Hello Friends!
Welcome back to our Monday morning Daily Devotions
summer series titled
“The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!”
The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!
This
week we will continue our reading of verses 1-13
in chapter 2
as we consider Putting Off Partiality…
There
is an attribute of God that we don't very often talk about and yet is very
often spoken of in Scripture. Which one? It is God's “impartiality” with all
people!
In
the previous chapter of his Epistle, James provided for us several tests to indicate whether or not our profession
of “faith” is the real thing:
The
first test was “patience”
through “various trials“ of “suffering” and “hardships”
in life.
The
second test was how
one relies on the “wisdom” of
“God” in life.
The
third test was how one “responds” to various financial
perspectives in life.
The
fourth test was enduring the “temptations” in life.
The
fifth test was the
direction of blame for the “temptations”
in life.
The
sixth test was
trusting in the “perfect”
provision of God in life.
The
seventh test was
being a “doer” of God’s “Word” in life.
The
eighth test was “taming” our “tongue” in life.
The
Scriptures declare that God is absolutely “impartial”
in dealing with all people. And in that way He is utterly unlike
us! We are very “partial” and
tend to put everyone in various categories, higher or lower compared to other
people. This may be due to their looks, wardrobe, the kind of car they drive or
the kind of house they live in. Perhaps it is due to their ethnicity, social
status, outward characteristics or personality. Beloved, all of those things
should not matter to “us”
and are certainly of no significance to God – They mean absolutely nothing to Him!
Therefore,
James begins this next challenging chapter with yet another test for the life of a true “believer” in Jesus Christ: We must
avoid showing “partiality”
to others in any way…
Putting Off Partiality!
To
begin with, James takes a hard look at this matter of “partiality” predominantly from an economic
and social perspective. Here in these powerful and
poignant passages James confronts another “sin”
problem within the “hearts” of
the “brethren”
in a very practical way concerning life within our “assembly”:
My
brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory,
with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold
rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy
clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine
clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor
man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown
partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? – James 2:1-4
We
don't like to admit it, but “we”
can tend to be very “partial”
to certain people within the “church”
of Jesus Christ. Why? Because of our “fallen” and “sinful” human nature! How? By often
becoming “judges with evil
thoughts” along with having “shown partiality” by passing on our
opinions of others. We are often impressed with bank account balances or the
cars some may drive. We can be impressed with beautiful wardrobes of “fine apparel”
or shiny “gold rings”
and jewelry. We can be very impressed with the jobs some people hold or perhaps
their reputations. We can even be very impressed if some have amassed a host of
letters at the end of their names through higher education. “But… our “Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory”
– Is not impressed with any of these externals!
On the other hand… The Lord is not disinterested
in us because “we” may be
financially “poor” or may not
have certain “clothes” to
wear. The Lord is not disinterested in us because we may
work a common job or perhaps haven’t acquired any degrees, reputation or a
certain social standing. The Lord is not disinterested in
us because of what we lack nor is He interested
in us because of what we possess. This should be true of “us” as well! The “soul” of the person is the issue, not the
“outward appearance” as such.
And “we” who belong to our “Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of
glory” – Must have this
understanding!
James
then makes an authoritative call to “Listen” carefully to him as he
further addresses his “beloved
brethren” with a question concerning the spiritually
“poor” within the “kingdom” of
God:
Listen,
my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in
faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? – James 2:5
Although
not everyone in the first-century “church”
was financially challenged, the majority of the people in
those early years were indeed “poor”
in regards to worldly wealth. They were quite unlike the economically
“rich” and piously
“religious” hypocritical
leadership reminiscent of James’ big brother’s Sermon
on the Mount found in chapter 5
of Matthew's Gospel. However, in
regards to the spiritually “poor”
of “this world”
referred to by Jesus Christ and the financially “poor” saints of the “assembly” referred to by James were indeed
very “rich in faith”
and are God’s “chosen”
as “heirs of the kingdom”
– The common people!
Next
James addresses a “sin” of “dishonoring” the economically
“poor man”
of God by asking two more poignant questions:
But you
have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the
courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? – James 2:6-7
In
other words, “You are unbelievably unlike God!”
The “rich” people drag “you” before the civil
“courts” and religious
“courts” of man. Not only did
the “rich” depreciate human
value, they also depreciated true “faith”
in Jesus Christ. Incidentally, world history proves to “us” that the godless “rich” of this “world” have always
oppressed the “poor” – Civil, financial and religious hostility!
The
phrase "by which you are called"
speaks of a personal relationship to God. Therefore, James
reminds the “brethren” that
they “received” for themselves
the worthy name of Jesus Christ! It was the godless “rich” people who oppressed them, not
the “poor” people of God. As is
true with Jesus Christ Himself, it was never the “poor” people who oppressed Him. It was always
the “rich” and wicked “religious” people – The pious pretenders!
