Chico Alliance Church
June 4, 2018
Pastor David Welch
“Partiality and Prejudice in the Pews”
This is our thirteenth excursion in front of God’s faith-exposing mirror. James’ letter provides pointed instruction evaluating the true nature of our faith. James’ mirror exposes the reality of faith by showing us the character of true faith. The first category has to do with faith’s response to trials and tribulations.
I. Faith’s response to trials 1:2-27
A. Considers trial all Joy knowing trials produce endurance. 1:2-3
B. Continues enduring knowing endurance produces maturity 1:4
C. Confidently asks God for wisdom knowing He will give it. 1:5-8
D. Focuses on your spiritual riches. 1:9-11
E. Considers how God rewards endurance 1:12
F. Doesn’t blame God but ourselves for temptations 1:13-17
G. Receives AND practices the implanted word of truth. 1:18-27
The word of God is the primary source of help in responding to trials. The person of true faith relies on the truth of God’s word for perception and direction in the struggles of life in a dark and broken world.
Today we search God’s mirror for more possible areas of our life that require our attention; areas that demonstrate a weakness in our faith walk.
II. Faith’s response to partiality and prejudice 2:1-13
INTRODUCTION
How we treat people reveals a great deal about the condition of our faith and the level of our spiritual maturity.
James applies the mirror of God’s word to a common issue today. Most of us are guilty of favoritism and its opposite at some level. Let’s first work our way though the passage and then come back and make some specific applications.
CALL TO HEAR
Before James gets real about their bad behavior, he warmly identifies with them.
“my brothers”
Next James issues the first instruction.
INSTRUCTION
do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. James 2:1
If you claim to trust Jesus…
If you claim to be a Jesus follower…
Then stop ungodly behavior.
Namely, stop showing partiality toward some and prejudice toward others.
To "receive the face" is to make judgments about someone based on external appearances such as physical looks, social status, or race. Jesus Christ is our supreme example. Expository Pulpit Series
Faith in Christ and partiality/prejudice are incompatible. God does not operate that way and neither does Jesus.
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. Romans 2:9-11
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Colossians 3:23-25
Masters, do the same to them (servants), and stop your threatening, knowing that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with Him. Ephesians 6:9
Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. Acts 10:34-35
And the Pharisees sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Mat 22:16
SENARIO
James references a “real world” example of what he is talking about.
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 2:2-3
Response to different people entering the assembly.
You pay attention to and honor the rich man.
You ignore and dishonor the poor man.
Jesus warned about those who operate this way.
In His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation." Mark 12:38-40
INDICTMENT #1
have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:4
They made distinctions between other believers according to wrong motives, wrong thinking and wrong criteria.
Bad thinking led to evil doing. You treat people based on external factors; in this case, economic status. We are to make distinctions according to God’s criteria. James accused them of judging others by faulty criteria.
REPEAT CALL TO HEAR
Listen, my beloved brothers,
Now he adds dearly loved brothers not just brothers. It is a passionate call to understand a bad behavior.
INSIGHT #1
What criteria should we use?
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? James 2:5
James calls them to understand God’s view of poor people. Poor people are not to be dissed because they are poor. We should accept people according to God’s evaluation.
I like how somebody said, “Everybody is somebody in God’s household.”
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20
God choses relationship with poor people.
God chooses to bless poor people with quality faith.
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. Proverbs 17:5
Poorness is only a temporary state. God granted a strong faith now and a rich inheritance later. He makes them heirs of the kingdom not because the are rich but because they love Him.
We should evaluate people by how they love God.
INDICTMENT #2
You have judged with faulty criteria.
But you have dishonored the poor man.
You honor the rich because they are rich and dishonored the poor because they are poor. You relate to people according to the wrong standard of measure. Scripture has plenty to say about how we treat those less fortunate than us.
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. Psalm 41:1
He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished. Proverbs 17:5
These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good. Proverbs 24:23
He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. Proverbs 28:27
He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him. Proverbs 14:31
FURTHER INSIGHT
James threw in a dose of relational reality.
