Somebody Loves You

Wealth, status, social standing, position, appearance, nothing matters except that all men come to the Lord Jesus Christ and worshipping together the Lord in harmony because of his love and his grace and his mercy and the peace that he gives to us. He's talking to everyone who has faith in Jesus Christ and is bowing before him as Lord and Savior of their life.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. It's great to have you with us for our continuing series in the book of James. Today Raul will explore how empty religion relegates God to the outskirts of a person's mind and heart, while genuine faith impacts every aspect of a true believer's life. Keep listening to hear that as you grow in real relationship with God, you become more like him and your treatment of others will mirror that unconditional love. Let's listen as Raul Ries begins.

Raul Ries: The book of James has really exhorted me personally. I have to read it, I have to study it, and then I have to share it with you. I hope that you're reading it and studying it so when you come here, the Lord is ministering to you in the same way.

One of the things about the book of James as we've been studying it is that James is going to be talking about Christian faith that can only work through the love of God. These are the two aspects of faith that are discussed in this chapter that we're going to be studying in a moment.

The basic idea is that true faith, or the true Bible faith, is not dead but it reveals itself in God's love for us, as we will see in chapter 2 verses 1 through 13. Then when there's true faith working through love, then there's true works in the life of that person as an evidence of true Christianity.

Remember, he's talking to Jewish believers that are scattered all over the place. Yet too many people have an intellectual belief in Christ and not really a heart belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. They have faith in the facts of history but not in true Christianity and not really in saving faith that comes personally through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That's what really separates a lot of people that are religious people that are attending a church by whatever name the church may be. Even in churches that teach the word of God, many times you'll find people in a church like this that even though we're going through the Bible line upon line, precept upon precept, and we hit up on all the topics of the Bible, there are still some people that have never really connected with God.

My leadership on Tuesday mornings, I'm doing the book of Romans. We were in chapter 6 a two weeks ago and we started chapter 7 where Paul says those things that I want to do, I don't do. There's a battle between the flesh and the spirit of God. There's no possible way because these are two that are contrary to one another.

It's going to have to be something where you totally submit and understand that you are dead but now alive by the spirit of God. This is the way you have to live by the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Otherwise, you know what? I'm going to be a mess. I'm not going to have victory in Jesus Christ. I'm going to be constantly bummed out, looking down instead of looking up and having the joy of the Lord and not really having a lapse of faith because Satan will come in immediately and say you're not really a Christian.

The Bible says that Satan has come to condemn; Christ has come to save. We need to understand that condemnation draws me away from the cross of Jesus Christ, but true repentance leads me to the cross of Jesus Christ and it brings forth peace with God and it baptizes me in his love and grace and mercies that God gives to me where I'm a free moral agent and I choose what I want to do my life.

Now James sees a very pretty heavy problem within the church, not outside of the church. In chapter 2 tonight of James, verses 1 to 4 only, we're going to be dealing with the problem of favoritism. That's a big problem in many churches. I hope it's not in this church, but it could be.

James becomes increasingly specific here in chapter 2. Very direct in his epistle with admonitions and instructions concerning if you are a true Christian, if you're a child of God. Yet here James, as he looks at what's going on within the church, he says that we must show courtesy to all people, compassion for all, and consistency at all for all people. If we're truly children of the light, if we're truly Christians, equity, love, fidelity are the ingredients for the church, especially for us that are in the church.

This beautiful passage here begins a new section in the book of James, a discussion of various temptations and trials that are common to all believers. Yet there are certain temptations and trials that are constantly confronting us every single day of our lives. One of the things that was hurting the church at this particular time was people being respecter of persons.

One of the strongest is that of showing partiality and favoritism and discrimination against people because they're Black or they're Asian or they're white or they're brown or whatever color, it doesn't really matter. The Bible says we're all one blood. One blood. We should never ever be prejudiced. We should love people.

Look what James says. This is amazing. Beginning with verse 1 of chapter 2, here's the charge. He begins with a charge here. He says, "My brethren," who's he talking to? Christians, not nonbelievers, Christians. "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." Underline that, without partiality. Notice that. Don't be partial with people.

You know what parents have a tendency to do that with their children? That's bad. You know how many divided houses and how many children have hated their parents for doing that? That happened in my home. I saw it. Yet it put something in your heart, especially when they don't like you and they're always praising one that is the best.