James
continues by appealing to the “royal
law” of the “Scripture” by referencing God’s first
giving and second giving of the “Law” in where we find His
view of “partiality”
and the foolish favoritism of man… A serious “sin” of the “heart”:
If you
really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are
convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep
the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who
said, “Do not commit
adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if
you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor
of the law – James 2:8-11
IMPORTANT INSIGHT: James is not
referring to the phony psychological self-image of humanistic “love” of which plays mind games and
pampers the ego saying: "I'm a wonderful person and I deserve it!"
Rather. James is referring to the Agape’
“love” of God in the biblical
sense which is always an action related to
meeting the true “needs”
of other people. God’s “royal
law” is not discussed strictly
through emotion. When the Bible commands “us” to "love your neighbor as yourself" it simply refers
to meeting “needs” in a verb
tense. In other words, to “fulfill”
this mandate, “you” must meet
these “needs” in the same way
“you” are meeting “your” own – That's
the issue here!
The
“transgressors”
of the “royal law”
in “showing partiality”
is completely foreign to the character and nature of God!
In fact, the Old Testament is replete with examples of how God’s people had “become a transgressor of the law”
to His great displeasure:
For the Lord your God is the
God of Gods and Lord of Lords, the great, the mighty and the awesome God who
does not show partiality – Deuteronomy 10:17
God’s
“law” has no “grace” because it is meant to show
us that we are “sinners” at
heart by birth! And when we “sin”
by breaking God’s “law” we are
“transgressors” doomed for “condemnation” and “judgment” in “eternal hell.” Therefore, we must
humbly “come” to God the
Father through His Son the “Savior”
whom imparts His “perfect”
saving “grace” in “us” through “faith” and “repentance”
– There is no grace in the law!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: Incidentally, James quotes two
of the 10 Commandments.
The first is “Do not commit adultery” from chapter 20 of Exodus
and the second is “Do not murder” from chapter 5 of Deuteronomy
addressing the most severe of social “sins”
related to human life. Why? Because in the Old Testament, God
attached the death penalty to them! Also, when we consider Deuteronomy 6:4-5 along with Leviticus 19:18 and combine them together, we
have the sum total of the “law and the
prophets.” Therefore, we must “Love
the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your
neighbor as yourself.” In fact, James’ big brother Jesus Christ
also pulled these powerful passages together in His Greatest Commandment found in chapter 22 of Matthew
by providing for “us” the “sum” total of God’s Word – Upon these commands we rejoice!
The
perfection of God in His “character”
and “nature” is manifest in
the fact that He's absolutely “impartial”
to all people. God treats everyone
equally based upon their desperate need for a “spiritual”
relationship to Him through Jesus Christ. And so James is
instructing the “brethren” to
“love” other people equally
with no “partiality”
regarding their status in life. Therefore, these passages outline another test of genuine saving “faith” in God – True believers respond properly to one another without
showing partiality!
Finally,
because of the seriousness of these “sins,”
James closes with an appeal to consider the danger of God’s divine “judgment”:
So
speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment
is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over
judgment – James 2:12-13
In
this congregation there were true “believers”
who were fulfilling the Sovereign
and perfect “royal law” of God
as they chose to “speak” and “do” His will. However, there were also
phony “professors” who were
continually showing “partiality”
as unrepentant “transgressors”
and “sinners” toward the
perfect “Law of God.” These
false “followers” will be
harshly “judged” by God's
Word. Therefore, the true “brethren”
must “speak” and “do” as “those”
who will be “judged by the
law of liberty” in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, “judgment without mercy”
will be given towards “the one”
who has “shown no mercy!” God
says – Mercy triumphs over
judgment!
If
your life is characterized by “mercy,”
you will “triumph over judgment.”
Why? Because the true “believer”
who is “merciful” to others
proves he has “received”
forgiveness from God through a transformed life – Mercy triumphs over judgment!
In closing:
A
person's education, economic status, looks, wardrobe, social relationships,
job, fame, prestige or earthly honor mean absolutely nothing
to God – They are non-issues!
For
example, the Apostle Peter in presenting the “Gospel”
of Jesus Christ to a Gentile ruler was acknowledging that
God is “impartial” with
reference to His saving “grace”
to “every nation” and people
group:
But in every nation the man who
fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him – Acts
10:35
In
other words, God shows no “partiality”
to anyone in any “nation”
who “fears Him” and “does what is right’ in His sight – Fully accepted by Him!
The
Apostle Paul also acknowledged that God was “impartial”
to “everyone”
with particular reference to His judgment:
Tribulation
and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of
the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God – Romans
2:9-11
In
the matter of eternal “judgment”
there is no “partiality”
of persons – “Jew”
or “Greek.”
Therefore, “everyone”
will be “judged” by “God” purely on the condition of their “soul” in
regards to “salvation” – God is no respecter of persons!
Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s continued study of The
Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!…
May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect
love, mercy and grace!
Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah
and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Blessings!
Shane <><
