Please turn with me to our text this morning. Our text is James chapter 2. And this morning, we are going to look at verses 1 through 13 of James chapter 2. So let me first read our text in James 2, beginning in verse 1.

“My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonoured the poor man.

Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.”

Now we are looking at James’ letter here for those who are joining us for the first time. And today we are looking at this chapter in this passage here in chapter 2. And the first thing we want to establish again is the subject matter of this passage. So what is the issue here? What is the problem here? I think it’s not too difficult to identify that. You see the word ‘partiality’ in verse 1 alright. And then you see the word ‘partiality’ in verse 4 say: “have you not shown partiality”. And then you see the word ‘partiality’ in verse 9: “but if you show partiality”. And so the subject that James talked about this in this passage is partiality. That is the issue here.

Now I’m not sure how often you hear a church talk about this subject about partiality. But at least in the Scripture, we see that the Bible talks about this subject. And so it is a matter or an issue that we should talk about. Now the first thing is what is partiality alright- what is partiality? Now you see, James says here: “my brethren”. He’s appealing to the people in the church. He’s not appealing to the people of the world. He says my brother and sisters or my brethren in the church. He says “do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ (and in this translation and do not hold the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ) that is the Lord of glory with partiality”.

He says don’t do that. He tells believers not to do that because he says that it’s just not consistent to call yourself a Christian to say that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what is meant here by holding the faith. You lift up the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. And on the other hand, you show partiality. You see, it is not representative of true Christianity of someone who claims or professed to believe in Jesus Christ. Now again and again in his letter, you see that that is very much the heart of James’ message here in this letter, very much what he’s trying to impress upon his reader and upon all of us believers that there is such a thing as a genuine Christianity, a genuine faith. There’s such a thing as a true Christian.

And he said a true Christian is not like that. It’s not one who says he’s a Christian and then on the other hand he shows partiality. So it is not representative. That’s what verse 1 is trying to say. So he begins by making that point, begins by telling him that he is concerned about that we all as Christians should live out the true Christian life. And so that is not representative. Now partiality, what is it? You see, the word ‘partiality’ here alright in the original, the literal alright literally it actually means to receive the face. That is what the word if you translate literally alright from the Greek word is to receive the face.

And by that, it means that we receive people or we look at people or we treat people according to the face. Face here means according to the appearance, according to the external alright. And so that is the meaning of partiality. We have another word for it; we call it favouritism alright. And when we look at this person externally and then we form some opinion about the person. So to receive the face in other words is to be captivated by the face or by the appearance of the person. Now when I say face doesn’t literally mean just the face but the appearance alright of the person. It could be the dressing of the person. It is to receive or to treat people according to the externals.

Now there are some research or some studies done about the effect alright or you know how the appearance of the person, how much the appearance materialised alright in many areas of our life. One study is done with about interviews, people who attend interviews. It’s important. I think maybe if some of you who have read about you know you want to get yourself to go for a job interview, you might have read something about this or get some advice about this alright that your dressing is very important. How you present yourself, the appearance. And those who dress well are more likely to get the job.

Well, it’s not just about all your qualities and inside alright. The inside your interviewer actually does not know a lot. But what they know is very much from the outside. But that is human alright- that’s very human that we look at people and we look at the appearance and we form judgement about the person. In fact, according to these studies, it’s not only that if you go for an interview and if you dress well you are more likely to get the job but also if you are taller you’re also more likely to get the job alright. Sorry to those who are shorter, but that is the fact of life alright that people are always impressed by the appearance. So there are certain things that you know that inform them of certain things about you.

So your appearance, either your height, your dressing, and so on. In fact, according to these studies, it is also true that if you are flying (I mean when you take a plane alright) it’s important for you also to dress well alright that you wear the suit and a tie, you are more likely to be treated better by the, you know air stewards alright than those who just wear a round neck t-shirt and a shorts alright. And so that is the meaning. That’s what James is talking about here that partiality is about making judgement about people simply based on the appearance. Now we see that partiality is the accepted norm in our society.

Now James talked about partiality, now we know that it happens alright. Like I say, even the people are judging people based on appearance. We know it happens whether you board a plane or you go for a job interview and elsewhere, but it is an accepted norm. That’s the reason why we pay a lot of attention to our externals, our appearance. I say it is true in our society that they have no qualms about dividing people into classes. Sometimes we speak about the caste system in India. We say ah, why that is wrong? But it’s actually everywhere alright, this so-called caste system. But I say again if you go to the airport and enter the plane, immediately you are divided into classes- first-class, business class, economic class.

