Let's Put Away Partiality Series

Let’s Put away Partiality

FAVORITISM

There’s a wonderful story about a Chicago bank that once asked for a letter of recommendation on a young Bostonian being considered for employment. The Boston investment house could not say enough about the young man. His father, they wrote, was a Cabot; his mother was a Lowell. Further back was a happy blend of Saltonstalls, Peabodys, and other of Boston’s first families. His recommendation was given without hesitation. Several days later, the Chicago bank sent a note saying the information supplied was altogether inadequate. It read: "We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes. Just for work." Neither is God a respecter of persons but accepts those from every family, nation, and race who fear Him and work for His kingdom (Acts 10:34-35). Kathleen Peterson.

God’s warning against partiality or favoritism is strong.

Three warnings:

Showing partiality is sin; it violates the royal law of love (James 2:8-9).

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: [9] But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. James 2:8-9

The great law of God is the law of love:

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18; cp. Luke 10:29-37).

How important is this law?

It is said to be the great “royal law according to the Scripture.”

It is royal because:

a. It is the royal law of God’s kingdom. It was given by God Himself and reinforced by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, when He came to earth.

“And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39; cp. Luke 10:25-27).

b. It is the great law that embraces or includes all other laws. That is, if a person loves God and loves his neighbor as himself, he will automatically be obeying all the other laws.

“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31).

“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).

c. It is the very commandment that leads to eternal life.

“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:27-28).

“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23).

“Beloved, let us love one other: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another. God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:7-12).

“And we have known and believed the love that God to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16).

The point is that we believers are to love people, not show partiality, discriminating against some. Showing partiality is sin and it makes us a transgressor of the law.

Showing partiality makes a person guilty of the whole law of God (James 2:10).

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10

How is this possible? How can a person be guilty of all the law if he breaks only one law?

Men follow God or else they do not, no door #3.

We can’t throw away the words of God that we don’t like, as many Religious denominations and individuals do today.

Gods complete word and law are given by God. They form a whole pattern, a complete style of life. They are all necessary to point one in the right direction and toward the right goal.