Week 4 - James
In chapter one,
James instructs us that true religion looks like caring for widows and orphans,
but in chapter two, we see the opposite happening in the lives of James' audience. The sin of favoritism occurs when we fail to see others the way God
sees them. God is merciful and good, lavishing His creatures with grace and
love. As Christ followers, we must likewise view others with the same love and
kindness, reflecting true faith in our creator.
What comes to mind when you hear the words judgment and mercy?
When are you most prone towards judgmentalism?
The
Point:
The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
James
2:1-13
1My brothers, show
no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of
glory. 2 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, 3 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,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and
become judges with evil thoughts? 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? 6 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?
8 If you really
fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor
as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are
committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever
keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11
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. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of
liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy
triumphs over judgment.
The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), James 2:1-13.
Study
Notes
James concluded the
first chapter by saying we must be not only hearers of the Word but also doers.
Otherwise, we settle for an impure, defiled religion that’s focused on our own
interests. Today’s text stands in stark contrast to caring for widows and orphans.
Instead, the stain of worldliness was polluting the church with favoritism for
the rich. Simply put, they weren’t putting the teachings of Jesus into
practice.
Visible
faith shows no partiality.
Though this is the
situation James addressed, this kind of favoritism happens in every area of
life. From our work to the playground with our families, to church on Sunday,
we walk around with hidden prejudice and bias. Favoritism is an especially
heinous sin because it suggests that God has made some to be more special than
others. It is a failure to regard people the way God sees them. God is not
interested in the exterior, but the interior (1 Sam. 16:7, Jer. 17:10).
God doesn’t play
favorites because God is loving, and love and prejudice don’t coincide. He sees
all based on their relationship with Him. Favoritism is theologically
inconsistent with Christian faith. God looks to the heart of a man, which is
the reason we play favorites and God doesn’t. We can hide much of our
sin from others, so they don’t know what goes on in those quiet moments when no
one’s watching. We can’t see the heart, so we apply our judgment to what we can
see. However, if the goal of the Christian life is to be like Christ, we should
desire to be like God, which means we need to regard others the same way God
does.
Visible faith prioritizes mercy over judgment.
James alluded to
the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:7 to warn that those who show no mercy will
receive none in the final judgment. Stated positively, this means mercy
triumphs over judgment. This does not mean we receive mercy from God only when
we show mercy to others. If that were true, it would make salvation a matter of
God’s payment for our good deeds. For those who have given themselves in faith
to Christ, God’s mercy triumphs over our guilt and judgment. If we have
received God’s grace, we will stand in the coming judgment. Mercy can rejoice
in its victory over condemnation.
God is a good
Father who has brought us forth by His word, and He expects us to obey Him. Faith
without mercy toward others is not genuine faith. Genuine faith means there’s
progress, not perfection. In your remembrance of God’s forgiving grace and
mercy, extend it to others.
Questions
for Discussion
Why should we obey
the command not to judge or show partiality as individuals? As a church
community?
Why should
Christians, above all others, be willing to look beyond the surface to see the
heart?
How should what
Christ did for us motivate us to live?
Why do we think
treating others as “less than” is a less serious sin?
What areas of your
life do you need to repent of for the sin of favoritism?
How does showing
prejudice and favoritism endanger our witness before a non-believing culture?
END
Teacher Notes:
James’ teachings
are consistent with Paul’s teachings that we receive salvation by faith alone.
- Paul emphasizes the purpose of faith – to bring salvation.
- James emphasizes the results of faith – a changed life.
Our lesson this
morning looks at how the Church and the individual Christian treats different
people that would like to fellowship and maybe join our congregation.
In 1968, a Southern
California pastor named Chuck Smith, realizes his church is slowly dying –
there’s no growth. His daughter picks up
a hippie hitchhiker named Lonnie Frisbee, who is traveling around telling people
about Jesus. Before you know it, more hippies are showing up at the church
wanting to fellowship and the older members are not happy. Certain long time
contributing members give the pastor an ultimatum – it’s either them or these
new hippies. Chuck decides to give his answer to the whole church.
Now some of you
remember that a few of the old members walked out but the church exploded and
began the Jesus Revolution.
“People will forget
what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget
how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou
Just think about it
for a moment – to feel unwanted.