This is no issue with them. That’s the fact of life in our society in this world, and it is accepted. Some of the people think that that is you know okay for people to just divide you into classes. Or when you go to the bank they have this priority banking or the premier banking and so on, and it’s accepted alright. So people promote that. People promote this kind of a division in our world. And they tell you to the face alright. You say you do not belong to this class, please can you go over the other side? You don’t belong here; you belong there. And so you go to the restaurant, it is the same.

And so what matters in this world or what they are telling us, they say what matters in this world is how much you make, what job you do, what car you drive, what house you live in, and what is your educational level. You see, we divide them all according to all these things alright. And how people talk to you and how people treat you, and it all depends on who you are and what you have. Now that is partiality alright- that is partiality when you divide people according to all these things, according to you know what they have and how they look and things like that. As I say, the first thing we see here is that that is partiality and we are living in a world that you know that is life alright, that is accepted alright.

So that leads us to the second thing I want to say about partiality here in this text. In fact, what James wanted to say about partially. So he raises up this subject alright of partiality. He wants us to think about that. Now he wants to think about it. And then the next question is: Is it a problem in the church? So in the world, we know, but we don’t probably even consider it as a problem. It’s just a fact of life alright. When we go out there, we’ll be treated that way. Now you’ll be treated that way. There will be partiality alright in our society. But when you come to the church, now that is James’ issue here. So what is it like in the church? Is it a problem?

Now I read something about this Mahatma Gandhi alright, and it is said that once he actually considered alright becoming a Christian. And so it is said that he read the gospel and was moved by them. It seemed to him that Christianity offered a solution to the caste system in India. So one Sunday, he went to a local church. He had wanted to see the pastor and ask for instruction on the way of salvation. But when he entered the church which consisted of white people, the ushers refused to give him a seat. They told him to go and worship with his own people. He left and never went back. He said if Christians have caste differences also, I might as well remain a Hindu.

Now that is his experience in the church that he realised that there is caste system even in the church. And he thought that here is a place that by maybe we don’t have such things. When you’re out in the world you’re treated differently, but maybe when you come to the church you will not be treated differently alright. But then he experienced that and it’s the same. Or here there’s a book alright called the Bad Popes by E.R. Chamberlin. Now in this book, he wrote about the worst of the Roman Catholic popes.

You know it is said the word ‘corrupt’, he said, is not strong enough to convey how evil these men were. They were into total power and they dispensed favour based upon who could pay them the most or who could consolidate their power over their enemies. They epitomised, he wrote, the sin of partiality. Now so we see alright throughout the history of the church, now this problem of partiality was in the church during the time of Mahatma Gandhi and all through the, you know history of the church alright. We see here about even the leaders of so-called the popes in the church practicing this or showing partiality in the church.

But we actually don’t have to go back into history. We actually don’t have to look elsewhere you know and see whether we find partiality you know in the history of the church and which era where we see this problem. Actually, we see it alright in our churches you know in true churches. And that’s what James is pointing out here in verse 2. Now I believe that in verse 2 through verse 4, now James is not kind of imagining things. He’s not imagining you know partially you know I see this favouritism of partiality in the restaurant or the workplaces, in the airport and just imagining maybe is happening in the church. I believe that he is writing something which he has witnessed or has seen in the churches of Jesus Christ.

And so he wrote this: “for if they should come into your assembly (that’s a gathering of God’s people, probably in worship) a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes”. The fact of the matter is when people walk into the church or the assembly of God’s people, there’ll be all kinds of people. So he’s describing them. The man coming in with gold rings. It’s not singular; it’s plural you know. Rings. Every finger also got one ring alright and it becomes like you know become kind of obvious.

Now people can see I’m a rich man, and he’s coming in that way and his clothing all branded clothing alright in and making it obvious to people. And then there come another man alright nothing, shabby. Maybe torn clothing coming in. So James says when you see these two person come in (verse 3): “and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and then you say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” (or you say sit on the floor, that’s what it means, near my leg).

Now that is partiality. That is treating different people differently because of their appearance. You look at them with gold rings everywhere, fine. Or he comes in a big car, expensive car and he takes a bus to church and you treat them differently. And that’s what James is talking about here. And James says in verse 4: “have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?”. Now James is saying that that happens in the church of Jesus Christ. And he is at awe. He said that how can that be that when I’m in the restaurant, maybe. I’m in that place outside, maybe. But when I come to the church, I see exactly the same thing in the church of Jesus Christ.

