The Sin Of Showing Partiality (Part 2)

SERMON OUTLINE

• 💭 Consider this: Who might you have failed to treat as your ‘neighbour’? How can your conduct towards him/her change to reflect the indiscriminate love God shows us?
• III. The Contradiction
• IV. The Transgression

TRANSCRIPT

We will consider the second part of the theme: ‘The Sin of Showing Partiality.’ Our text is taken from James 2:5-13. In our previous message, from James 2:1-4, we learned from James about the principle of why showing partiality is wrong. He gave us the illustration of showing partiality in the church, where special seats were given to the rich, whereas the poor were disregarded.

From verses 5 to 13, James will move on to talk about the contradiction: why showing partiality is contrary to our Christian faith, and the transgression: how showing partiality is a transgression of God's law. Now, we have to bear in mind that James was speaking in the context of the church, so he was speaking about showing partiality in the church.

Oftentimes, people do not think much about being partial or showing favouritism. Some think it is all right; it is just a matter of perspectives, and it is up to the individual's rights. Others think it is a small matter; it is just being discourteous or inconsiderate. But the reality is that many people are hurt and stumbled by the impartial treatment happening in the churches.

Today, we have several Indian friends attending our church. Welcome to you. Allow me to use a very popular person in India as an illustration. He is none other than Mahatma Gandhi, sometimes known as the father of India. In his autobiography, Gandhi wrote that once he read the Gospels seriously and considered Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus, he could find a solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India.

So one Sunday, he decided to attend the worship service at a nearby church and talk to the minister about Christianity. When he entered the sanctuary—you know how Gandhi used to dress, right? Because of that, the ushers refused to give him a seat and suggested he go to worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. Later he wrote, ‘I do not reject Christ. I love His teachings. It is just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ.’ And he ended with this most famous saying: ‘If Christians were to live according to the teachings of Christ as in the Bible, all of India would be Christians today.’

Of course, we do not agree with everything he said, but that was a most sobering statement made by someone who was stumbled by Christians showing partiality in the Church of Jesus Christ. Showing partiality is not a small thing. It could prevent people from coming into the church, it could turn people away from the church, it could take away the love and warmth of the church and turn it into a cold and lifeless institution, and it could prevent and hinder the work of the Gospel in a most devastating way. Ultimately, it is a sin against the Almighty God.

III. The Contradiction

Let us look at our text and consider our first point: the contradiction. Beginning with verse 5, James said: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” Verse 6: “But ye have despised the poor.”

Notice James began with ‘Hearken, my beloved brethren.’ Though he was rebuking the people with the truth, yet he presented it with a heart of affection, a heart of love. Sometimes we may want to present a particular truth or stress an essential doctrine, but that does not mean we need to scream and shout, or fight and quarrel. We ought to present the truth with love, with a heart of passion.

Why do we want to speak the truth? It is not only to correct but to build up people's lives. Even if we have to rebuke, we rebuke with love. So here, James was saying, ‘Beloved brethren, think about it for a moment: to show partiality to the rich and to disregard the poor cannot possibly be consistent with the character of God.’

Why? Firstly, it is contrary to God's sovereign choice. God has sovereignly chosen the poor. Of course, He also chose some of the rich. James was not speaking about those believers who were humble, the poor in spirit; he was referring to those believers who were poor in the economic sense, those who were in financial poverty.

All of us would agree that God is no respecter of persons, right? When He saves a person, He does not take into consideration the person's wealth or the lack of it. He saves both the rich as well as the poor. Salvation is by God's sovereign choice. When God chose the poor believer, that poor believer may be hungry, but he has the Bread of Life (John 6:35) . He may be thirsty, but he has the Water of Life (John 4:14; Revelation 21:6). He may be poor, but he has eternal riches (Matthew 6:19-20). He may be rejected by men, but he has been eternally accepted by God (Romans 8:1). He may not have a house, but he has a glorious home in heaven (John 14:2-3). So, in that sense, he is rich in faith.

