Impartial and Sincere Faith
Jeremy Bell
James 2:1-14
February 12, 2023
Sermon Audio
Sermon Recap PDF
I. Partiality is sin against the God of glory
“Truly I understand that God shows no partiality” — Acts 10:34
“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore; for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” — Deuteronomy 10:17-19
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great” — Leviticus 19:15
“Discriminating against people, whether on the basis of their dress, nationality, social class or race, is a clear violation of the unbounded love to which Jesus calls us.” — Douglas Moo
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” — Luke 4:18-19
“For consider your calling, brothers; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” — 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
II. Love your neighbor as yourself
“Our values, priorities, and activities must be governed by the definition of true glory displayed in the person, conduct, and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Alec Motyer
Questions for Discussion/Application
- Re-read the text, James 2:1-14. What initial insights and observations do you have from reading this passage?
- “Show no partiality (James 2:1).” What kind of behavior does this command forbid?
- What kinds of sinful heart attitudes lead to partiality?
- In what ways can we be vulnerable to this sin?
- James 2:8 says, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.” How does the command “love your neighbor” rule out all forms of partiality?
- What are one or two take home points for you from this text and this sermon?
- Consider taking time to pray, asking God that by His Spirit He would help us to love our neighbors as ourselves and forsake all forms of partiality.