So he said how can that be? Have you not shown partiality and have become judges with evil thoughts? Now evil thoughts mean what? Now actually there are a number of people who are trying to interpret this, what James meant by evil thoughts. I think it probably means this. And when people come, now you think unworthy thoughts of these poor people. When you see a rich man, you say oh that is a good church member. I think we better try to get him to be a member of the church as soon as possible. And that is what was told to me at one point in my ministry.

Some many years ago in JB when we’re trying to build a church there were not many people there. And then one day a young doctor came alright. He just you know came back from Australia. He came and he joined the church. And the fellow pastor- a fellow pastor from another church, and we’re having a discussion and say how is your church? I say, yeah, yeah, these are the people who came in there. When I mentioned this person, he said look out for that guy. He’s a good catch. Now you see, that kind of conversation for a lot of people it’s normal. You might think that wah, how can this. I say he’s a pastor from another church alright, just a good friend.

When he mentioned this, now you might think that he’s you know the odd one out. How can he say a thing like that? But that is representative of the mentality of people in the church. So he’s not the first or the only person who has spoken to me things like that. That’s how people evaluate people in the church. That is a good you know good church member, make sure you get him. He will be a great contributor to the church. Now that is evil thoughts. And that guy over there you know, useless you know. This man is a non-member, couldn’t care.

Now I think that’s what James is talking about. You are not thinking right about people. That is evil thoughts. That’s not thinking honourably about humans, about people who come to the church. You see them as some kind of commodities. Now this one is good Musang King; that one no, throw away alright. Now that’s how we treat people. Evil thoughts, James says here in verse 4 here, become judges with evil thoughts. Now, do you think that these are all history? Like James oh he said James, in the past, people like that you know. Maybe in the church, they are not very civilised, very developed yet. So they think like that.

Oh, during the time of the Popes you know the Dark Ages maybe they talk like that. Oh, you know during the time when Mahatma Gandhi in India they talk like that. But today- today, are there not you know examples? Can you not think of the many ways where this problem exists in the churches today? So we don’t have to look far. I think there are a number of ways alright- there are a number of ways that the church today manifests or shows this problem or is guilty of this as well. Now let me just mention a few ways whereby churches today are guilty of this problem. Firstly is when the church or when a church parades celebrity converts as trophies. Now then we have fallen into this sin of partiality.

Now, how so very often you hear people in churches talk about their so-called celebrity converts? Or in that video which I mentioned some time ago (I think two or three weeks ago) that shows how some people think that Elon Musk is a catch. We got him! He’s a prized catch. He’s now a Christian. Now you see, that is partiality. You like certain people, you say we really want this person, and we get him. Or he becomes a Christian, this convert is more prized, is more valuable than other converts. Now all through history we see again and again examples of this. When Cliff Richard during our time so-called was born again, he was a catch in Britain and when we started to parade them.

And you know Gordon Freddy was sharing once about Miss America was being promoted alright and she goes from church to church alright because she has been born again. I think not just in America, even here. And some of us who are older, you might remember the time when Tan Koon Swan was so-called converted and how he went from church to church. And that is despite the fact that he divorced his crippled wife and married his close companion. And he was being moved around alright from church to church. And we can think of many other examples. Chua Jui Meng, some of you remember. Prized catch.

Now that is what James is talking about. How come there’s such a thing as a prized catch? Some converts are to be promoted as if they are better than others. What about the others who have been in the church for umpteen years, for many years, unknown? Nobody talks about them because there are nobodies. They’re poor, they’ve nothing to show. They don’t drive big cars to the church, and so they are being ignored. That is partiality. And so that is one way we fall into this sin as it were. We are guilty of this when we parade converts as trophies. Another way is when we promote celebrity pastors. When you mention a certain pastor’s name, ohh. When you mention Pastor Kek, nobody knows. Who cares?

Now you see, that is partiality. Why? Why not? Why only some pastors? Now that is what James is saying that you are judging with evil thoughts. Some people are not valuable. Some pastors are not valuable, but some others are more valuable. It could be converts. It could be preachers. Or when in the church we actually have this caste system or we have this division or this priority thing. We think that only in the bank whereby there is a parking lot called priority parking or premier parking. Now remember, a premium parking if you are handicapped, don’t park at the premier parking unless you’re a rich handicapped okay. It is not for those OKU. It is for the millionaires, premier parking, premier seat.