The world defines
who we are by what we do, but the Word centers on who we are in Christ and
tells us to express that new identity in what we do.
Being and doing are
clearly interrelated, but the biblical order is critical: what we do should
flow out of who we are, not the other way around.
In chapter two, we see the church doing the opposite
of what Christ taught.
And what they were doing certainly wasn’t what
Christ wanted them to be.
What were they doing?
From the playground
to our families, to our work, and even to church on Sunday, we walk around with
hidden prejudice and bias.
Why do we
do this?
- Poverty makes us uncomfortable; we don’t want to face our responsibility to those who have less than we do.
- We want to be wealthy too, and we hope to use the rich person to that end.
- We want the rich person to join our church and help support it financially.
Why is
this so wrong?
According to James,
Partiality was an evil thing to do.
Neglects
the image of God in humanity.
When we show favoritism
to one person or group of people over another, we are — whether we realize it
or not — subtly neglecting the truth that all human beings have been created in
the image of God. Because all of us have been created in God’s image, every one
of us is worthy of honor and dignity. When we remove some of that honor and
dignity, even if it seems like a small thing, we are doing more than exercising
our preference for one group or another. We are denying the image of God in the
neglected party.
Sees
others as objects to be used.
Why might we show
favoritism? In James’ illustration of the rich man and the poor man in the
fellowship, the reason is simple: we can get something from the rich man. By
showing favoritism, we might receive some of his money, a greater reputation
because we are associated with a person of prominence, or his approval which
would increase our self-esteem. Whatever the case, we are hoping to gain
something from him, which means we are using that person rather than serving
and loving him.
Sets us
up as judges.
Favoritism is a big
deal because it puts us in the place of God. We are determining someone’s
worthiness based on some preconceived notion because of the person’s clothes,
money, reputation, or whatever. But we are not equipped to make this judgment.
Indeed, only God can look at the heart. When we show partiality, we are putting
ourselves in the place of God. We are judging the worth of another.
All these motives
are selfish - they view neither the rich nor the poor person as someone needing
fellowship. We don’t even know these people and yet we draw these distinctions.
How can we learn
not to judge or favor someone
we don’t even know?
Favoritism is an
especially heinous sin because it suggests that God has made some to be more
special than others.
God is not
interested in the exterior, but the interior.
What is
the Royal Law?
James referred to
the royal law: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s a
royal law because if we obeyed this law, we wouldn’t need all the rest. We are to treat
others as we want others to treat us.
The royal law is the law of Jesus, who said, “Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
What is
the Law of Liberty?
James 2:12–13 fit
right into the flow of the previous verses. Verse 12 says, “Speak and act as
those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.” James
reminds the believers that they are no longer held under the old Law; instead,
they are under a new law of freedom that was established through Jesus’ death
and resurrection — born-again believers are under the New Covenant. This liberty,
which comes through the gospel of Christ, gives us freedom from the power of
sin. Live your life in such a way, says James, that proves that you expect to
answer to God some day for your actions. No believer will be able to excuse his
sin by saying, “I couldn’t help it,” because the cross of Christ did away with
that bondage. We are under the law of liberty now.
How should what
Christ did for us motivate us to live towards one another?
If you were to ask
someone who doesn't go to church to describe the average Christian, you are
likely to hear the word "judgmental."
This shows how far
we've slipped from Christ’s teachings of love and mercy.
“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Matthew 5:7
It’s one of the BEATITUDES!
How can we not show mercy, when we are so
dependent upon it ourselves?
HONESTY HAS A
beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it . . .
as do followers of Christ who embrace such Spirit-empowered virtues. No ulterior motives. No hidden agenda.
In Christ there was
no hypocrisy, duplicity, political games, and verbal superficiality - just
authentic honesty.
As honesty and
integrity characterize our lives, there will be no need to manipulate others.
We'll come to the place where all the substitutes will turn us off once we
cultivate a taste for the authentic.
Think about
becoming more like Jesus. Pray about becoming more like Him. But be real —
that's what I want to get across. Be who you are deep within and then allow the
Lord God to develop within you a faith of following Christ that draws others to
Him. Don't just do honest things - BE HONEST!!
Chuck Swindoll
Devotions