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 2:6-7
These rich people you seek to impress are the ones who oppress you and dishonor God. They dishonor the name of the very One who called you to a rich faith and inheritance.
INSIGHT #3
Next, James stated the Biblical standard for relating to people.
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. James 2:8
This law came from Jesus the King making it the royal law. Jesus issues a “new Commandment” to love one another. The standard of God’s kingdom? Love others as yourself. If you love others as yourself, you fulfill the royal law and are living well-pleasing to God.
On the other hand…
INDICTMENT #3
If you don’t love others as yourself, but show partiality and prejudice, you are flat out sinning.
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:9
You have judged with wrong motives! You have dishonored the poor. You are sinning! The law has exposed your sin. Showing partiality according to a faulty standard violates God’s royal law of loving others as ourselves.
CONSEQUENCE OF PARIALITY AND PREDJUDICE
“FOR” triggers a reason for conviction by the law.
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for 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. James 2:10-11
God operates by an “all or nothing” standard. Jesus emphasized this same principle in Matthews 5:19.
If one strikes a great mirror in only one place, the whole is broken; if one breaks over a fence at only one place, he has violated all of it; if a chain of a thousand links is broken in only one, the chain is broken, etc., etc Coffman Commentaries –
The consequence of disobedience of any of His commands is the same. Failure to observe any of His commands brings consequences. Transgression is transgression. Failure to fulfill the command to love others brings judgment. The one who fails to love is as culpable as the one who murders. Aren’t we just talking partiality and not capital murder here?
The issue involves the criteria by which we relate to people. You have judged with wrong motives! You have dishonored the poor whom God has chosen and blessed with faith and inheritance in the kingdom! You are sinning! The law has exposed your sin. You are accountable for failure to keep the whole law. You are a transgressor of the law.
INSTRUCTION
Considering the seriousness of partiality and prejudice, James offers instruction.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. James 2:12
Live with the understanding that showing partiality or prejudice invites judgment.
Live with the understanding that judging others without mercy forfeits your mercy.
Everyone will give account one day for actions and motives. Just because the consequences of our actions are not immediate does not mean there won’t be a reckoning.
Do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5
John asserted that one who lives by the royal law of love has confidence.
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:17
INSIGHT #4
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Application
Most everyone exhibits some level of partiality and prejudice. In the name of balance, the prohibition is not against treating people differently but the criteria by which we treat people differently. I am going to treat my family differently than those outside my family. The Bible says to be good to all especially to those of the household of faith. God will judge people according to their actions. Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated.
We sin when we judge people by external criteria. Color of skin, nationality, blood line, level of intelligence, social status, economic status, custom, political affiliation or views, physical appearance, ability, occupation.
We live in a culture of recognizing people for all the wrong reasons. History overflows with examples of horrible partially and prejudice based on all the wrong criteria. Prejudice judges people, not as individuals, but because of their connection to a specific group or class of people. Such judgment results in either prejudice or preference depending on one’s view of the group. It means to prejudge based on affiliation rather than who they are as individuals.
You must be bad or special because you are…
Black, liberal, republican, democrat, policeman, NRA, Hispanic, handicapped, Russian, lawyer, used car salesman, politician.
You must be bad or special because you are from…
You must be bad or special because you wear…
Anytime we automatically judge a person because of affiliation rather than action, we are guilty of prejudice. God will judge according to actions.
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile… 1 Peter 1:17
Anytime we give preference to someone because of some external criteria, we violate God’s mandate to love others as we love ourselves. This faith test relates to how we treat people as Jesus would. Peter addressed the Jews of the early church because they neglected the needy Hellenistic Jews. No one denied the Jew’s distain for non-Jews. This carried over to the early church era. Paul scolded the Corinthians for disunity and shaming the poor while proclaiming unity with the Christ and His body in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
The possible consequences were severe.
Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 1 Corinthians 11:27-30
The early gatherings of Jesus-followers demonstrated a new kind of unity. People from every kind of group gathered as one in the name of Jesus. What determines your treatment of people? Is it some fondly held external criteria or the simple fact that they love Jesus?
