James 2.

1-13 “God Does Not Show Favoritism”

Dennis Mock
Sunday, June 6, 2010

James will again step on our toes this morning. We are guilty of partiality, preference and
prejudice based on some external criteria. We see someone and immediately a flood of
impressions come to us. We form initial opinions that are difficult to overcome. We often
judge simply by appearance. It is sin and it is completely inconsistent for those who
claim to know the Lord Jesus Christ and to be saved by grace.

This was a problem in the early church but it is still a problem today. James holds the
church accountable to a higher standard. We should be looking at character and
condition of the heart and nothing else. This is what God evaluates.

We are not talking this morning about showing proper respect to those in authority. Not
undue deference but respect.

Driving here this morning passing people on the street I made some judgments. “Why
are they running rather than being in church?”. “Why is Starbucks full? Those people
have no interest in spiritual things!”

Read: James 2.1-13

– The nice thing about preaching through this book is that I can blame him for all the
hard statements that convict us!

Key Point: Favoritism is sin and inconsistent with being saved by grace.

Four Key Thoughts on Favoritism:

1. Don’t show favoritism! (1-4)
a. We form false opinions of people based on external things only.
b. We don’t because of our Lord Jesus Christ because he did not show
favoritism in saving us.
c. It is to make critical discriminating judgments about people based on
external factors.
i. “God does not ‘lift up the face’” – He looks at the internal (heart) not
the external appearance.
ii.God extends his mercy to Jews and Gentile alike not based on their
race or works.
d. Romans 2:6-11 – Paul is consistent with James on this point.
e. Galatians 2:2, 6-11 – God is not impressed with who we are in this world,
what we have, or what we can do. He is only “impressed” by the condition of
our heart and whether we are bent towards Him or not.
f. We typically show favoritism to make ourselves feel better in relationship to
others.
g. The Criteria we use:
i. Power
ii.Possessions
iii.Personal Appearance
iv.Personality
v.Prowess – Mental/Physical
vi.Performance
 vii.Position
h. All of this is meaningless to God!
2. It doesn’t make sense! (5-7)
a. We would still today tend to give more preference to a famous or rich person
at church and would avoid someone who appeared poor and unkempt.
b. We want to be able to say, “Look who I know!”
c. James especially has a problem with the rich. They have a special challenge
to not trust in their riches.
d. Luke 16:14-15 – What is highly valued among men is detestable to God!
i. God is looking for men whose hearts are bent towards Him.
e. Luke 18:10-14 – The Pharisee and the tax collector.
3. Showing favoritism is sin (8-11)
a. We should instead “Love our neighbors as ourselves”
b. If we break one part of the Law we break it all!
c. The Law says we should love others and accept them, as we would want to
be accepted.
d. We speak and act according to internal attitudes.
e. When we show favoritism we are failing to show mercy.
f. Our observations may be valid but our snap judgments are still sin.
g. Love always practices the Golden Rule.
h. Don’t miss the idea that when we show favoritism we are withholding mercy
from people.
i. Externals are no basis for making a decision about the value and worth of a
person.
i. I am so glad God did not use this standard when deciding to save me!
ii.None of us matches up with God’s holiness because we have all
violated the law in some way.
j. This sin is as serious as adultery, lust, and murder although the outward
consequences may not be as readily apparent.
4. Do consider that we are all going to be judged impartially by God’s Law
(9-13)
a. We will never be judged by God based on a comparison with other people!
i. Most people don’t believe this. They think they are OK with God
because they are better than some people.
ii.This is one of Satan’s greatest deceptions. This is why so many don’t
realize how lost they are.
b. God not being partial flows out of the Biblical concept of Justice.
i. Not fairness or comparative righteousness.
ii.God will hold each of us accountable to the same standard of
righteousness, which is Himself and His Word.
iii.Therefore He is always impartial.
iv.Fairness or partiality is always relative, comparative or circumstantial.
God does not judge in this way.
c. Romans 14:10-12 – “Each of us will give an account of himself to God”
i. If God judged us the way men judge each other then we would all fail
miserably. Therefore God has shown mercy instead.
d. Mercy Triumphs over judgment! (v. 13)
i. Judgment threatens condemnation but God’s mercy takes the
condemnation on Himself and forgives.
ii.We should understand the basis on which we are judged and therefore
extend the same mercy and forgiveness to others.
James is difficult but we desperately need the word he gives us. We have got to withhold
judgment and keep from initial critical assessments. None of that matters. It matters
only what our character is and what is the state of our heart. This is one of the hardest
things to do in Scripture. We must find the worth and value of each person after we get
beyond the external appearance and initial appearance.

Let’s appreciate all people as potential objects of God’s mercy! We don’t have the right
to accept God’s mercy and then refuse to extend it to others.