Viewing the Sin of Prejudice
James 2:1-14 C:\MyData\JAM-OLD But Good\JAMES2-1.WPD
(1) My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of
personal favoritism. (2} For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, {3} and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," {4} have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? {5} Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? {6} But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? {7} Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? {8} If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. {9} But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. {10} For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. {11} For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not
commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. {12} So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. {13} For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
INTRODUCTION:
In my title I call prejudice a sin; Is it a sin? Look at verse nine (9). "But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." The Bible calls prejudice sin. In the text I want to call your attention to three different views of this sin of prejudice.
1. The View of the Church Members.
2. The View of the Guest.
3. The View of God and His Word.
1. The Sin of Prejudice from the Church Members View. v 2-4
{2} For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, {3} and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," {4} have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
EXPLANATION
A. The sin grows out of faulty . . Concepts. v 2-3
B. The sin grows out of faulty . . Conclusions. v 4
ILLUSTRATION TOPIC: Prejudice INDEX: 448 DATE: 4/1988.14 TITLE: Mahatma Ghandi
Carefully meditate on the following incident from the life of Mahatma Ghandi. This man, who later gained world attention, says in his autobiography that in his student days he was truly interested in the Bible. Deeply touched by reading the gospels, he seriously considered becoming a convert. Christianity seemed to offer the real solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. One Sunday he went to a nearby church to attend services. He decided to see the minister and ask for instruction in the way of salvation and enlightenment on other doctrines.
But when he entered the sanctuary, the users refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go and worship with his own people. He left and never came back. "If Christians have caste differences also," he said to himself, "I might as well remain a Hindu." Believer, weed from your heart the evil root of intolerance before it yields the same bitter fruit.
APPLICATION
2. The Sin of Prejudice from the View of the Guest. v 2-3, 6 a
{2} For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, {3} and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," {6} But you have dishonored the poor man.
EXPLANATION
A. This Sin causes the rich man to feel he is wanted for his money. v 2-3
B. This Sin causes the poor man to feel he is not wanted. v 2-3, 6 a
ILLUSTRATION TOPIC: Partiality INDEX: 1984 SUBTOPIC: Forbidden DATE: 6/1989.17 LE:
John Barrier didn’t like the way a bank manager in Spokane, WA, looked at him -- like he’d "crawled out from under a rock" because of his dirty construction clothes. So Barrier, who just wanted a parking slip validated, took his money and left -- $1 million at time.
It began when Barrier, 59, went to Old National Bank to cash a $100 check. When he tried to validate the slip to save 60 cents, a receptionist refused, saying he hadn’t conducted a transaction. "She said you have to make a deposit."
"I told her I’m considered a substantial depositor and she looked at me like... well." He asked to see the manager, who also refused to stamp the ticket. Barrier went to bank headquarters vowing to withdraw his $2 million plus unless the manager apologized. No call came.
"So the next day I went over and the first amount I took out was $1 million." "But if you have $100 in a bank or $1 million," he says, "I think they owe you the courtesy of stamping your parking ticket." -- Elisa Tinsley, "USA Today"
APPLICATION
The bank teller made judgements simply on outward appearances.
3. The Sin of Prejudice from the View of God’s Word. v 1, 5-12
(1) My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
{5} Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? (6} But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? {7} Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? {8} If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. {9} But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. {10} For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. (11} For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. {12} So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
{13} For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over
judgment.
EXPLANATION
A. We are told . . Prejudice is . . Incompatible. v 1
B. We are told . . Prejudice is . . Inconsistent. v 5, 8
1. God made a lot of poor people.
2. God commanded us to love everyone.
C. We are told . . Prejudice is . . Irreverent. v 6-7
D. We are told . . Prejudice is . . Interfering. v 10-11
E. We are told . . Prejudice is . . Insensitive. v 12-13
ILLUSTRATION TOPIC: Ten Commandments INDEX: 949 DATE: 2/1990.27 TITLE:
Ted Turner, told members of the National Newspaper Association in Atlanta that the biblical Ten Commandments do not relate to current global problems. "We’re living with outmoded rules," Turner said. "The rules we’re living under is the Ten Commandments, and I bet nobody here even pays much attention to ’em, because they are too old.
"When Moses went up on the mountain, there were no nuclear weapons, there was no poverty. Today, the commandments wouldn’t go over. Nobody around likes to be commanded. Commandments are out."
APPLICATION
Viewing the Sin of Prejudice
1. The View of the Church Members.
2. The View of the Guest.
3. The View of God and His Word.
