This Week's Passage
"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." James 2:1 (NKJV)
Strong's:
Faith #3982 - pistis- In the NT, conviction or belief respecting man's relationship with God and generally with the included idea of trust and holy favor born of faith and joined with it.
Partiality #4382 -prosopolepsia- 2a) the fault of one who when called on to give judgment has respect of the outward circumstances of man and not to their
intrinsic merits, and so prefers, as the more worthy, one who is rich, high born, or powerful, to another who does not have these qualities
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I must begin this devotion by stating that several of the insights found within this text has been gathered from the Bible study the Lord has called me to write as well as from the ladies' class in which the study is being taught. One of the wonderful blessings of writing this study is that I am able to share it with a group of sisters in Christ and they, in turn, bring so much to the discussion. I am learning so much from the wisdom God has given them as well as what HE is teaching me through the preparation of the lessons.
A few weeks ago, we came to our focal passage and we began the discussion with the obvious question: Do we love and live in such a way that shows partiality? Christ Jesus calls us to love the way HE loves - unconditionally and without partiality. But then another question was raised: Do we dress and act in such a way that places us in a position of receiving favoritism or partiality? God began a huge work in my own heart through the study of His Word in this area and I would like to share with you some of these truths from God's Word.
First, let's all begin by asking the Lord God to open our eyes so we can see His Word clearly. May HE give us each a heart that longs for His Truth and may we each allow that Truth to penetrate to the very core of our being. Lord God, please expose all our hidden sin and bring those areas of our lives to the surface. My Friend, we cannot truly be free if we are bound in any area. Fear can keep us bound in sin. Fear of embarrassment, fear of shame and humiliation, fear of rejection, fear of being exposed for who we really are can keep us from confessing and repenting. Even if we are not participating in a particular sin at this very moment, if we have committed any sin and not confessed and repented of that sin to the Lord God, we are still bound. God requires a pure heart before Him. HE never ignores or forgets unconfessed sin but His Word says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:8-10).
God's heart is for His children to be free from this sin, this world, and self. HE offered Himself so that we could live an abundant life in the midst of this fallen world (John 10:10). His desire is for us to stand on His Word and to proclaim Him to all the world. I love how our pastor put it last Sunday, "God could have chosen any method to display His glory, but HE chose to use mere men and women to be the voice for Him." Are you a voice, My Friend, or are you a stumbling block to those looking to you to point them to the cross? Father, may each of Your children be humbled before You and may we come to the place of complete surrender and true humility before Your throne. May You be glorified in us and through us and may others come to You because we have been faithful to lead them to the only place where freedom overflows - the foot of the cross.
Read our focal passage once more. "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality" (James 2:1).
"Christians are to be an exact representation of Christ Jesus our Lord. We are to love the way HE loves, walk the way HE walked, talk the way HE talked, and serve the way HE served. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, HE humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8) I love this passage. It is such a challenge to me personally. I struggle with pride and my fleshly desires, but through the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross, I have the power in Him to overcome those selfish urges and be like Christ. My flesh wants to be satisfied and I have to die to self daily, sometimes moment by moment. Christ loves us with a love that is incomprehensible. HE who was God, became man, yet remaining fully God, lived on this earth in full surrender and obedience to the Father. That obedience required that HE put aside all HE had in glory and to die on the cross for vile and wicked men and women. I was one of those sinners and I am in awe that the Lord of lords, King of kings, the Great I AM would do such a thing for me!
Our focal passage tells us that we are to put aside partiality and love everyone equally. How do we do this? We must begin by seeing people the way God sees them. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that man looks at the outward appearance of a man, but God looks at the heart. Now, we cannot see the heart of man, but we can learn to see people through the eyes of Christ. Loving them and serving them no matter what their appearance or social economic status is. Let's pause here a moment. It is easy to say we do not judge others based on outward appearance or status, but is this really true? Take a moment and ask the Lord to reveal any sin of partiality in your own heart…" (A Journey Through James by Michelle Jones pages 63-64).
Another way to show partiality is to demand special treatment for ourselves. When we prepare ourselves in the morning, what is our motive? Do we dress in a certain way that brings attention to ourselves? Keep in mind, we do not have to dress immodestly to draw attention to ourselves. Heart issues drive our actions. When our hearts are pure, our actions are focused on glorifying the Lord Jesus and pointing others to Him. When our hearts are full of pride and self, our actions are directed toward pointing others to ourselves and our achievements and successes. God's Word gives several instructions on how we are to adorn ourselves. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says "Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging of the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."
Before I expand on this passage, let's make sure we keep this in context. Peter is addressing women and he is addressing them in the context of how they should behave toward their husbands. Peter is urging wives to dress and act in such a way that points their husbands to the Lord and if that husband is not a believer, her actions will lead him to the cross of Jesus Christ. I do think we can all gain valuable insight from this passage regardless of our marital status. The point Peter is making to these ladies is that people need to see more than us! Our looks, our thoughts, our status is not what glorifies the Lord. Yes, God made each of us differently and in the uniqueness His creativity is displayed. There is nothing wrong with God's children expressing themselves uniquely (within the context of Biblical commands), but nothing about us saves the lost from an eternity of separation from the Lord God.
We must understand that God has chosen to use us to display His glory and we are mere vessels for Him to speak to a lost and dying world. When we begin to look at ourselves and feel superior in any form, we have robbed the Lord of what is rightfully His - glory, praise, and attention. We must all be very careful not to become focused on self or on those who appear to have something that will enhance us - wealth, prestige, position, or connections. Let us never forget that Christ Jesus gave to us selflessly. HE became sin for us and died on the cross to save us from eternal destruction. May we never strive to place ourselves above the Most High or anyone HE has created. May our hearts be pure before Him and seek to give all glory, honor, praise, attention, and adoration to Him and Him alone.
How does God expect us to treat one another? Turn in your Bible to Leviticus 19:9-16. God's Word gives us several ways that we are to honor others above ourselves. Each one is geared toward helping others with a selfless heart and a Christ-like love. In Romans 15:1-6, we are instructed to love others through carrying one another's burdens, praying for and with one another and worshipping together in a way that edifies the body and honors the Lord. Let's conclude by reading together 1 John 4:12-13 & 16b "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and HE in us, because He has given us of His Spirit…God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
