The Alternative

Dr. Tony Evans: One day when we stand before the judgment bar of Jesus Christ, those who will rise to the top will be the nobodies of this world.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans says people who build their life around status and wealth are in for a surprise in heaven, and there's a reason.

Dr. Tony Evans: See there's one thing a poor person will have that most wealthy people do not, and that is time for God.

Guest (Male): This is the Alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans.

There's a problem in the church today that can be easy to overlook, especially when we're not willing to admit it's there. Today, Dr. Evans brings that issue into the open and challenges us to examine whether we're treating people the way God calls us to. Let's join him in James chapter two.

Dr. Tony Evans: The sin of partiality in whatever form you classify it—racism, culturalism, classism—is fundamentally making a value judgment on another person based on unbiblical criteria. Partiality means I decide how I'm going to feel or think about you based on a criterion that is unacceptable to God.

To be partial or to be one who is involved in personal favoritism does not refer to the fact that you may have likes and dislikes, that you may have preferences that may differ than another person. All of us have those. But it becomes an evil sin when you make a value judgment that affects how you think, relate to, or treat somebody else because they are different than you.

When you and I use the world's standards or our own criteria that we make up to determine how we're going to relate to somebody else because of the color of their skin, racism; the money that they make, classism; or the differences of their life and orientation and practices, culturalism; he's going to make a point that that is evil. That is sin.

Please notice that this point is being made to a people who are not suffering from doctrine deficiency. He's not condemning them because they don't have the right information. In fact, they have a lot of the right information. Verse one says, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

These people had faith. They believed not just in Jesus, they didn't just believe in Jesus Christ, they didn't just believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, they believed in the glorious Lord Jesus Christ. They used his full name. Whenever James uses the full name and ascribes it to them, they had come to the right conclusion about who Jesus was.

He was Lord, he's sovereign. He's Jesus, he's savior. He's Christ, the anointed one, the king to come. They had their doctrine straight. They would have sung the songs. They would have stood and applauded. They would have taken communion. They would have gone through all the religious rituals, liturgy, performance, and practices that we went through today. The doctrine was not their problem. Their problem, which is the concern of the book of James, was what they walked did not match what they talked.

They had a practice problem. What he is saying in verse one is your attitude toward others does not match your belief about Jesus. The way you are treating other people who are different than you does not match what you profess to believe and what you may actually believe academically about who Christ is.

Let's look at it a little closer. Number one, Jesus did not treat people that way. He did not relate to people based on godless external criteria that determined how valuable they were. In fact, he often would relate to the people who would be cast off first.

You remember the widow's mite at the offering? Widows were at the bottom tier of society. And yet when he compared her next to the Pharisees when she gave her penny, he said that this woman gave more than them. And they were the rich people in town giving more money. He gave a value judgment as to where her heart was.

You see, when Jesus related to people, he related to them out of their potential, not necessarily where they were when he met them. That's why he could call Peter a rock even when he was acting a fool. Because he spoke in terms of his potential.

That's why he could talk to a Samaritan woman whom the rest of the Jews wouldn't dare find themselves talking to because they came from a race where people had intermarried—part Jewish, part Gentile. They were despised and rejected. And how dare Jesus talk to this woman?

Who would have thought that this despised evil prostitute would become one of the leading evangelists in the New Testament and lead a whole city of men to the savior? Who could have predicted such a thing? Jesus Christ related to people out of what they could be, not what they were. In fact, he was called a friend of sinners. While he understood he could not rub shoulders with sin, he also understood that he could rub shoulders with sinners as long as he didn't let their sin rub off on him.

Because a sinner is a potential saint. Lest we have forgotten, a sinner is a potential saint. So he related to people in light of what they could be, not simply in light of what they were, without compromising his holiness or sharing in their sin.

He illustrates his point of partiality because James doesn't want to deal in the esoteric realm of nothingness. He wants to bite. He says, let's take a situation. Verse two: a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring dressed in fine clothes. It is obvious that he's not the run-of-the-mill guy. This guy has been somewhere and done something. He has made a mark and he has made a name for himself, and it is visible. He does not hide it. It is clear when he walks in: this man deserves attention.

But another man comes in at the end of verse two. This is a poor man and he's wearing dirty or shabby clothes. It's obvious what this man is. This man hasn't gone very far. He's not vile in the sense that he's just trying to be dirty for dirty's sake. We're told the man is just poor. His best shot is shabby.

Then he says in verse three: the sin. You pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and then the ushers get in the act. "You sit here in a good place." Or a member says, "Hey, come on, I have a seat here, I have a seat here." But you say to the poor man, the man who doesn't look the part, "There's a seat on the floor. There is a place for you."

