WEDNESDAY July 8, 2026
Show No Partiality
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
James 2:1-4
In the opening of these verses, James challenges Christians to hold on to their faith by knowing that Jesus Christ is the Lord of glory––deity. That is where our faith stands in the Person of Jesus Christ, the only One who could forgive us of our sin and save us. We all need salvation. Why? We are all sinners, whether rich or poor; therefore, we should show no partiality.
This was what James’ exhortation to believers––not to be respecters of persons. He made it perfectly clear how to treat people, whether rich or poor. If a rich person came into the church wearing gold rings, should they be ushered up front to sit in the best seat? No, they should not. Nor should a poor individual be led to sit in an inferior place––in the back. A Christian should never, ever be a respecter of persons.
When believers become involved in ministry, there can be a big problem with partiality. Certain Christians try to get close to people they feel are important––a staff member or an overseer of a particular ministry. They want to be a part of the inner circle of leadership. Others navigate toward those who are rich, or those who are popular and hold a place of prominence in the church. It is so easy to do.
Understand our humble position in Christ. We are to be like Christ and show no partiality to anyone. Christians should treat all people the same way; there is no hierarchy in the body of Christ. We should respect the call that God has on different people’s lives. Believers need to be loving, kind, and respectful to all people in the Church; otherwise, where is the love of Christ? The love of Christ needs to be extended to all people.
“ ‘You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.’ ”
~Leviticus 19:15~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
