Weekly Sermons

Partiality Based on Appearance Is Sin

James 2:1-9

“May it please your Majesty, if I could possess the tinker’s ability to grip men’s hearts, I would gladly give all my learning in exchange.”      -John Owen on Bunyan

True faith in Jesus precludes partiality based on appearance                                 V. 1

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh…Therefore, it anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.                        -2 Corinthians 5:14-17

An example for church ushers                                                                                   V. 2-3

Three reasons showing partiality is wrong                                                               V. 4-7

First, it makes you the judge instead of the words of King Jesus                V. 4     

Then Peter opened his mouth and said, “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.”                  -Acts 10:34

He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.        -John 12:48

Second, it dishonors the very poor who God honors                                  V. 5-6a

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.     -I Cor. 1:26-29

Third, pandering to the rich is counterproductive                                       V. 6b-7

Pandering rarely changes the people pandered to, and too often changes the church that panders! 

The bottom line: we are called to love all of our neighbors without partiality     V. 8-9

Ambassadors for Christ reach out to everyone impartially because they know the double value every soul as – created in God’s image, object of Christ’s saving work!