not doing it
The Lord sent Samuel to anoint a new king over Israel and the Lord instructed him, 1Sa 16:7 But
the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature;
because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the
outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. (David was God’s choice, wow, read it)
Man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart and does not show favoritism
God shows no partiality, Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
God revealed that truth to Peter through a vision, Act 10:9 On the morrow, as they went on their
journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth
hour: (At noon)
Act 10:10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell
into a trance, (In which God gave him a vision)
Act 10:11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a
great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: (A sheet coming from heaven)
Act 10:12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and
creeping things, and fowls of the air. (All kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds)
Act 10:13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. (God commanded Peter)
Act 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or
unclean. (Peter’s thinking was, “surely not” Lord)
Act 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call
not thou common. (Peter, you must realize what God has done, consider the work of His hand)
Act 10:16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. (Emphasis)
Act 10:17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean,
behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood
before the gate, (Not a coincidence, it was God’s timing, God was in control)
An angel had told Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile, in a vision to send for Peter
The Spirit told Peter to go with the men who were seeking him, so, Peter went to Cornelius,
Act 10:27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.
Act 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew
to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not
call any man common or unclean. (Peter turned from man’s thinking to God’s teaching)
Act 10:29 Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask
therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?
Act 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I
prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, (His vision)
Act 10:31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in
the sight of God. (His vision from God was an answer to prayer)
Would it not be wise for us to be more specific in prayer when we pray for others?
Be specific when we consider those who have a need, either physical, material, or spiritual
God open the door and show me the way to minister to them, instead of just praying for them
Look at how God prepared the meeting of Peter and Cornelius, He worked in each of them
God spoke to Cornelius, Act 10:32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose
surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he
cometh, shall speak unto thee. (Very specific instructions, leaving no doubts)
Act 10:33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now
therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons: (Peter had a new mind-set, he had listened to God, God loves all sinners)
Act 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with
him. (This is not salvation by works, but salvation by trusting and turning to God)
God will accept those who believe in Jesus from any nation, God welcomes all sinners
The daily faith that we live must present that same truth to all we come-in contact with
Even the religious leaders admitted that Jesus Himself was impartial, Mat 22:16 And they sent out
unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and
teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the
person of men.
As Christians we are to live the life that identifies Jesus as “the Lord of glory”
the Lord of glory,
Jesus is the “Glorious Lord,” the world does not see that, 1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of
this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Jesus was glorified when He died on the cross for us
Jesus is to be “Glorified” in our life by the things that we do for Him
We are to be a-reflection of the “Glory of God,” a Divine Heavenly Radiance
We must see ourselves before God as we really are, we are His Workmanship, Eph 2:10 For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. (Literally, we are a masterpiece, a work of art, we are God-made)
We must see the truth of that, how we see ourselves will determine how we will see others
If our attitude is “I am such a blessing to God,” God really does deserve me
Some seem to think, “I don’t know what God would do without me?”
People who believe like that believe that others should be a blessing to them
We will expect others to be giving to us because we think we are worthy and deserve it
But if we see that it is God who has so richly blessed us, realizing who we once were
Knowing that God’s Grace was shed upon us when we did not deserve it
Realizing that God gave His all to us through the cross and without Him we are nothing
The cross of Calvary was for a world of sinners, Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. (Even the one that we may not be interested in)
The Church of today must say, “Whosoever will, may come,” put out the welcome mat for all
The ministry of the Church of today has not changed, we must agree with Paul, Rom 1:14 I am
debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
Unless you were a Jew, religious Jews were not interested in you and had nothing to do with you
But because of the gospel in Paul’s life he was eager to share the gospel with all sinners,
Rom 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
Paul was not ashamed of the gospel and he was no shame to it, Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Paul had experienced physical pain and persecution because he had preached the gospel
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written,
The just shall live by faith. (Sinners are made righteous before God through faith in Jesus)
Paul said, “the just shall live by faith,” James is speaking to those who claim to have faith
Christians must come to realize who we are “In Christ,” Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
When we learn that we will see that God wants us to be a blessing unto others
Our commitment to Christ commits us to others and there can be no respect of persons
with respect of persons.
