James Archives - Page 2 of 2

Text: James 2:1-13

Introduction
James addresses a problem he saw in the early church and one that still rots relationships today––the sin of partiality. Partiality is a sneaky sin that James exposes with the Gospel. Because Jesus is the Lord of glory who gives glory, then don’t show or seek the false glory from partiality.

The Lord of Glory (1-4)
The command is this: don’t show partiality (vs. 1). Partiality is your treatment or attitude toward someone based on the wrong value you place on them. By wrong value, I mean the value assigned by the world’s judgment and not by God’s judgment. James gives an example in verses 2-3. Suppose two men come into the church meeting, one is a swanky guy with nice threads and blinged out with jewelry and the other is poor man in stained clothes. If the greeting team shows special treatment to the rich guy while ignoring or insulting the poor man, they’ve shown partiality.

James says this is inconsistent with the faith you hold in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory (vs. 1). Your playing favorites and your faith in Jesus are not compatible. This is because they are competing sources of glory––glory from the Lord and glory from man. As a Christian, Jesus is your glory—all the glory you need.

What’s so bad about partiality then? Partiality attempts to replace or supplement God’s standard of judgment with another standard that man creates. God’s standard says sinners are accepted because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Partiality looks to add something for that guy to be accepted by you. You look to the clothing, the hair style, the personal hygiene, the car, the different church, or any external criteria, and then, based on that additional standard, make a judgement on the value of that person and so make “distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts” (vs. 4).

The Poor Made Rich (5-7)
James lists a couple reasons why partiality is contrary to the Gospel. God has chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom (vs. 5). Jesus wasn’t a spiritual snob so you can’t be one. If Jesus valued the poor enough to die for them, then you need to value them enough to talk to, eat with, encourage, love. “But you have dishonored the poor man…and don’t you realize what these rich guys do you?” (vs. 6-7) Those with wealth and power and position are the ones who harass Christians. They oppress you, drag you to court, and blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called. And you want to buddy up to these guys?

The Lord and His Royal Law (8-11)

James reinforces his charge by appealing to the royal law. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” is quoted from Leviticus 19:18. The royal law is based on the character of the Lord. God says, “I am the Lord, therefore love your neighbor as your yourself.” In the first verses, James says to not show favoritism among Christians, and now he expands this beyond the bounds of brothers. You are to love your neighbor. We need to think in the categories God uses instead of the labels we slap on people. This is because your judgments often justify your actions. If you label the people down your street as “the druggies,” then you justify staying safely behind the curtains judging away. But if they are “your neighbors,” then what should you do? You love them, which fulfills the royal law.

You can’t pick and choose the laws you want to keep (or break). The law is like a large plate of glass. If there’s a single hole or crack anywhere in the glass, then the whole plate is broken (vs. 11).

Judgment of Mercy (12-13)

James concludes, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty” (vs. 12). Remember what law this is? This is the law of liberty, the perfect law of James 1:25. You will still be judged, but you will be judged in mercy. You will be judged as one already assured of the verdict that you are free. So live in the liberty of this law which says “Do not show partiality.” Those who make distinctions, acting as judges, ought to remember that they themselves will also be judged. The standard you have applied to others will be applied to you. Has your judgement of others been harsh? Then you will be judged harshly. Have you been merciful? Then look for mercy. The final statement is good news. For those who hold their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, mercy triumphs over judgment.

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Introduction
This is a challenging and powerful passage for how we can view, receive, count as joy hard things. We will look at how faith receives trials as the good and perfect gifts from our Father. This combination of joy in trial is evident in Hugh Latimer’s charge to his burning friend, “Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust by God’s grace shall never be put out.” Why could Latimer call for rejoicing? He trusted that God had a purpose for this trial. In faith, he saw the torching of their bodies as the spark God kindled that would continue to burn in England. Be of good cheer, for your trials are the good and the perfect gifts from God your Father.

Jesus Character Course (1-4)
In verse two, James rolls up his sleeves and gets to business, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kind…” James says that the flat tire when you’re already late, the roommate who doesn’t do her dishes, the back pain, the discovery of a brain tumor, another miscarriage, the inability to have children should all be considered joy. The reason you can have joy is because the trial has meaning. The trial is for your maturity––that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (vs. 3-4).

When you become a Christian, you begin the life long process of becoming like Jesus, which is called sanctification. You are enrolled in the “Jesus Christ Prep-School of Character.” When the teacher gives you tests, you should not sigh, roll your eyes, or walk out of the class. One of the regular things being tested is our faith––Can you properly see and identify? Here’s a car accident or an angry child or cancer. What is this?

Asking for Wisdom (5-8)
If any of you lacks wisdom, specifically for what’s going on in this process of maturity, then you can ask God, and he will give what you need and give generously (vs. 5). God is willing to back up the dump truck of wisdom for how to joyfully live in trials. But when the truck has backed into your driveway and dumped half its load, you shouldn’t wave your arms and shout, “Actually, I don’t want this. Can you take it back?” Everyone wants wisdom, but we are not as keen on the process to gain wisdom. But this is a double-minded man (vs. 6-8).

The Long View of Faith (9-12)
The faith required for Christians can seem confusing up close, but becomes clearer with the long view. James gives a specific example of faith in finances (vs. 9-11). The poor can boast in his exaltation because true riches are not his own but come from another, and the rich can boast in his humiliation because true riches are not his own but come from another. Faith looks ahead to the promised end and lives like it in the present moment. The man with faith on the long view is the blessed man. Happy is the one who remains steadfast in the pain for he receives the crown of life (vs. 12). This is at odds with our culture that preaches, “Happy are those who take it easy.” Happiness comes not through the lack of trials, but from triumphing over them. A thirty-nine year man snuggled in his bathrobe that hasn’t come off since Y2K is not an exhibit of happiness.

Testing Not Tempting (13-16)
James anticipates several likely flair ups and explains the difference between testing and tempting. God can not be tempted and he does not tempt anyone, so God is not the source of the problem for temptation (vs. 13). The wagging finger is pointed back at each of us (vs. 14-15). Adam and Eve were lured by their desires, and these desires gave birth to sin and sin grew up and killed them (Gen. 3:6).

But God put them in the garden with the no-touchy tree. How was this not a temptation? God tests us but he does not tempt us. The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness helps to clarify. Both the Spirit and Satan are planning something for Jesus. The situation is the same––Jesus alone in the wilderness. But the Spirit and Satan have different objectives––Satan wants to tempt Jesus, the Spirit wants to test Jesus. Same situation, different objectives. Satan tempted Jesus to sin in order to disqualify him from being the Savior. The Spirit tested Jesus in order to confirm him as the Savior (Heb. 4:15).

Jesus Christ: The Good and Perfect Gift (17-18)
God the Father gives every good gift and every perfect gift (vs. 17-18). Look around your life, and see the gift boxes stacked from floor to ceiling. God gives generously, so we receive gratefully. Faith believes that nothing comes to us except by God’s will. By faith we know that everything that comes to us is for our good.

We must end with the Father’s greatest gift. For God the Father so loved the world that he gave a gift. You unwrap it and you discover Jesus, your Savior. All of this is yours because Jesus received the trials from his Father as good gifts in faith. And now he says to you, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The Lord of Glory Not Partiality

Every Good and Perfect Gift