Now once a pastor friend of mine was sharing with me this, his experience. One day for some reason he was visiting a church, a big church in the Klang Valley, somewhere in Damansara. Now I wouldn’t want to specify for you, else you know which church it is. But this is what he shared with me. And he said he went there. And because he was early, so he went right to the front seat. Now as a pastor you know we always tell people to come to the front. Don’t leave the front seat empty. And so he went right to the front seat.

An usher came to him and said: Please vacate the seat. Can you see that is for Datuk. They’re reserve seats! We thought only in those places you got reserved parking, reserved seat for all the priority people. Even in the church, in some churches, they have reserved seats and maybe even some reserved parking for VIPs. Now that is partiality. I say it happens. Now we are also guilty of this when we are prepared to disrupt a worship service to welcome a YB (sorry ah if you are YB here). Now, this is again told to me by a pastor friend from Sarawak.

Now some of you are from Sarawak or from Sabah. And these are the churches in the interior and it was during the election period. And so they were having a worship service. And then suddenly the YB came alright and they are doing their rounds alright to campaign and basically to dish out money to the people. And this pastor told me that that service was being stopped midway and everybody had to go out to welcome the YB in. Now what is that? Now you see, it happens but not a lot of people talk about this. Everything they did is acceptable because it’s the YB. James said it’s partiality. And James is saying here: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.”.

When James says you know the Lord of glory, now he is trying to say something here. He is saying that you know our Lord is a Lord of glory, but He doesn’t show partiality. I think James was having in mind Philippians chapter 2 where Paul tells us about the Lord Jesus Christ. You see in Philippians 2:6, James says our Lord Jesus Christ “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”.

I think that is what James is thinking about. Our Lord if He humbles Himself, if He treats everyone equally, how much more we who identify ourselves with the Lord of glory behave like Him? But you see, a lot of Christians do not behave like the Lord Jesus Christ. We are proud. We think that we are great when we are not that great. We think that we are so worthy and we look down on people. That is very unlike Jesus Christ. And that is what James is saying here. That is very unlike the Lord whom we profess to be following and to believe in. And so that is partiality, and that is how we see churches today fall into this sin of partiality. We are guilty of this as well.

So now do not just point fingers. I say we have to be very conscious that it happens even in our church you know in different, different ways. We have to see what James is saying here. He says it’s a real problem, and we have to be conscious of that and deal with that. You see, when we see in the church, we see groupings. We see cliques. That is very common in churches alright we have cliques. And very often the cliques or the groupings are along these lines. While I was in JB, you see the church, they talk about this a lot. It’s not I talk about it, they talk about it. We the doctors. There’s a doctor’s group in that particular church.

When I told them in my church not enough doctors to form cliques, but they have twenty over doctors in that church. And then there is another group in the church, the lawyers group, and they also have twenty over lawyers in that group. And they said that these two groups you know, they are not in good terms with one another, fighting for leadership in the church. Now that is what I know when I was in JB about one particular church. I’m sure you know of examples like that when the church is broken out into all these groups and you can see that they are defined in that way. There are the professionals or the working class or the graduates and the non-graduates.

Now this one no degree one, and all these engineers. Or those who come with Vellfire, BMW, and the others who come in motorcycles alright. Groupings. Now, all these reveal this problem in the churches. In the churches. Now listen to what Paul says. You see Paul, he was also very conscious of this problem in the church. Now Paul is saying that that is not what the church is about. Now that is not what the church is about. You see when Paul writes to the Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6, now let me read beginning in verse 8. Ephesians 6:8, he said: “knowing that whatever good one does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”.

Now he is writing to the slaves. He says that you must serve your boss well as unto the Lord alright because you’re not just serving your boss; you are serving God alright when you are doing your job. Now we all actually should know that whatever work we are doing we are not just serving people. We are serving the Lord. And so whatever we do therefore we do our best alright because we are serving God finally speaking. Now he says here alright so whatever you do (or anyone does) he will receive the same from the Lord because you are serving the Lord, whether you are a slave or you are the boss alright you are free.

Verse 9: “And you (he says), masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”. No you see God, there’s no partiality with Him. So whether you are a boss or you are the slave, whether you are educated or not educated, that’s what Paul is saying. You see Christ has made us one in the body. We are all equal. We are all equal. Now Martin Lloyd-Jones comments on this. He says: When the world sees the servant and the master speaking to one another as brothers worshipping together and praying together, it says what is this?

