Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
This week we continue our series from the book of James titled The practical Expression of Our Faith in Daily Living.
Today we are talking about Those Who Please God.
Text
James 2:8-9 AMP
8 If, however, you are [really] fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, if you have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit]” you are doing well.
9 But if you show partiality [prejudice, favoritism], you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
Scripture Reading
James 2:1-10 (AMP)
The Sin of Partiality
2 My fellow believers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of partiality [toward people—show no favoritism, no prejudice, no snobbery].
2 For if a man comes into your meeting place wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,
3 and you pay special attention to the one who wears the fine clothes, and say to him, “You sit here in this good seat,” and you tell the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down [on the floor] by my footstool,”
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves, and become judges with wrong motives?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and [as believers to be] heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6 But you [in contrast] have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress and exploit you, and personally drag you into the courts of law?
7 Do they not blaspheme the precious name [of Christ] by which you are called?
8 If, however, you are [really] fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, if you have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit]” you are doing well.
9 But if you show partiality [prejudice, favoritism], you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
10 For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of [breaking] all of it.
11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you have become guilty of transgressing the [entire] Law.
12 Speak and act [consistently] as people who are going to be judged by the law of liberty [that moral law that frees obedient Christians from the bondage of sin].
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; but [to the one who has shown mercy] mercy triumphs [victoriously] over judgment.
Prayer
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Introduction
As we have discussed earlier in this series, the epistle of James is possibly the most practical book on how to live out our faith of all the Scriptures.
James made no attempt to teach theology, he left that to others.
Being a pastor, dealing with individuals day after day, he was far more concerned with the application and expression of the Christian faith.
In many respects, this second chapter may be considered the heart of James’s message, for in it he gave a description of the character of faith.
He showed that the expression of this kind of faith is that which pleases God in our lives.
- First let’s look at the precept James set forth in verse 2:1.
- Probably the most common sin among believers is the sin James spelled out in this passage, showing favouritism.
In fact, it is such a common practice that we often allow it to exist without our consciences even bothering us about it.
But James was saying, in effect, “Do not hold to the Christian faith, which sees every believer saved by grace through faith, not of works, and at the same time practice discrimination between different classes of people in the fellowship. For this is a shameful demonstration of hypocrisy!”
Because we cannot know everything there is to know about a person, we cannot possible judge a person correctly.
This truth was driven home vividly to Peter in Cornelius’s house.
He had resented the mission God had given him, to go and preach to the Gentiles, yet when he saw what God had wrought among them, he declared, in Acts 10:34, “Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God’s blessing],
B. James spoke of having “the faith our Lord Jesus Christ,” and he drew a comparison between that and our having “respect for persons.”
What was he saying?
In essence, “Let there be agreement between what you profess has taken place on the inside and what you express on the outside.”
James was simply reiterating the general theme of his epistle, James 1:22, But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].
C. Note that James called Jesus “The Lord of glory.”
Jesus Christ should be the glory of every believer at all times.
As we observe our fellow believers and are tempted to criticise and discriminate between them, let us remember that within every believer is the glory of God in Jesus Christ.
It is the same glory, and before God there is no partiality shown.
2. Second, let’s look at an illustration of this precept in verses 2:2-4.
- James painted the picture of two men coming to the church.
One was a rich man, well dressed and in good stature, and the other was a poor man, dressed like he was living within his meagre means.
Then James showed, hypothetically, how we might treat these two worshippers in the church assembly.
From the descriptions of the men given, it is unlikely that either was a believer.
Yet when they arrived, the well dressed man was shown great respect, not because of his true worth but because of his outward appearance of wealth and position.
In contrast, the poor man was treated harshly, with no warmth of compassion.
B. James then made an application.
Verse 4, “have you not discriminated among yourselves, and become judges with wrong motives?”
He was saying that it is wrong to honour the rich at the expense of the poor.
Both stand on the same level before God and should be treated accordingly.
James said two things about those who practice partiality.
- They have made distinctions among themselves.
In other words, they are at odds with themselves.
There is a wide difference between profession and practice.
2. They are “judges with evil thoughts.”
James brought a serious charge against any professing believer who shows partiality or respect of persons.
3. Third, let’s see why having respect of persons is sinful, verses 2:5-11.
- The principle James stated is simply, “has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and [as believers to be] heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”
Here he set forth three blessings that God has bestowed upon the poor.
- They are chosen of God.
God chose them through His spirit, convicted them of sin, and drew them with love toward Himself.
2. God has made the poor “rich in faith.”
Their wealth does not consist of gold rings or fine cloths but in faith.
3. He said that they are “heirs of the kingdom.”
They possess, and have become part of, the kingdom of God.
B. Then James became practical.
Verse 6, But you [in contrast] have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress and exploit you, and personally drag you into the courts of law?
And not only so, but the rich were those who most often blasphemed the name of Jesus.
Of course, this was not a blanket condemnation of all rich people.
Some wealthy people in the early church were generous and faithful servants of God, just as they are today.
But on the whole, this was not the case.
C. The principle involved is that partiality is a violation of the royal law of God.
What is the “royal law?“
It is the law of love expressed in the command “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
It is royal because Christ, the true King, created it.
Conclusion.
Verse 12 is James’s conclusion of this passage, “Speak and act [consistently] as people who are going to be judged by the law of liberty” [that moral law that frees obedient Christians from the bondage of sin].
James gives both an appeal and a warning here.
The appeal is that obedience to the royal law be expressed both in speech and action.
The warning is that those who show no mercy will find none at God’s judgement, verse 13, For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; but [to the one who has shown mercy] mercy triumphs [victoriously] over judgment.
So how do we please God?
By showing mercy and love to all people regardless of their station in life.
Until next time
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