As a believer, he is a child of God (John 1:12), and he has an inheritance in the kingdom which God has promised to all those who love Him (1 Peter 1:4). The word ‘kingdom’ speaks of the entire sphere of salvation. He belongs to the kingdom of God. One day, he will rule in Christ’s millennial kingdom together with his Saviour. (Revelation 20:6) He will dwell in the new heavens and the new earth for all eternity. (Revelation 21:1-3) In heaven, there's no such thing as poor, no second-class citizens. Everyone will be rich in the things of God. Every believer will have the same eternal life, the same heavenly citizenship. Everyone stands equal in the eyes of God. Every believer is precious, and God has reserved this heavenly inheritance for you and me if we are true believers. (Revelation 21:7)

So, when we disregard the poor, when we show partiality toward them, we are actually despising and rejecting the sovereign choice of God in salvation. The moment we show partiality toward the poor, our action contradicts God's sovereign choice. In a sense, we are saying, ‘I don't care about who God has chosen. This person sitting beside me, he is poor. He is not well-dressed, he does not even have a car, he does not live in the same neighbourhood as me, he does not have the same educational and social status as me. I will not accept him.’

When we do that, we are despising and rejecting God's sovereign choice in salvation. He is no respecter of persons. He chooses the rich as well as the poor. As far as salvation is concerned, wealth is of no significance or consequence at all. We are all equal. As one theologian rightly said, ‘At the foot of the cross, the ground is level.’ The rich and the poor should be accorded equal honour. Discrimination and showing partiality is not only irrational, it is totally contrary to God's sovereign choice in salvation.

Then James moves on to the second contradiction. Look at the second part of verse 6: “Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?” Verse 7: “Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?”

Here James was not saying that all the rich men oppress the poor. We need to understand the historical context. Remember, James was writing this letter to the Jews who were scattered abroad throughout the world outside of Palestine. They were being persecuted; they lost their jobs, they lost their homes, and they were extremely poor. The rich were the ones who oppressed them. The rich were the ones who dragged them to court to sue them, to take away all their belongings.

And why were they being persecuted? Because of their newfound faith in Christ. They had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, so they were being persecuted. When they (refer to the rich or persecutors that) persecute the believers, they are persecuting the Lord Himself. They are blaspheming that worthy name to whom all the believers were called. The word ‘worthy’ means beautiful, excellent, and honourable, referring to the name Jesus Christ. There's only one name that can save us, and that name is Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 says: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” It is by the name of Jesus Christ that all the believers were saved. Yet these people blasphemed that worthy name.

One good example was the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were rich and wealthy, belonging to the upper class during Jesus' time. They violently opposed Him; they slandered His name. Remember, when Jesus healed the sick and cast out the demons, they accused Him of being possessed by the power of the Devil. (Matthew 12:24) Even after Christ's resurrection, they still persecuted the church continuously. (Acts 4:1-3, Acts 5:17-18)

So, James was saying to the people in the church: when you go against the poor, you are going against God's sovereign choice in salvation. When you esteem the rich, you are siding with the persecutors and blasphemers. Your behaviour is totally contrary to that of a believer. If you say you are a Christian, then you should not behave like that.

Some people may be wondering, how could these people be so blind and ignorant to take the side of the persecutors and blasphemers, people who did not believe in Christ, and at the same time reject the poor believers because of their poverty? How could they be so blind and ignorant? But the truth is that sometimes we are just as blind and ignorant as them.

Take a moment and consider those people who respect the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel preachers. People who tell the world, ‘Come and believe in Jesus, and you will be blessed with money, good health, and prosperity.’ The gospel is about good health, good wealth, and good prosperity. They exploit the people and fill their own pockets with millions and millions of dollars, yet these people would rather listen to them than to those faithful, poor preachers.

What about those people who love the worldly celebrities and singers who influence them to go down the path of immorality? Yet they are so devoted to them, so much so that they would watch all their movies and attend every one of their concerts, when these people are the ones who drag them into immorality.

What about in the church? Where people would listen attentively to those multimillionaires, to suit their desires, to beckon to their call, even though these people do not support the church in any way, nor do they serve in the ministry of the church. And at the same time, those who are faithfully serving and facing issues and challenges in the ministries, they are being neglected.