Be careful. When I look at my children, when I look at my granddaughters, I look at all of them the same way. They're all beautiful and I love them all the same. It's really important that they see it and they feel it in their lives. What happens is what you're doing is you're making war within your own home with your own children. Think of how many times we've heard on national TV, radio, through satellite, that a son actually killed his brother because of jealousy because he was actually being loved more than him and he was always being put down. It happens, it caused them to commit murder. Go talk to people in prison; they'll tell you a lot of stories.

The first thing that we notice here is that he's speaking to who? To Christians, you and I, believers. The charge is against showing partiality. This is a real problem with churches, businesses, and with sports people too. Big, big thing. Maybe even in the military; maybe even in the military there might be some partiality. Who knows?

I think it's really important that we understand that if we truly have been born again of the Holy Spirit and I'm truly a Christian, a brother or a sister in the Lord, that as you come to church, you don't just sit in the same place all the time. If you're coming here and somebody you know and you don't like them and you're sitting on this side or that side or here or there, you need to make things right or you're actually saying, "I don't want you to sit next to me because you're not of my race." That should never happen. That should never ever happen in the church. Every person is created in the image of God.

What does it mean to be literally to show partiality? The definition: it means to favor some people over others or to pay special attention because of his social standing, because of position, authority, popularity, looks, or influence. These are all categories that can happen in the world and it can happen in the church that can really destroy people's lives.

It's so sad that problems like this have to be dealt with in the church with Christians. Yet we need to understand that everyone who is a brother or a sister or everyone standing in the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has equal footing before the Lord Jesus Christ. God is not a respecter of persons with anybody here.

Wealth, status, social standing, position, appearance, nothing matters except that all men come to the Lord Jesus Christ and worshipping together the Lord in harmony because of his love and his grace and his mercy and the peace that he gives to us. He's talking to everyone who has faith in Jesus Christ and is bowing before him as Lord and Savior of their life.

It should never ever happen. What does that mean? It means that the person bows before Christ as a slave, not as a superstar. A slave of Christ, a bond servant of Jesus Christ. That's what the Bible says. We notice who Jesus Christ is; he's what? The God of glory. The God of glory. Jesus is the Lord who left the glory of heaven to come down here in this corruptible world and to save all men. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." Anybody. Everybody. Imagine that.

Yet there are people that are prejudiced and respecter of persons. When Jesus Christ came, he laid aside all of his glory, all of the majesty, all of the brilliance and splendor of heaven itself to become utterly in poverty and humiliation back to this earth and then to be put to death to give his life for you and for me so that he could save us. That's why he came.

The charge is very clear here in the book of James. Believers who truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, are not to show partiality to any person or favoritism. To your children, to your grandchildren, friends, loved ones, whoever it may be, it is not to happen in the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

That's what that word partiality here means: favoritism of persons. What does that do? It speaks of the attitude of partiality by which one person is showing favor or special consideration for another person that might have something wrong with them. They might not be as strong as you are or maybe not good-looking like you are.

It's really sad how people become jealous, people become mean to other people. Yet to God, it doesn't really matter if a person is white, Black, Asian, Hispanic, or whatever, Arab, Jew. He doesn't care. God loves everybody the same way. God is colorblind and we should be colorblind too. We should never judge by color or by nationality.

This is against God's word even in the Old Testament. Listen to what he says in the book of Leviticus 19:15. He says, "You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor." In Job 13:10 he says, "He will surely rebuke you if you secretly show partiality." First Timothy 5:21, "I charge you before God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that you observe the things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality." Then Proverbs 24:23, "These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to show partiality in judgment."

Think of how many judges and it could be policemen and it could be senators and it could be with presidents that are respecter of persons. They put the person in that place because they're a respecter of persons with somebody else that's better than them, but they're my friend. It should not happen, should not happen ever.

Check this out. Here's the illustration that James gives us in verse 2 through verse 4. Verse 2: "For if there should come into your assembly," if somebody comes into the church, that is the synagogue, "a man with gold rings in fine dress and there should also come in a poor man with filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You sit here in the good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand over there. Sit here by my footstool.'" Would that be a respecter of persons? Oh, yes, it would.

Did you notice what he said there? The men that would come in with gold rings plural, not gold ring but gold rings. In that culture, when someone was rich, a male would come into the synagogue and he would have a ring on each one of his fingers except his middle finger on both hands to flash out how rich he was.

When they would come into the synagogue and the guys at the door would see that, all the gold, all the rings, all the silver, they would say, "Oh, excuse me, come with me now," like the Pharisees. Just like the Pharisees. They always wanted the attention, they wanted the service, they were respecter of persons. There are people like that in the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Yet here James now presents a hypothetical situation. James is fearful that snobbery may invade the church and the church may get hurt by these people coming in and they're playing favor to those people and those are the people can destroy the church. He draws here the picture of two people entering the Christian assembly, the synagogue. The picture of partiality is really painted before our eyes as we even see it in the scriptures.

