Sermon Text: James 2: 1-13
1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.
3 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,”
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: 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?
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Morning Message:
I believe that most of us do not think of ourselves as people who discriminate against others. I think that this is something that hides deep within us, and maybe, more than that, it is ingrained in us. For the most part we don’t even know that it’s there until we are forced to see it in our lives. Discrimination is contrary to Christian faith. Believers are instructed not to show favoritism of any kind. James uses the appearance of wealth as an example. Most forms of discrimination are based on external appearances such as race, sex, age, religion, and ethnic differences. However, discrimination also happens based on internal qualities such as faith, intelligence, and character traits. The bible teaches that believers in Christ have the identity of Jesus. Galatians 3: 26-28 says, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This fact supersedes all other distinctions. We are collectively called his bride and body. Here is a fact of the Christian life that I think is too often overlooked. Once you have accepted Jesus, this must become the most important thing in your life and must take preference over everything.
James says that discrimination breaks the royal law to “love your neighbor as yourself.” The majority of Christian churches consist of people of the same race, religious beliefs, and social status. People who appear different or have different customs and beliefs do not feel welcome. Now don’t be confused when I say different religious beliefs. Belief and faith in Jesus is essential, but as long as that is present we should not discriminate based on customs or traditions that do not match our own. This is a testimony to our failure to love others as ourselves, and it is a sin rooted in pride and our egos. We like to think that we are right, so anything that we see that doesn’t match what we are used to, makes us uncomfortable and we reject it.
Adultery and murder are more obvious examples of breaking the law of God. Some people think that they are going to make it to heaven based on living a moral life. They think that their good actions will outweigh the bad. This type of thinking is comparative such that the person believes that they are better than others and this will have influence with God. James says that those who break one law, one time, are equally condemned as lawbreakers. This also applies to hidden sins of the mind like lust and subtle ways of mistreating others. What are some subtle ways that people hurt others by their speech or actions that show favoritism or exclusion? Who do you pray for? Who would you pray with? When someone comes to Christ and is trying to change their life, would you reach out to them or would you hesitate based on who they were?
James says that Christians will be judged according to “the law that gives freedom.” Christians are not condemned by the law because we are covered by the grace and mercy of Jesus. What is the law that gives freedom? Romans 6: 11-14 says, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 7: 6 adds, “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” While Christians will not be condemned as lawbreakers, they are subject to judgment based on their actions. Therefore James teaches that we are to love and forgive others as we have been forgiven. For Christians favoritism is forbidden, it is a sin and is something that we should work to eliminate from our lives. Don’t fool yourselves; this exists in all of us; we need to recognize it and deal with it.
God must judge every sin because it offends his will and holiness. Death is required as payment. Praise be to Jesus for paying the death penalty so that forgiveness (mercy) can triumph over judgment for those who put their faith in him!
In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob
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