He says that you have made a distinction based merely on externals. That's the sin. The sin is the distinction you made. And what prompted you to make it was your motive. In other words, you cast a value judgment. You gave a criterion. You see that the rich man can offer you something the poor man can't. And therefore, based on that motivation, you make a distinction. And he calls it in no uncertain terms: evil.

He says in verse five: 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? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich man who oppressed you, personally dragging you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name, that glorious Lord Jesus Christ by which you have been called?

He says, don't you know that God is doing his best work among the poor? He says if you want to find out where God is hanging out, he is hanging out among the Christian poor. My beloved brethren, he's talking about Christians here. He is saying that God chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom. Oh, I wish I had a whole sermon on that verse.

One day, brothers and sisters, the tables will be turned. One day, when we stand before the judgment bar of Jesus Christ, those who will rise to the top will be the nobodies of this world. So how can you discriminate against somebody who's going to be put at the top of the heap, whom you're going to be saying "yes ma'am" and "yes sir" to in the kingdom? Flip the value judgments. He's not saying treat the rich bad now in favor of the poor—that's partiality the other way. He is saying treat them as brothers in the faith, sisters in the faith, as co-heirs of the faith.

Guest (Male): When Dr. Evans returns, he'll show us why God's family doesn't measure people by the standards the world uses. First, though, I encourage you to check in to get a special resource package designed to help you grow stronger and more mature in your faith. It includes Dr. Evans' 30-day devotional, Trusting God in Turbulent Times, along with all 16 full-length messages in Tony's current two-volume series, James: Time to Grow Up.

These resources will help you understand how God works through both the good times and the difficult ones to strengthen your faith and shape your life. They're yours as our thank-you gift when you make a contribution to support Tony's work. Give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 and let us know we can count on your help. Or make your contribution and request online at tonyevans.org before this special package offer runs out. I'll repeat our contact information for you after part two of our lesson and this.

The thing about serving an infinite God is that no matter how much you know about him, there's always more to learn. So whether you're brand new to scripture or an experienced ministry professional, there's something for you at the Tony Evans Training Center. You'll find online courses covering core concepts of the faith. Working at your own pace and schedule, you'll dig deep into the historical context of the books, uncover the key teachings, and learn how to apply them in real-world situations.

There's lots of exclusive content from Dr. Evans to keep you interested and motivated, and an online forum where you can ask questions, get answers, and collaborate with other students. The more you learn, the more you'll want to learn. Give it a try. The Tony Evans Training Center. A world of discovery, anytime, anywhere. You can find out more about the Tony Evans Training Center at tonyevanstraining.org. Right now, let's get back to today's message from Dr. Evans.

Dr. Tony Evans: First Corinthians 1:26 says, well, consider your calling, brethren. There were not many wise according to the flesh, not many noble. But God has chosen the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong. And the base things of the world and the despised things God has chosen, the things that are not, that he might nullify the things that are, so nobody should boast.

God says it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven. Not going to be a lot of rich people in heaven. Finally, he gives you the solution to partiality. It's like the solution to everything else for James: the scripture. He goes into a wonderful, wonderful development of the scripture. The solution to partiality is the objective standard of God's word.

Look in Job 34, verse 19, talking about God who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich above the poor. Why? For they are all the works of his hands. God doesn't show partiality because he created them all. Leviticus 19, verses one and verse 18: God does not show partiality. Acts 10:34: there is no partiality with God.

So neither should there be with his kids. There are differences. Differences is not partiality. Partiality is wrong value judgments based on differences. That's prejudice, partiality, and the beginnings of discrimination. It's because you're black I can't relate to you, or a black man saying, "You're white, I can't relate to you," or somebody, "You're Hispanic, I can't hold you valuable before God." "You like this kind of food, you like these kind of clothes, you like this kind of music, so you're too different."

He says that's evil. But the solution is a powerful one. Verse eight: if, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the scripture—you shall love your neighbor as yourself—you're doing real good, he says.

Now we're introduced to a statement that is potent. He calls it the royal law. The more complete statement of it is in Matthew 22, verse 37 to 40, where Jesus is asked, "What's the great commandment?" You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and you are to love your neighbor as yourself. The man asked Jesus one question, he gave him two answers.

He says the royal law has two sides to it: one vertical, the other horizontal, and you must have both. For how can you love God whom you have not seen if you cannot love your brother whom you see every day? Romans 13:10 says that love fulfills the law. Why? Because if you had love, you wouldn't need any other laws.

You see, we need laws because of a lack of love. If there was the law of love ruling, the royal law, you wouldn't need all these other laws because you wouldn't then steal from people, because you wouldn't want them to steal from you. You wouldn't hurt people, because you wouldn't want them to hurt you.

He says if you operate this law, you will have covered the other laws. It is the ruling law. It is this royal law that makes us kings, because it sets us free from selfishness that we might reign with Jesus Christ. All future kings in his kingdom will love God. And the Bible says you cannot do that unless you love man.

