"If you show partiality, you are committing sin"

James 1:19-2:17 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. ²² But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶ If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

2 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.

¹⁴ What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Today’s text says:  The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.     There are many today who are angry at what has become of our culture and society. But anger alone does not achieve the righteousness of god. First we must put aside all filthiness and all wickedness. We must humbly receive the word of God. Our humility is based in that we are not only hearers of the word, but also doers of God’s word. It is not enough that we know what is right, we must do what is right.  Rather than railing against the darkness, we are called to be light. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says:  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”     In shining our light before others it is important that we do put aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, or else it is even worse than covering the light. If we continue in those things we actually increase the darkness. Just after exhorting us to be light, in Matthew 5:19-21 Jesus says:  “Whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”   

In the text, James then speaks of not showing partiality to certain people over others. His example is favoring a rich person over a poor one. Certainly though it must go beyond social and economic standing. We must not show partiality or prejudice regarding other things such as race, ethnicity and age. We must though be careful also not to discriminate against people because our culture and society has deemed them privileged. Just as we are not to favor a rich person, wealth does not exclude a person from entering the kingdom of heaven. The list of extremely wealthy people who had God’s favor and were used mightily for His purposes, includes David, a man after God’s own heart; Solomon, David’s son, through whom the line of Christ is traced and others like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There is no need for reparations in the kingdom of heaven, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Likewise as it says in John 3:16:  “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”   We are all equal in God’s sight regarding sin and redemption through Christ.

James continues saying:  If, however, you are fulfilling 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 and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 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. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.    Along with not showing partiality or preference to people, we must be careful that we do not have preferences regarding sin. We must not allow ourselves to have “pet” sins. We must not  regard our sins as less offensive than those of other people. Again, we are not to follow the opinion of our culture or society in determining what is acceptable, but rather what God says is acceptable. Remember what Jesus says: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)   Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.     

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, that You show no partiality or preference regarding people. All have sinned and all can be saved and redeemed through Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, may I shine Your light in the darkness of the world. Having put aside all filthiness and wickedness, may I be not only a hearer of the word, but also a doer and a speaker of Your word. Amen.