The sin of Partiality

If I brought a homeless man to youth tonight would you sit far away or close enough to make him feel welcomed?

what if it was Justin Bieber or Lebron James ?

How would the Homeless man see Christians if I treated him based upon his appearance?

James 2: 1-7 “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?”

James is referring to those who have a conditional Love

If you are setting the example of Christ, they’d see a love that’s not unconditional, but has conditions tied to it, a love that has to be earned.

Whats wrong with showing partiality as believers?

Your missing the most important thing as a believer. without this everything else that you do is nothing!

1 Corinthians 13:13 “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:2 “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

Our whole belief us founded on “Faith” and it says “Love” is more important!

2. How is the fathers love for us?

Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In your failure, he still loved you. when you were clothed in unrighteousness, he still loved you!

So why can’t we love the one that not as fortunate as us, don’t have the nicest shoes, freshest clothes?

(it’s so easy to show partiality to those in school or in the streets) 3. But do you know what Jesus will say to those who mistreat the less fortunate?

Matthew 25:35-46 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you , as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”