Favoritism, Justification, and Judging

In the beginning of chapter two James addresses three issues that are relevant in our culture today.

James addresses the issues of favoritism, how we are justified before God, and judging.

James 2:1                                                                                                                      

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.

James tells us that we are not to show favoritism because we are believers in Jesus as Lord.

Jesus didn’t show favoritism. He called all kinds of people to follow Him:                 Fishermen                                                                                                         Tax Collectors                                                                                                               Pharisees                                                                                                              Prostitutes                                                                                                                      Zealots                                                                                                               Samaritans

We are told in 1 Samuel 16:7 that God does not look at the outward appearance but at the heart.

We as followers of Jesus are to follow Jesus’ example and not show favoritism.

Then James gives us a picture of what favoritism looks like.
                                                                                                           

James 2:2-4
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a man wearing shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

The picture is of a church on Sunday morning and two men come into the building. One man is obviously wealthy and the other man is obviously not so much. The wealthy man is shown curtesy, kindness, and welcomed with love. The poor man is not shown curtesy or kindness or love. Then the church has shown favoritism.

James then asked the question: Isn’t that discrimination? And that makes us become judges with the judgment being based in evil thoughts.

James now points out the sheer wrongness and stupidity of making judgments based on wealth.

                           
James 2:5-7                                                                                      

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of Him to whom you belong?

People who are poor in material wealth are many times rich in spiritual wealth. Material wealth is not necessarily a sign of God’s blessing. Poverty is not necessarily a sign of God’s curse.

Jesus had followers who had material wealth and those who didn’t have material wealth.

God blesses some of His followers with material wealth because He has given them the desire and the ability to use it to grow His kingdom. For others, like me, God knows that material wealth would be a temptation to trust the wealth and not Him, and He provides for us but doesn’t give us great material wealth.     

The way and manner in which God provides for us is based on His sovereign will.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is not basing how we treat others on wealth or any other outward appearance but by always showing others the love of Jesus.

Then James turns to the subject of justifying yourself through the law.

                                                                                                                 

James 2:8-11
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

In Mark 12:30-31 Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

These two commandments are the greatest because Jesus said all the law and the prophets are fulfilled when we obey these two commandments.

If we love God with all that we are and love our neighbor as ourselves, we will not sin against God or others.

James then reminds us of a very painful truth. We can keep all the law, but if we disobey just one part it we are guilty of breaking the whole law.

James reminds us that it was God who commanded us not to commit adultery and not to murder. God doesn’t show favoritism. He sees all sin as the same - disobedience and rebellion against His will.

When we try to be justified through keeping the law we face one huge problem. If we break one part of the law, we have broken the whole law and cannot be justified by the law because perfectly keeping the law is what is required to be justified by it.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is not depending on keeping the law to justify us but on the love and grace of Jesus to justify us.

Then James talks about judging.

                                                                                                                
James 2:12-13
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy always triumphs over judgment.

James shares three truths that we as God’s people need to know and to live based on.

#1: That there is a law that gives freedom.

                                                                                                                 

Romans 8:2
Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

The law of God’s Spirit sets us from the law of sin and death because the law of the Spirit means we rely on what Jesus did in His death and resurrection to save and justify us and not depend on our self-effort in keeping the law.    

#2: That when we judge without mercy we cannot expect to be judged with mercy.

                                                                                                                  

Luke 6:36-38
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not be condemned, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

If we judge and condemn, we will be judged and condemned.
                                   
If we forgive and show mercy, we will be forgiven and shown mercy.

#3: Mercy triumphs over judgment.

God always pours out mercy before He brings judgment.

When we demonstrate mercy to others, we do more to help them come to know Jesus and grow in Him than when we judge them.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is showing love and mercy, not condemnation and judgment.

Without Favoritism or Judgment Raising the Roof and Remove the Walls
                                                                   Joe