Now, this is revolutionary, especially during the time of the Apostle Paul and James. In those days you see, it’s just unthinkable for them that slaves and masters could come to the church or come to the assembly of God and worship together and behave as one. There’s no class. Now that is really amazing, but that is what the gospel is doing to the lives of people. That is what the gospel is. That is how the gospel changes society. You see, what the society needs is not all the other you know ideas or human wisdom. What the society needs today to correct itself is the gospel. It’s a gospel-changed society and make it into a new society where people behave differently. We are counter-cultural as it were. We don’t behave like the world.

But the problem James is pointing out and what we are seeing today is that the church does not behave differently from the world. We see partiality outside and we see partiality inside, no difference. And so James writes this. Then listen he said brothers, do not show partiality. Do not hold your faith or live your Christian life and be partial at the same time. He said it just will not do. That is simply not right. So that leads us to the next thing I want to say here. The third thing is that why is partiality wrong alright- why is partiality wrong? Back to James alright. James tells us, he says don’t do that. Don’t treat different people differently. The one comes with gold rings and nicely dress you treat one way. And the other poor man you treat differently.

He said don’t do that. Don’t have this evil thought. When you do that, you are thinking with evil thoughts. So why is partiality wrong? Now the first thing I want to say is this, that it is just simply inconsistent with our Christian faith. I pointed out before, but let me point it out again. And that is James’ big point here. It’s inconsistent with the Christian faith. Therefore he says do not hold the faith and show partiality at the same time. And he says the reason why it is inconsistent is because you see, the Lord we follow is a Lord of glory, but He is one who is humble.

It is inconsistent because it doesn’t represent the God whom we serve and whom we worship because when you read the Bible again and again you find that God is not like that. You’re giving a wrong message to the world about the God we serve. Look for example at Deuteronomy chapter 10. Deuteronomy 10:17. Deuteronomy 10:17, it says: “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome”. Now that is our God. He’s the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He’s mighty, He’s great, He’s worthy, He’s majestic. But what about such a God? He shows no partiality.

You see, our God is so great, and yet He doesn’t look down on people. And then we little creatures like us and we look down on others? So that is not representative of who God is. Or in the gospel of Luke chapter 20. Luke 20:17. Luke 20:17 (oh alright the wrong text). Acts 10:34 alright- Acts 10:34, now here is Peter’s experience alright. Acts 10:34- “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.”. Now you see, he was having trouble when he was instructed to reach out to Cornelius. He differentiates, but God told him no, you should not do that. And then he learned the truth because God shows no partiality.

You see in the eyes of God there are no classes. There are no classes because once we think in terms of classes, then we are not thinking like God. Galatians. Galatians 3:28. Galatians 3:28 says this: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”. Now that is the truth of Christianity, and that is the truth of Christianity that in Christ we are all one. No gradings, no differences, no different groups. Now if we show partiality, James says it is wrong because it is inconsistent with our Christian faith. We are not representative of God. But if we show partiality, it is wrong also because it dishonours those whom God honours.

Now James 2:5. James 2:5, it says here: “Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith”. Those poor people who come into the church, are they not God’s chosen ones? Is it, are they not whom God loved and honour and brought to Himself? And that’s what James said. Listen, he said. Brethren, think about that, these people whom you despise, are not these people whom God has chosen to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom? They are people who belong to the kingdom of God. Now how can you treat them that way? They are part of the family. You know when there are additions to the family, we don’t despise additions. Oh this little sister who now joined the family, we despise her because she’s a sister.

No, James says we don’t do that. They all belong to God. They are part of the kingdom. They are heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him. Verse 6: “But you have dishonoured the poor men”. You see, God honours them. Now you see, what James is saying is consistent with what Paul tells the Corinthians. And Paul tells the Corinthians about God choosing to honour as it were the poor and the lowly. Look with me in First Corinthians chapter 1. First Corinthians chapter 1 when Paul speaks of the church, of the kingdom of God, of people who have been saved.

He writes in verse 26 of First Corinthians 1: “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.”. And I say you look at the church. Look at the people of God. Now sometimes I just wonder whether the physical church that we see are really representative of the invisible church because very often especially when we live in a more affluent society that we have what we call a middle-class church. And we think that the people who got saved are the richer ones, the more educated ones, the more clever ones, and so on. And that the poor and the uneducated (the bus drivers and the factory workers and so on and so forth), well God has ignored them.