Yet there must be no misunderstanding about what it means to be partial or partiality. Because two unbelievers can visit the church, one can be rich, the other poor, and what do we do? We treat them the same. The same. Because as we read the scriptures, it paints that picture that shows partiality shown to the rich and that is wrong. Why? Because is he better than the poor man? No. They both have a soul. They both were created in the image of God. It's the same Adamic blood that runs through there. Yet the poor man is told to stand over there and be seated away from everybody else. They isolate him. That is not right.

Yet it happens in churches and it happens in jobs, it happens in athletics, it happens in all kinds of things. Do you know that Psalm 82:3 says, "Defend the poor and the fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and the needy"? That's what it says. Defend the poor and the fatherless and do justice to the afflicted and the needy. To really help people. I love helping people. Because I may need help one day. I may need help one day.

If we are truly bearing the name of the cross and the name of Jesus Christ and we call ourselves Christians, then we need to take the counsel from James tonight in what he says. Watch this in verse 4 finally what he says. He says, "Have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" Here James is assessing this whole situation. He's going to assess it. That showing partiality sets one up as the judge of man, notice, and looks like you're damning or judging that person when you're not God. You are not God. I am not God.

It makes one as God, a person thinks he's God. It says who can worship God, who cannot, who's acceptable to God and who's not when I take that attitude. I'm not God. I need God's wisdom and God's help. Only God himself can actually determine who can be accepted and who cannot be accepted. Because God's going to do that. The Bible says that God is not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance. But then if you read the book of Revelation after the invitation is given, he says what? Those that reject God at the white throne judgment will be cast into the lake of fire. So God is not a respecter of persons, but he doesn't accept evil people. He gives them an opportunity to be saved. God doesn't hate a person; he hates their sin.

The term to discriminate could be used in a legal context for passing judgment. Passing judgment. It also means the outcome of the case has already been predisposed in the favor of the wealthy person as we saw here in verse 6. They already made up their minds because of all the flash, the rings. Man, this guy has bucks, put him in the front. But the guy back there that smells a little bit, put him in the back, and if you can, way back outside. Don't let him in the congregation. That is not right. But you've got to have the heart; God has to speak to your heart to be kind and gentle and be able to be giving.

Guest (Male): Well, it's good to be reminded that God is no respecter of persons and his love for all of us is unconditional. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If you'd like to hear today's message in its complete form, we'll be happy to send a copy to you for a donation of $5 or more. Just call us at 800-634-9165 and ask for Raul's teaching from James chapter 2 verses 1 through 4.

As you think about how you can best represent the Lord in your relationship with others, we'd like to tell you about an insightful eight-part series from Raul. It's titled "Traits of a Christian" and it's conveniently available on either CD or thumb drive. Each lesson will inspire, encourage, and challenge you to be intentional about nurturing your relationship with the Lord and sharing his goodness with those around you. To order Raul's series titled "Traits of a Christian," visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165. We'll send you the flash drive for $12 or the CD set for $22. The number once again is 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, Post Office Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765.

Our Somebody Loves You app features live-streamed Bible teaching, digital Bible studies, and much more. You'll also find a wealth of biblical teaching on the Somebody Loves You worldwide YouTube channel, as well as podcasts of all previously aired programs. This is a listener-supported ministry and we're thankful for your partnership. Every tax-deductible gift helps us keep sharing the Bible's wisdom and hope. Next time as we continue in James, we invite you to join us for more direction in the godly treatment of others. Worldly assessments of status may naturally influence your views, but you'll be reminded that God's love is freely given to all with no strings attached. Now here's a closing comment from Raul.

Raul Ries: And here we actually see that those present in the congregation that are making judgment had evil thoughts in their minds and hearts. They did not want the poor; they wanted the rich. They wanted the rich there. Yet in Psalm 82:2 again, "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah." Proverbs 18:5 says, "It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, or to overthrow the righteous in judgment." He says in Proverbs 24:23, "These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to show partiality in judgment." 28:21 Proverbs, "To show partiality is not good, because for a piece of bread a man will transgress." Malachi 2:9 and 10, "Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all people, because you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in the law. Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another by profaning the covenant of the fatherless?"

The scripture is very clear. So James here is letting us know that we're not to be partial, we're not to be prejudiced, but we are to love one another and forgive one another and accept one another. Why? Because of the love of Jesus Christ for what he's done for each one of us already individually.

Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.