Are the people today not doing the same thing as in the days of James? Most certainly! But in different shapes and forms, that’s all. They support those who ought not to be supported, and they neglect those who ought to be supported. Sometimes people do that because of fear. After all, they are the majority; they are rich and powerful.

But we ought to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who always speaks the truth. On one occasion, Jesus warned the people to beware of the rich, high, and mighty who love to walk around in long robes, waiting for people to greet them in the marketplaces. They love the chief seats in the synagogues; they love the seats of honour at banquets. (Mark 12:38-39) And they publicly put large amounts of money into the offering boxes, not because they love God, not because they wanted to glorify God, but because they wanted to be admired by the people as an outward show of spirituality. Then Jesus saw this poor widow who put in two small copper coins, worth about 1 cent. Jesus did not give credit to the rich, but instead, he commended the poor widow. Jesus said, for they, the rich, gave out of their abundance, out of their surplus, but she, the poor widow, gave everything; she gave out of her poverty. I'm paraphrasing what Jesus said in Mark 12:41-44.

Dear friend, you and I must not be blind and ignorant. We must be bold enough to give credit where credit is due, regardless of whether the person is rich or poor, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

IV. The Transgression

Let us move on to our second point: the transgression. Look at James 2:8, "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well."

The word ‘royal’ carries the idea of supreme and sovereign. When a sovereign king gives a law, it is legal, authoritative, and binding. Here, the Royal Law is a reference to the Ten Commandments, which were summarised by our Lord Jesus: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)

Notice the first five commandments (Exodus 20:3-12) have to do with God:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods.
2. Thou shalt not make graven images.
3. Thou shalt not take God's name in vain.
4. Thou shalt remember the Sabbath.
5. Thou shalt honour thy father and thy mother. (Our parents are God's representatives on this earth.)

The second set, from six to ten commandments (Exodus 20:13-17), have to do with our neighbours:

6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not lie.
10. Thou shalt not covet.

So, our Lord Jesus summarised the Ten Commandments into these two great commandments: love God, love your neighbour. When the believer loves God, he will not seek to break any of His commandments. When the believer loves his neighbour, he will not seek to violate another person. Therefore, love is the essential ingredient to help us keep the commandments of God. Without love, it is impossible to keep the commandments of God.

Why did Jesus command us to love our neighbour as ourselves? Obviously, it is because we love ourselves, right? We do not want to be killed, we do not want to be cheated, we do not want our things to be stolen, we do not want to be abused, to be lied to, to be the target of jealousy. So when you and I love others with the same degree of love and concern, we will not do those things to others. Therefore, we will fulfil the law. When we do that, we have done well in the sight of God.

James 2:9, "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors." If you show partiality, if you show favouritism, you have broken the commandment "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," (Matthew 22:39) and you are convicted by the law. You are a transgressor. The word ‘convinced’ means convicted.

James 2:10, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." You may claim, ‘Oh, I have kept most of the laws and I only break one,’ but if you broke one commandment, you are guilty of all. Remember, the law is likened unto a mirror. Think about a mirror. When you hit this mirror with a hammer, you only hit it once, but the entire mirror is shattered.

As an illustration, James quoted the sixth and seventh commandments in verse 11: "For he that said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." So you may not be an adulterer, but if you have committed murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. You have broken the law. In God's eyes, you are a transgressor. If you lied once, you are a liar. If you commit adultery once, you are an adulterer in the eyes of the Almighty God, whose standard is perfect.

Perhaps James chose two of the most serious sins, adultery and murder, because in both instances the penalty was death (Genesis 9:6, Exodus 21:12; Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22). Most likely, he chose these two sins to illustrate the seriousness of showing partiality. But the point he was trying to make is that all it takes is to break one commandment, any commandment, and you are a transgressor. So, contrary to those people who think that showing partiality is no big deal, it is just a matter of perspectives, it is up to the individual's rights, it is a small matter, it is just being discourteous—no, it is a serious sin. Just as all sins are serious, it is a violation of the command to love thy neighbour as thyself. It is a violation to not love God, because God is the one who gave us all these Commandments.

