The Sin of Favoritism – James 2

Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #219.  Today we’ll read James chapter 2 together.  James writes about The Sin of Favoritism and the concept of Faith & Works.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

Welcome

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and this year it’s going to be different.  Covid is playing a big part in the difference.  In the past, we would either have family and friends over to our house, or we would make the 6-hour trek to San Bernardino  in Southern California to spend the holiday with Mitch’s family there.

But this year it’s just going to be Mitch and me.  Our daughters are unable to come home for this holiday, Mitch and I are both working the day after, and our friends and family in the area are concerned about social distancing due to the Covid crisis.

Truth be told, Mitch and I are not overly concerned about catching the disease…and we consider some events worth the risk.  But we decided to embrace the change in habit and enjoy the day.  We are going to cook a nice Thanksgiving meal together…just for each other… and when we aren’t cooking, we’re going to set up the Christmas tree, and be thankful…I can’t wait!  

We love the holidays, and they pass so fast that we want to appreciate every day as completely as possible, no matter what the circumstances.  This time that we are in will not last forever.  And the apostle Paul has admonished us to be content regardless of our circumstances.  Now, that’s sound advice!  

Are you doing things differently this Thanksgiving?  Tell me all about it at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram  and Twitter.

James Chapter 2

The Sin of Favoritism

My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?

Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?

If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe — and they shudder.

Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Closing Thoughts

Do you ever judge a person by how they look or dress?  Or the car they drive, or their job, or the language they speak, or the house in which they live?  If you do, you are not alone…it is an almost universal human failing.  We are usually more concerned about what is on the outside of a person and not what is on the inside.  

And we do it at church, too…we sit in the same comfortable seats in service, with the same group of comfortable people around us.  We attend the same Sunday School classes with the same friends we’ve come to know and feel safe around.   

James admonishes us for the “sin of favoritism” in church.  We are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of the Lord, equally stained with sin and equally indebted to Christ, no matter what our social standing.  We are to treat strangers with the same courtesy and respect we show our friends, regardless of their appearance. 

James goes on to tell us that “…faith without works is dead.”  He is clear that it is by faith that we are saved and not by works…but once saved, we should all exhibit the fruit of our salvation.  We are expected to grow in Christ.  We are expected to carry the Gospel to others, and to make disciples.  And we are to care for our brothers and sisters and anyone else the Lord lays on our hearts.  Let’s pray.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us how to love like You do.  Forgive us when we judge others or think of ourselves more highly than we should.  Help us to be humble in your presence, to be thankful of the mercy and grace you have given us.  Help us to overcome the sin of favoritism and welcome others as Christ welcomes us, stains and all.  Produce in us good works that are the result of the faith we have in You.  Amen.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.