And we're not talking about an emotional love. We're not even talking about liking people. Because in the Bible, you can love people you don't like, because in the Bible, love is related to a decision of the will. It is not related to how you feel necessarily at any given moment. Biblical love says I'm going to treat you right even though I've got to work through how I was raised to do it.

People say, "Well, I'm not there yet." No, you're telling me how you feel. That's not what the Bible's talking about. The Bible wants to know how you're going to act. And when you act in love and treat the next man that if you were in their place how you would want them to treat you, you're acting in biblical love, and God will respond to that.

If you show partiality, you are committing sin. It's sin, right? It's sin. Any way you call it, any way you look at it, it is sin and it is evil. Now watch this: and are convicted by the law as a transgressor. Whoa, wait a minute now. You put me in the category of people who kill people?

Look at what he says: whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. The key phrase is "transgressor of the law." Now can you imagine, now follow this now, if you are a racist, a classist, or a culturalist?

God says you will not be able to tell him that you didn't commit murder. That will be irrelevant. Because he's putting the sin of partiality on the same line as these other sins. Don't call it a minor sin. Don't put this in some social category over there: "Well, as long as I haven't killed anybody, if I just don't like people who are a different color, that's okay because that's not as bad."

Because James says the same one who told you don't kill, and the same one who told you don't commit adultery, is also the same one who told you don't be partial to people based on evil motives. So it's not the list of rules that you keep; it is the one whom you are offending when you break them, and it's the same one who gave them all.

Let's say you're hanging over a cliff. You've got a chain with ten links on it. You're holding on to it. Let's say the chain broke in the middle, link number five, and it was certain death at the bottom. You're dead. But let's say link number five held strong, but link number two broke. Still dead. Why? Because they are all interconnected. And all you've got to do is break one link, and the result is all the same. You see? It's all the same.

God is saying treat partiality like you treat murder. And that's why the church of Jesus Christ has not been able to solve the race problem, because we've not treated it on the same link level as other sins. We've excused it based on how people were raised, we've excused it based on what happened yesterday, we've excused it, and what we have done is not let that link hold together with the rest of the chain.

God condemns it equally. He then closes with hope. He says the law is the law, God's standard is the standard, he doesn't compromise the standard, but then he tells you verse 12 and 13: so speak and act—don't talk and listen, speak and act—as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty, the word of God.

Now here it is. Now don't move on this one. This is a big one. For judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. The Bible says on that day, Matthew 26:36, every idle word will be judged. The stuff you whispered under your tongue. The stuff that you thought nobody heard. Every idle, every cuss word will show up on your screen.

Every evil statement about somebody else on that day will show up on your screen. Not only will your words show up, it says your works will show up. What you did, good and bad. But then the Bible says your motives will show up. Hello. Many of us are going to say, "I need mercy. Mercy, God, I need mercy. Please have mercy on me that I failed you so much as a Christian. Have mercy."

Then God's going to say, watch this now, let me fast forward this thing. And we will stop at every place you showed mercy. Hello, read your Bible. Don't look at me, read your Bible now. Judgment will be merciless to the one who showed no mercy.

But on the other hand, mercy will triumph over judgment. If the tape keeps stopping up—there was a nobody whom you made to feel somebody, we're going to count that. There was a poor person whom you made to feel special—yep, we're going to count that. There was a person who had nothing, I blessed you and you shared your resources with them—I'm going to count that.

And then what God is going to do is deduct mercy from judgment. And if you have more mercy than you do judgment, mercy will overcome judgment and you can still win the day. You can still win the day.

So if you're worried about the judgment seat, if you're worried that if God called you home now, you'd be ashamed, or maybe you can't even wait that long, you need mercy right now for the mess your life is in: go find and create opportunities to do mercy. Because God would rather reward you for mercy than condemn you for judgment. That's why.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans talking today about solving an issue that can divide churches in a lesson he calls "The Problem of Partiality." Well, as you continue thinking about what you've heard today, remember that this lesson is part of Tony's two-volume, 16-message series, James: Time to Grow Up.

The complete collection includes today's full-length message, along with material we won't have time to present here on the broadcast. As I mentioned earlier, when you make a contribution to support Tony's ministry, we'll send you the entire series along with Dr. Evans' 30-day devotional, Trusting God in Turbulent Times. Together, these resources will help you develop a stronger, more mature faith as you learn to trust God even through the stormy times of life.

Visit tonyevans.org to request this package or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222. That's tonyevans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.

The question is as old as the Bible itself: if we're saved by faith alone, what difference does it make what we do? Well, Dr. Evans will tackle that issue on Monday as he continues our look at lessons from the book of James. I hope you'll join us.