Most certainly, none of us can ever keep the Commandments of God perfectly. We break them all the time. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We need a Saviour. We need the Lord Jesus Christ to save us. That is where the gospel comes in. When we realise that we have broken the commandments of God, our hearts are convicted, and then the Gospel points us to the Saviour, the only One who is able to save us from the penalty of sins. Jesus Christ came for us. He died on the cross, He shed His precious blood to save us. So the Good News, the Gospel, points us to Him. (Romans 3:20-26)

That is why James went on to say in verse 12: "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." The Gospel is the Law of Liberty that has the redemptive power to free us from the bondage (Galatians 5:1) and penalty of sin, to free us from death, hell, (Romans 8:1-2, John 3:16) to free us from the world and temptation (1 John 5:4-5), to free us to live a righteous life, to free us to worship, serve, and glorify God (Titus 2:11-14). That is why it is called the Law of Liberty. And when God judges us, He will judge us by the Gospel in that He sees us washed by the precious blood of His Only Begotten Son. (1 John 1:7) He sees us covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 61:10). On our own, we have no righteousness, (Romans 3:23) but we are clothed with the righteousness of His Son. That is what it means to be judged by the Law of Liberty.

In other words, if you are someone who has been saved by the Gospel, then you must speak and behave like someone who is saved by the Gospel. A true believer will not show partiality because he has been saved by the Gospel that does not discriminate (Galatians 3:26-28). How can he show discrimination when he knows in his heart that God is no respecter of persons? He was saved because of the Gospel of Grace. He will not do that; it contradicts his own salvation.

Dear friend, have we been partial in the way we deal with people? As a church, do we only choose people who are rich, powerful, living in big houses and mansions to be our leaders, with no consideration for their spiritual qualifications? As an individual, do we only choose people who are famous, intellectuals, and strong to be our friends? Men may not be able to see our hearts, but God sees into the innermost of our hearts and knows our thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9). He knows whether we are partial or not. He knows whether we have been saved by the Gospel of Grace or not. He knows whether we really belong to Him or not.

So finally, James said in verse 13: "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." Allow me to explain this briefly. The ones who have showed no mercy are the unbelievers. Their lives are characterised by partiality, selfishness, and lack of concern for others, especially the poor. When a man lives his life without showing mercy, he simply demonstrates the fact that he himself has never responded to the mercy of God. He doesn't understand the mercy of God. It only goes to show his unsaved condition. Ultimately, he will be judged by God.

The believer is different. The believer is someone who has experienced the mercy of God, and he who has experienced the mercy of God will show mercy to others, and he will not be judged by God. That is what it means: ‘mercy rejoiceth against judgment’. The believer, he will show mercy, and he knows in his heart that God Almighty will not judge him. The believer who is saved by the Gospel, he cannot help it. His life is transformed. (2 Corinthians 5:17) He lives by the Gospel. He will show mercy.

A story was told of a particular concentration camp for prisoners of war during the Japanese Occupation in 1942. It is a true story. The camp was filled with dirt and filth. The prisoners were forced to do hard labour. There was hardly any food in the barracks where the prisoners of war lived. They had one rule, and that rule was the law of the jungle: the fittest survives, every man for himself.

But there was one particular prisoner who was different. His life was contrary to the law of the prison. He was willing to share. One day, he had one last piece of bread, and he willingly shared his bread with another prisoner who was in desperate need. Subsequently, he died. Everyone was puzzled how this prisoner was able to live his life contrary to the law of the prison, which was the law of the jungle—every man for himself.

As they were clearing his belongings, they found a Bible, and they realised that this man must have lived his life according to this book. So one by one, the prisoners started to read the Bible, and the Spirit of God gripped their hearts and changed their lives. Soon, the law of the prison was transformed to the law of God: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There was a spiritual revival in the concentration camp.

