July 4, 2022

NO PARTIALITY

James 2:1-4

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?

Personal Challenge

In the Old Testament we have the story of Samuel, the prophet, who was asked by God to seek out the king of Israel that would be replacing Saul. Samuel, like so many of us today, looked at the stature and outward appearances of the sons of Jesse to determine who he thought God had chosen. Then God told him that none of his choices were correct because He had already chosen David, not for his looks, but for the state of his heart. How often do we treat those who appear to be more important in our lives, especially our churches, with higher esteem than those whose appearances offend us? Are we not sinning in this behavior? God demands that we treat the lowly, the dirty, the poor, the sinner, the alien amongst us, the scared pregnant girl, the uneducated, etc., with the love of Christ. We are to set them above the glamorous, the wealthy, the prestigious, if we are to be honoring God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!