The Sin of Partiality

As we have been going through James, so many passages have been so meaningful, so today,
we wanted to do a breakdown of “The Sin of Partiality” from James. We hope you enjoy!

My brothers,[a] show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lord of glory.
2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a
poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who
wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the
poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”4 have you not then made
distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen,my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to
be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love
him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress
you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the
honorable name by which you were called?
8 If
you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your
neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are
committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the
whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do
not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but
do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 Sospeak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of
liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy
triumphs over judgment.

Verse one clearly states that showing partiality, or favoritism, is not acceptable. The
only partiality that should be shown is the partiality between man and the Lord of
Glory. We so often make distinctions between ourselves: Your rich and I’m poor, you’re
ugly and I’m beautiful, you’re a dunce and I’m brilliant. James says “No, you are all the
same. Show NO partiality amongst yourselves”! Showing Partiality is a pride issue that
can consume the heart of both Christians and non-Christians alike, and is the
foundation for destruction. You have to remember that God says when you bless your
brother you bless the father, and when you sin against a brother you sin against the
Lord. Therefore viewing yourself as having more worth/value than another is not only
idling yourself, but it is also putting yourself above the Lord. Yes, on one hand not
everybody is the same, we all of different strengths and weaknesses that make us who
we are. However, that does not excuse putting others down because ‘You judge’ them
as less important than yourself.

Verse two through four shows an example of how we show partiality. Plainly based off
of how people look we make distinctions when we shouldn’t even show partiality
based on the content of people’s hearts! We have no right to say who is more important
than others. Making distinctions among yourselves makes you judges with evil
thoughts. In our culture today people are judged as “Cool”, “Popular”, and “valuable”
primarily based on what they wear, what your body looks like, what things you say,
what movies you watch and what parties you attend. The problem is that the world is
judging people by the outer appearance and not be the inner appearance, which is
ultimately the most important. Rather than seeing yourself, and others around you
through the lens of the world, start looking through the Lens of God. Jesus didn’t die
for our sins because we are, “Cool, Popular, or valuable”, he died for us because he
loves us. In fact he was poor, unpopular and labeled by the world as having little value.

Verse five through seven says that if anything, the favoritism we show should be
pointed in the other direction, because he chooses the poor to be rich in faith, and of
high status in Gods eyes. Then he goes on to say “why do you still show partiality to
the rich when they oppress you and drag you into court!” Even though we know these
people are evil, we still hold them at a higher standard because of what they have.
Again, rather than seeing the world through the lens of the world, pray and ask God to
help you see through his lens.

This next passage says that if you are treating your neighbor as yourself, you are doing
well. We treat ourselves with a very high standard and we are usually very prideful
when it comes to assessing ourselves. James says “Treat other people with this type of
respect and love.” In this next part, I think often times we don’t see showing partiality
as a very large sin, but James says it is a sin and if you show partiality, you are a
transgressor of the law. Then it says if you show partiality, you are convicted of the
whole Law! If you fail in one point of the law, you fail at every part. It’s like sweeping a
room; if you sweep the room but don’t sweep up the pile, the dust will just scatter all
over again.
This is one of my favorite passages. Speak and act as though you are about to go to God
and be evaluated. Then he says if you show judgment without mercy, you will be
shown judgment without mercy. As good triumphs evil, mercy triumphs judgment. We
were all made in the image and likeness of God, and everyone is a child of God. Treat
them as yourself, and love one another.