But I think the reality is this. The invisible church, again what Paul tells us. The people whom God called, not many of them are mighty. Not many kings, presidents, and so on, big corporate people. Now we want to think that these are the people God would love to have them. God honours the poor. Verse 27: “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 (verse 28) and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are so that no flesh should glory in His presence.”.

And that’s what James is talking about. You see all these people, they are honoured by God. God has brought them in. And so when you despise them, you despise those whom God honours alright. You dishonour those whom God honours. Finally, why is it wrong? Why is partiality wrong? Now you see, James as he gives his reason, he helps us think through the issues. He said it’s a huge problem in the church. I hope you can see that it’s still a huge problem in our churches today. And James is saying that you see why is it wrong? It is not consistent with your profession of faith. It is not representative of who God is. God is not like that. Can you be like that? And you are dishonouring those whom God honours.

So it’s wrong. Then he as it were comes to his crescendo alright, big why. So why it is wrong? He says (James 2) it is wrong because verse 8: “If you really fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you do well” because that’s what you should be. That’s what you should do to love your neighbour as yourself. But verse 9: “but if you show partiality, you commit sin”. Now James says that partiality is nothing less than sinning against God. And sometimes we understand that killing is no, no. Don’t kill people. We tell church you know don’t do that. Don’t cheat other people.

People can understand these instructions. We tell people do not commit adultery, people understand what the instruction is. But when we tell people do not show partiality, you say really? What is the big deal with that? You know it’s a big deal with killing. It’s a big deal with adultery. And James is saying here partiality, showing partiality falls into the same category. It is still a sin. You see, James calls a spade a spade. He doesn’t say oh partiality you know it’s okay you know. It’s not that nice. It’s not nice or not nice to treat people like that. It’s whether about wrong or not wrong. It’s about whether we are sinning against God. James calls it sin.

Now what is sin? Verse 9, he said you sin, you commit sin and you’re convicted by the law as transgressor. What is sin? Why call partiality a sin? Now sometimes we don’t understand alright. You say we can understand why killing is sin, but why call partiality a sin? So what is sin? Well, the Bible tells us sin is transgressing the Law of God or the breaking of the Law of God. That’s why verse 9 said you are now breaking the law as transgressors. Now John defines sin the same way in First John alright- 1 John 3:4. John says here: “Whoever commits sin commits lawlessness (or transgression), and sin is lawlessness (or sin is the breaking of the law)”.

You see, that is in the commandment of God. You say which commandment? Which commandment said thou shalt not show partiality? You know thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not tell lies, thou shalt not steal. But which commandment is thou shalt not show partiality? So James wants to help us see because imagine people making that challenge you know where is that law that we are not to show partiality? James says for he who says do not commit adultery also says do not murder. Alright verse 10: “For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point he is guilty of all, for he who said do not commit adultery also say do not murder.

Now if you do not commit adultery but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”. Now James says that what you don’t understand is that all the laws are all connected. You might remember you know in fact James is quoting Jesus here that you obey the royal law by loving your neighbour. Jesus summarised the whole Law into two that you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength and you love your neighbour as yourself. Now these two hangs all the laws.

And here when James quotes that love your neighbour in verse 8, he’s saying that now that is the law about partiality. When you show partiality, you are not loving your neighbour. You’re not loving your neighbour as you ought to because that is the royal law. If you break that, you sin against God. You sin against God. And so here’s the warning alright- here’s the warning. What if we show partiality? Verse 12: “So speak and do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”. You’ll be judged.

So one day, now this is the warning that the Bible comes to again and again. One day we will all be held accountable for how we live our life on earth. One day there will be a day of judgement and we will be judged by what standard or by whose standard? By the Law of God. By the Law of God and you break the Law. You show partiality, you’re breaking the Law, then here’s the warning. Verse 13: “For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.”. There will be no mercy to you. You show no mercy to the others. So how you treat other people matters.

You see, the world is a very partial place as I’ve tried to show you. How people treat you depends on who you are and what you have. But the church, that’s what the Bible tells us. That’s what James is telling us. But the church should be a wonderful place to be in. Here, all are welcomed. Here, all are treated equally. And here, all are valued equally. And that is what true Christianity is. Let us pray.

“Our dear Father in heaven, we pray again that You’ll help us see that this sin that has been committed by even Your people throughout the ages is still present with us today. And so we pray that You’ll help us see it for what it is and help us that we might learn to truly love our neighbour as ourselves and that we might treat everyone the way You would treat them. We want to thank You that You have treated us honourably. You have saved us. You have received us. Help us to receive others as well. For we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.