Meaning “to show favoritism” or partiality, to receive a person by face only or by appearance
Something that God does not do, God is impartial in His dealings with people, Eph 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; (Obeying Christ is the beginning of our responsibilities)
Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; (The Christian life is a commitment and not a show seeking self-recognition)
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
“Good will” has the meaning of a pleasure, a blessing, or a peaceful spirit, which is good for us
Eph 6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. (Obeying God always pays God is the paymaster)
Eph 6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
God does not deal with people based upon their social status, education, occupation, nationality
Christians should be respectful toward the common laborer as well as the elite among society,
Col 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: (Obeying God is reverence toward God)
Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; (A men-pleaser)
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. (As Christians we are to serve God, in everything we do every day)
Col 3:25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. (When payday comes, God will show no favoritism, setting us an example)
We must put into practice what we have personally learned from Christ, Col 4:1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
The love of God that has been poured out upon us is to be shared with others without partiality,
1Jn 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (Understand with your mind, perceive within your heart)
Then put the love of God into practice, 1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
Is our mind thinking of those in need? Are our eyes looking for those in need?
Is our heart open to those in need? What is the truth of the love we say we have? 1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
The true test of God’s love in us is not what our tongue says, but the action our hands take,
1Jn 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
In the next few verses, James is going to explain what he means by “respect of persons,” Jas 2:1
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
James gives us the example of two different people coming into the church
They come in among the congregation during the time of worship
They are not members or regular in attendance, they are visitors
The appearance of each one identifies them with their daily lifestyle
The way that the church receives them and treats them is a test of pure religion
We are not to reject someone because they do not appear to us as we want them to be
There are many ways in which partiality may be shown, race, culture, social status
According to where someone lives or works, where they go to school or church
We need to see and accept people based upon the fact that they need Jesus in their life
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
“Your assembly” refers to the place where Christians assembled to worship, their local church
Suppose a rich man comes to visit the church
And at the same time there comes a poor man to visit
Both are strangers to the congregation, how are they going to be received?
Will they be treated the same? Will they both be greeted the same?
James could have used many different comparisons and his point would still be the same
He could have spoken of the educated and uneducated, a businessman and a laborer
An employer and an employee, an old person and a young person, someone married or single
He could have spoken of the color of their skin he could have identified them by where they live
Does any of the above make a difference with us concerning those who enter our church doors?
a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel,
Literally “Gold-fingered,” he had on many gold rings, maybe rings on every finger
Leaving the impression that he is rich, he is adorned with valuable gold rings
He was very well dressed, wearing “fine clothing,” bright and sparkling, and very expensive
He had all the appearance of wealth and that is how he wanted to appear
Often those who are rich want to identify their riches by the way they dress, or talk
But James is not concerned with the attitude of the visitor
His concern is the attitude of the Church toward each person, rich or poor, black or white
How is the Church going to receive the rich man? How will he be treated?
and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
Probably following close behind is a “poor man,” a beggar
There is no doubt that he is poverty stricken with no riches to depend on
His appearance says that he must depend upon others for food and clothing
His clothing is shabby and dirty, probably the only clothes that he had
If he was able to work, he had to wear his work clothes to church
Rather than bright and sparkling they are discolored from age and stained
He had the appearance of a beggar coming in off-of the street
So how is the Church going to receive him? How will he be treated?
Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou
here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
James is going to give us the general attitude of the congregation, what most would think and do
They show special attention to the rich man, they look upon him with favor
They think of his wealth, his prestige, his influence and power
Thinking he must be highly regarded in the community, one that others look up to and envy
He is one that could do so much financially for the church
The church finds itself looking upon this man the same way the world does
With eyes as bright as the clothes, with faces shining like the rings
He looks good to you because you see what you think he can do for you
It is his physical appearance that attracts your special attention
and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; or sit here under my footstool:
The church acts in a very special way, giving personal attention, “please” be seated
They wanted him to be seated where everyone could see him
He is offered a privileged place to sit, anyone will allow him to sit in their seat
James probably had never been to a Baptist Church, where no one sits in your seat
and say to the poor, Stand thou there,
They instruct the poor man that he can stand somewhere out of the way, far away
If he doesn’t want to stand in the corner, he can sit on the floor where no one can see him
No one is going to offer him their seat, it would be embarrassing to sit by him in church
The usher does not want to escort him down the aisle to a seat
Ushers and Greeters are very important to the Church, offering first impressions to our visitors
They represent the attitude and personality of the Church Family
What is the attitude of our church? What is the personality of our church?
James now has a question for our ushers and greeters and a question for every church member
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
James says, “take a look at yourself,” search your heart, evaluate your motives
Are you a Christian? Are you are showing partiality? Partiality goes against Christianity
Partiality is not the way of God, it is unlike Christ, and Christ is the judge, 1Pe 1:17 And if ye call
on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the
time of your sojourning here in fear:
Literally Peter says, “if you are a Christian,” give thought to what I am saying
As Father and Judge He is faithful and true, He is impartial in judging, He shows no favoritism
Be careful of judging others, realize that the one who will judge us is our Heavenly Father
and are become judges of evil thoughts?
You are acting as a judge with “evil thoughts” making decisions that will harm others
You are following evil standards instead of God’s will
You are not exercising faith in Christ, you are going against Christ
Too often churches cater to the rich because of what they think they can get out of them
They neglect the poor because they are afraid that they will want something from the church
We must receive those who are saved because we are united in Christ
We must receive those who are lost because Jesus died for them
Our concern must be the spiritual welfare of the church and the spiritual state of every visitor
Church members must be careful not to form cliques, which is easy to do in todays-society
In church it can be as easy as walking by someone without any form of recognition
Without any sign of a welcome, not even a smile or a handshake
Some can be a spiritual saint in the eyes of their friends and act as a spiritual snob before others
The concern of the church is not to be our visitor’s sins of the past
Our concern must be to minister to them today and help them to prepare for tomorrow
Jesus did not approve of sin, but he was a friend of sinners
He did not compromise with sin, but he had compassion for sinners
He treated everyone with the same love, the same interest, and the same care and concern
He did not approve of a sinner’s behavior, but He ministered to their need of a Savior
Jesus ministered to Nicodemus, a religious ruler, and to the Samaritan woman, an outcast
He was true to His mission, Mar 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Listen to this verse, “even the Son of Man,” who is the King of kings and Lord of Lords
He relinquished His privileges and gave Himself as a sacrifice in order to minister to us
What sacrifice have we made in order to minister to others?
CONCLUSION
I know that we believe that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary
But do we really believe who He died “for” on the cross?
Jesus died for every language, race, and nation, and sinners will be saved from every nation,
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
If we are going to sing with them in Heaven, don’t be ashamed to sit with them in church today
God loves every one of us, Jesus died for every one of us
All sinners saved by grace stand equal at the cross
The church doors must be open to all sinners and all saints must welcome them into our services
Consider Jesus who was born in a manger that was built for livestock
He was rejected by His own people, they wanted nothing to do with Him
He had no earthly place to call home while He ministered to the world
He preached from a borrowed boat and He rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey
He borrowed a room to meet with His disciples for the “Last Supper”
His body was buried in a borrowed tomb
With such a background, how many churches today would He be welcome in?
I see gates to a person’s house, they have a welcome sign on the gate, but the gate is locked
We have a sign advertising our church, we cannot have a locked door because we are prejudice
Yes, today we must be careful who we trust, and our church takes precautions in order to do that
We have locked doors for security reasons, but they cannot be locked for other reasons
We must be cautious that we have not locked our doors to the ministry of those who need Jesus