Dear friend, perhaps there was a time you and I had lived our lives with this same mindset: every man for himself. We only cared for ourselves and no one else. But what about our conversion? Has our conversion changed our mindset? What has the Law of God: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39), meant to us? Does it mean anything to us? If we are true believers, it means everything to us. It is God's royal law given by our Lord Jesus Himself, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

If every one of us were to live according to this law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, the church would be a place free from the sin of showing partiality. There would be no partiality at all. Not only that, it would be a place where the love of God would flow in and through our lives, and ultimately, the love of God through the gospel would reach out and touch the lives of those who are outside the Kingdom of God.

This is the kind of life God wants us to live. Will you live such a life? Or are you still clinging to the mindset of every man for himself? No, today it is every man for others, to the glory of God. Let us pray.

Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for Thy word that Thou hast recorded in the Holy Scriptures, which is able to convict our hearts and edify our souls. We need Thy word as we live our days on this earth; otherwise, we'll be groping in spiritual darkness. We will be living our lives following the values of this dying, unbelieving, and lost world.

Oh Lord, if we profess faith in Thee, if we are truly saved, the law that governs our hearts is the law of God: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37), and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39). May we always live our lives governed by Thy royal law.

So help us. We cannot do this but only through the empowerment of Thy Spirit. So we ask that Thou wilt strengthen us through Thy Spirit to live out this truth, all to the glory of Thy precious name. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.

THE BOOK OF JAMES

Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit (Part 1)

Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit (Part 1)

James 1:1-4

Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit (Part 2)

Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit (Part 2)

James 1:1-4

The Need For Wisdom In Times Of Trial

The Need For Wisdom In Times Of Trial

James 1:5-8

Trial Is No Respecter Of Persons

Trial Is No Respecter Of Persons

James 1:9-12

How To Deal With Temptation

How To Deal With Temptation

James 1:13-15

Remember Who God Is And Who We Are

Remember Who God Is And Who We Are

James 1:16-18

Be Receptive To The Word Of God

Be Receptive To The Word Of God

James 1:19-21

Doers of the Word

Doers of the Word

James 1:21-25

Be Responsive To The Word Of God

Be Responsive To The Word Of God

James 1:22-25

Are You Transformed By The Word?

Are You Transformed By The Word?

James 1:26-27

The Sin Of Showing Partiality (Part 1)

The Sin Of Showing Partiality (Part 1)

James 2:1-4

The Sin of Partiality

The Sin of Partiality

James 2:1-13

The Sin Of Showing Partiality (Part 2)

The Sin Of Showing Partiality (Part 2)

James 2:5-13

Show Me Your Faith, And I Will Show You Mine

Show Me Your Faith, And I Will Show You Mine

James 2:14-20

Faith In Action

Faith In Action

James 2:21-26

A Warning To Want-To-Be Teacher

A Warning To Want-To-Be Teacher

James 3:1-2

Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 2 of 2)

Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 2 of 2)

James 3:1-13

The Power Of The Tongue

The Power Of The Tongue

James 3:3-6

The Taming Of The Tongue

The Taming Of The Tongue

James 3:7-12

The Danger Of False Wisdom

The Danger Of False Wisdom

James 3:13-16

The Blessing Of Heavenly Wisdom

The Blessing Of Heavenly Wisdom

James 3:17-18

Dealing With Conflict In The Church

Dealing With Conflict In The Church

James 4:1-6

War And Peace

War And Peace

James 4:1-10

What Constitutes True Salvation

What Constitutes True Salvation

James 4:7-10

Speak No Evil

Speak No Evil

James 4:11-12

God’s Plan Or My Plan?

God’s Plan Or My Plan?

James 4:13-17

Physically Rich But Spiritually Poor

Physically Rich But Spiritually Poor

James 5:1-6

How To Be Patient In Times Of Trouble

How To Be Patient In Times Of Trouble

James 5:7-11

Simply Speak The Truth

Simply Speak The Truth

James 5:12; Matthew 5:33-37

What To Do When It Hurts

What To Do When It Hurts

James 5:13-18

The Value Of The Soul

The Value Of The Soul

James 5:19-20