The Sin of Partiality

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? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 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. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Sermon

James 2:1 ESV

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

My Brothers - believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ

Reference - God’s Glory filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:35)

Those who know the Saviours Glory

Show no Partiality

Favouritism

Discrimination

Stop being dazzled by earthly riches

Physical Attrictiveness

Clothing

Wealth

Position

To do so contradicts your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ

And distracts from His Gospel and the Glory of the Lord

We should seek Jesus’ Glory and Honour

James 2:2–3 ESV

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,”

James in prior verses speaks of

hearing and doing the Word

visit ophans and windows in their afflication

Man with expensive jewelry and fine clothes

Poor man in shabby clothing

Both enter the church

Attention is paid to the rich man

The poor man is dispised, and treated poorly

James 2:4 ESV

have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

James places four (4) rhetorical questions to the believer

Distinctions & Judgement

Justice - lady with blind fold and scales

Evil thoughts

discrimination is opposite of “love your neighbour as yourself”

James 2:5 ESV

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?

Does not God make us heirs of his kingdom?

Clothes us in his righteousness

Gives us His riches

Directs His love to the poor and needy

God does not view man’s material possessions

God demands Faith, and looks for the confidence and assurance man places in Him

Proverbs 8:17 ESV

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

James 2:6 ESV

But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?

When you insult/dishonor the poor, you insult/dishonor Jesus

Protector and gardian of the poor

You no longer champion the cause of Christ

Matthew 12:30 ESV

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

return...

James 2:6 ESV

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 the rich not oppressing/exploiting you?

How do you think they became rich?

Do they not drag you into court?

Do they not want what is yours?

James 2:7 ESV

Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

Do they not blaspheme against Jesus by whom you were called?

You are honouring that which should not be honoured

You are avoiding confronting their sins

James 2:8–9 ESV

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Don’t deceive yourself

Royal Law - God’s commandments

If you obey the command “love your neighour as yourself”, excellent

If you show partiality you are breaking this commandment.

John expounds this principal...

1 John 4:20–21 ESV

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

God is impartial and so we must also be

Deuteronomy 1:17 ESV

You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

Leviticus 19:15 ESV

“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.

James 2:10–11 ESV

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 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.

A failure in one point is guilt of all of the Law

Pride in keeping one law yet failing in another - you have broken the law

The laws do not stand alone, but in unity

Commandments give us the boundaries of God’s protective laws and within them we have perfect freedom

A fish lives in water and is constrained by the waters, yet has freedom

Jesus taught the the law remains

Matthew 5:17–19 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

James 2:12–13 ESV

So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Put action and speach together

Christians, ought to look at their lives from the perspective of being Judged

Look ahead to the day of judgment

Do you words and actions tesify for or against you?

“The law of freedom”

Not a list of rules and regulations

But a living expression of “perfect love” that flows from God to man, man to God and fellow man

Christians do not fear the law of God whilst he stays within is boundaries

Christians thus enjoy complete freedom

But when thee Christian crosses one of these boundaries he becomes a slave to sin and loses his freedom

Anyone who has not been merciful

servant who was forgiven his debt, demanded from his debtors (Matt 18:21-35)

Matthew 18:32–33 ESV

Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

Next Sunday....

Matthew 5:7 ESV

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

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Doxology

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