Open your bibles to James Chapter 1.
As we continue our new series from the Book of James entitled Faith That Works.
R. Kent Hughes says “one thing is clear about the book of James—the dominant theme is;
“Faith that is real works practically in one's life. Faith that is true, is a faith that works.” R. Kent Hughes
This is where we came up with the title “FAITH THAT WORKS”
Each week we will examine the relationship between our faith and our works,
we see how the two intersect in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
James covers many practical issues that will show us how to have a living, visible, and productive faith in the midst of a broken and fallen world.
Will you stand with me if you are able as we open up God’s word.
Know My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:1-13)
PRAY
Last week we learned that God’s word is to have a profound influence on the way we live. James called us to be doers of the Word and not hears only. The Word, received with genuine faith, spurs us to obedience and true religion. James teaches us that the true religion that is pure and undefiled before God is two things. The first is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction: This was the social injustices that the first century Christians were facing at the time due to extreme persecution. Likewise, we are to address the social injustices in our culture.
Today James gives us an example of what it looks like to neglect such a responsibility and the seriousness of doing so.
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1-4 ESV)
If we're honest everyone is guilty of favoritism from one degree to another as it is so ingrained in our culture.
We are naturally attracted to those who can benefit us. There are relationships that would never exist if it were not for what we can get out of them. Sadly the church is no exception. In my time journaling through this passage, I wrote this:
"Jesus, Thank you for the grace that forgives me when I pursue relationships for selfish gain. Help me care more about a person's needs and less about what I can get from them. Jesus, you became poor so I could be rich in Your Kingdom. Be my example and empower me by Your Spirit to be more like You; faithful, selfless, generous, and impartial. It’s in the faithful, selfless, generous, impartial, and powerful name of Jesus I pray. Amen"
The church should be the one place in the world where everyone should get equal treatment. And James says we have to take hold of our faith in the Lord Jesus, Lord of glory to combat. As we focus on the Glory of our Lord Jesus we are reminded very quickly that spiritually we bring nothing to the table. We have done nothing to earn our place in God’s church. The very faith we have to believe has been given to us from God as a gift.
Jesus, the Lord of Glory has done it all. He came down to the lowly and despised, sinners like and me and he gave his life for the poor that we might be rich in him. The world play favorites and judge by appearances, but thankfully God does not. Scripture teaches us,
For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b ESV)
Rich and poor, young and old, male and female. We are all sinners—spiritually poor—in need of Christ and his grace. And James warns us here to not judge people by their appearance. As the old saying goes the ground is level at the foot of the cross.
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? (James 2:5-7 ESV)
God’s definition of wealth is much different from the world. While it is not a sin to be to have money and things it will never bring you any favor with God. Jesus uses this same illustration time and time again because He knows how hard it is for the rich to see their need for verse the poor who are far less independent. In Luke chapter 6 Jesus says:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. (Luke 6:20, 24 ESV)
Jesus saw wealth and poverty more as a spiritual condition and a matter of the heart. Listen to Jesus explain the heart of the rich verse the heart of the poor in Mark’s gospel.
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44 ESV)
We live in a world that equates blessing with those who are rich but Jesus sees the heart. He sees everyone as they truly are. Don’t be fooled by fancy clothes and large sums of money. The rich are those who have faith in Jesus and the poor are those who are lost and in need of a Savior. In verse 6 he says there are some who dishonor the poor man and honored the rich. But it is actually the rich who are oppressing the poor and taking them to court. And this goes against everything that Jesus came to do and the last place this should be happening is in the church. So much so that James turns it up a notch here and shows us just how serious this is.
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. (James 2:8-11 ESV)
We did a whole series on the great commandment which James calls here the Royal law. Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment and his response was. That we are to love the Lord with all our heart mind soul and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. And James says if you are loving your neighbor as your self you are doing well. But if you are showing partiality you have transgressed the law and are guilty of sin equal to murder and adultery? Why is James making such a big deal out of the rather common sin of favoritism? It doesn’t seem fair to list partiality right next to adultery and murder. But here’s the deal, all three undermine the very reason Jesus came. Jesus spoke the very same way in the gospels. He said;
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’… “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:21, 27-30 ESV)
Jesus brings hate and murder and lust and adultery on the same level and James adds the sin of partiality is just as severe. How can that be? Again, all three undermine the whole reason why Jesus came in the first place. They are a deliberate failure to obey the royal law which is to love your neighbor as yourself. The sin of partiality violates the gospel principle that God shows no partiality. He judges all by the same law, and by the same grace, he redeems everyone whose faith rests in the Lord Jesus alone. And neglecting the poor and favoring the rich is neglecting the very grace and mercy that lies at the heart of Jesus’ entire mission. And that is a grave sin that will lead to judgment.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12-13 ESV)
We speak often of the grace of God and little about the judgment that everyone will face on the day that they meet their maker. Non-believers will be judged by the law and will be condemned. By God’s grace, there is no condemnation for those who have faith in Jesus Christ. And while there is no condemnation for the Christian there is still Judgement. We will be judged under the law of liberty. The Apostle Paul speaks about our works and the judgment that every believer will face.
For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder, I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:9-15 ESV)
James lived in awareness of this reality. So he commands us to “speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” This reminds me of the parable of the talents. Where Jesus speaks of this on the day of Judgment.
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30 ESV)
I pray that we will take everything God has blessed us and use it to multiply His kingdom. And let our words and actions be motivated by the grace and mercy of our LORD Jesus. Repenting every fear, doubt, and the sin that undermines the work of Christ. So that on the Day of Judgment we may hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
PRAY
RESPOND IN WORSHIP
