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"Warning against Prejudice"

James 2.1-17

Good News Translation (GNT)

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Warning against Prejudice
  1  My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus
   Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat
   people in different ways according to their
   outward appearance.
  2  Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and
   fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a
   poor man in ragged clothes also comes.
  3  If you show more respect to the well-dressed
   man and say to him, "Have this best seat
   here," but say to the poor man, "Stand over
   there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,"
  4  then you are guilty of creating distinctions
   among yourselves and of making judgments
   based on evil motives.
  5  Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor
   people of this world to be rich in faith and to
   possess the kingdom which he promised to
   those who love him.
  6  But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones
   who oppress you and drag you before the
   judges? The rich!
  7  They are the ones who speak evil of that
   good name which has been given to you.
  8  You will be doing the right thing if you obey the
   law of the Kingdom, which is found in the
   scripture, "Love your neighbor as you love
   yourself."
  9  But if you treat people according to their
   outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and
   the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.
10  Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty
   of breaking them all.
11  For the same one who said, "Do not
   commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit
   murder." Even if you do not commit adultery,
   you have become a lawbreaker if you commit
   murder.
12  Speak and act as people who will be judged
   by the law that sets us free.
13  For God will not show mercy when he judges
   the person who has not been merciful; but
   mercy triumphs over judgment.

   Faith and Actions
14  My friends, what good is it for one of you to
   say that you have faith if your actions do not
   prove it? Can that faith save you?
15  Suppose there are brothers or sisters who
   need clothes and don't have enough to eat.
16  What good is there in your saying to them,
   "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!" -
   if you don't give them the necessities of life?
17  So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no
   actions, then it is dead.

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Taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary' (Kingsway)

'Favouritism Forbidden'

   James 2:1-17

My brothers ... don't show favouritism.
Rather, we should look only at how much the light of Jesus shines in life. Instead of looking at man's outward appearance, let us look rather at his inward spiritual qualities.

We must show the same love and respect to all. If we do not do this, we make ourselves a judge between men. God does not show favouritism; therefore, we must not show favouritism either.

In James' time, most believers were poor, and many were slaves. In our time the rich usually do not come to Jesus. In the world, the poor; can be "rich" also - that is, rich in faith, because they have put their trust in God and not in earthly riches.

The believers, to whom James is writing, were disregarding the poor and showing great honour to the rich and powerful people, who were persecuting them!

The second greatest commandment says: Love your neighbour as yourself. If we show favouritism, we are breaking the law - that is, the second commandment

In any country there are many laws. If a person breaks just one of these laws, he is considered a criminal. Therefore, James tells us, we must not show favouritism; or else we too shall become lawbreakers. James' main point is that it is impossible for anyone to obey the law completely; every rule all the time. This is why in God's sight no one can be justified by the law.

It is called the "law that gives freedom because we don't follow this law by compulsion, like slaves; we follow it freely by our own desire, like children. If we break His law in any respect, He will forgive us. We are now free to follow Jesus and to obey Him.

We must show love and mercy to all people - high and low, rich and poor - without favouritism. To the extent we show mercy to others, to that same extent God will show mercy to us.

Faith and Deeds
We must ask ourselves: "Is my faith real or not?" We can tell by our deeds of love, of obedience. If there are no deeds accompanying our faith, then such a "faith" will not save us.

We can easily say to our poor brother or sister that we love them, but if we do nothing to help them, our love is false, worthless. This kind of "love" benefits no one.

This is one of the most important verses in the New Testament,(17) because it keeps us from misinterpreting some of Paul's teaching. Paul wrote that man is saved, not by works but through faith. Paul also wrote: The only thing that counts, is faith expressing itself through love.

The work that God wants us to do is to obey Jesus' commands. If a man shows as much love for his neighbour as he does for himself, then we can be sure his faith is genuine.

One of the two criminals, who was crucified with Jesus, believed just before he died. After believing, he had no chance to do any good works. From this, we know that he was saved through faith, and not through any works. But for those who do not die immediately after believing, their faith must be manifested by works of love and obedience as long as they live. It is important to remember that we are saved by grace; it is God who saves us

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