Show No Partiality

James 2:5 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?

James is continuing his case study: yes some are rich and some are poor in this world – guess what? They are rich in their faith, and they have this massive 401k laid up for them in heaven because their faith in God is so strong. Why? Because it’s all they have. They know how to work hard and trust the Lord to provide. That’s it. They see the work of God more in their lives because they are more dependent on him for providing. Are you? Who are you depending on? Are you depending on your paycheck, your job, your spouse’s job, or are you depending on Almighty God, Creator of the Universe to say, “I will provide for you”? James is saying, some have cashed in now, and others will cash in later.

“The message of Christianity was that those who mattered to no one else mattered intensely to God...the gospel of Christ is especially dear to the poor and...in it there is a welcome for those who have no one to welcome that, and...through it there is a value set on those whom the world regards as valueless.” William Barclay

James 2:6-7 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?

“It is not riches that James is condemning; it is the management of riches without sympathy.” William Barclay

Here’s what was happening: specifically in that day, the rich could buy the lawyers, the judges, and the politicians – or they were those guys. It was like the good-old-boys club, they were all in cahoots and trashing those poor people, taking whatever they wanted from them. And if you couldn’t pay it? You had to work for them, free labor, whatever they wanted. And James is SO FRUSTRATED because these same people who are torturing the church and the people in the church, were like, “Oh yay, they’re here! Come sit up here!” And our friends, whom we’re in community with, we’re like “Ehhh, get in the back, we got a rich person, maybe we can do something.” It happened then and it happens now, we show favor because we want to get favors. You still play favorites because you want to get something – if you do enough, are nice enough, maybe they’ll help you out later.

James 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality
as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

Be like that big old black pastor who rubbed the blood together and said, “Now whose is whose?” How dare you judge somebody else? Show no partiality! Again, he says my brothers, hey, Christians, those who claim the name of Christ – Church! – who are you showing partiality to right now? Are you showing partiality to the young? Well we need the old people up front, and the young in the back. Are we showing partiality to the white, to the non-white, to the men, the women, the rich, the poor, the denomination, the well-educated, the blue-collar workers, the white-collar workers. Are you showing partiality to those who drink, or are trying to break the smoking habit, or they have tatts everywhere. Show zero – no – partiality. Are you showing partiality to those with kids, judging those without kids? Who are you playing favorites with? Don’t let your preference become your prejudice.

Why? Because we’re all bad. That’s why.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

ALL have sinned. ALL fall short. ALL of us are bad. We all suck at life! We’re terrible at relationships, we’re terrible at decisions. We’re all sinners! What right, then, do you have to judge someone because he sins differently than you do? You don’t! Show no partiality as you hold the faith which should change you and help you see equality and not difference, show no partiality in the faith you hold in our Lord. Stop judging evilly and start loving righteously.

Galatians 3:26-28 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 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.

There is no black and white anymore! You bleed the same color, you laugh, you cry, you hurt, you need, you are people. There is one race, called the human race. We are guilty of playing favorites to get favors. Jesus should get the glory, not you. If you start playing favorites to get favors, you want the glory. We make it about our glory, because that’s the way we like it. “It’s just how I am.” Bull. Your faith should change you as you grow in Him. We make it about our glory instead of Jesus’ glory. You are in your seat right now, where is Jesus? On his throne as King of Glory in Heaven right now. He has elders and angels singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts! The whole earth is full of His glory!” Have you read Revelation? How many times is the word glory mentioned when it revolves around Jesus? Who is it all about? JESUS! Not you. That’s why we worship Jesus, sitting on His throne in glory. He’s on his throne in heaven, let him be where he should be. If you’ve read Revelation, you know you’re not going to be in that seat for long. You are going to be knelt down, face down. You are going to be prostrate in front of the King of kings and casting all the glory to him. You won’t be seated anymore, you’ll be sprawled out on the floor shouting “Hosanna!” So let’s start preparing for that now. Stop judging evilly; start loving righteously because we’re going to be one day in awe of His glory, not ours.