Stop Being SnobsStop Being SnobsJames 2:1-13James 2:1-13

(Page 1025 in pew Bibles)(Page 1025 in pew Bibles)

James 2:1-13(Page 1025 in pew Bibles)

1.1. My brothers, hold your faith in My brothers, hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ our glorious Lord Jesus Christ without showing favoritism. without showing favoritism.

2.2. For suppose a man comes into For suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring, your meeting wearing a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, and a dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in.also comes in.

3.3. If you look with favor on the man If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes so that wearing the fine clothes so that you say, “Sit here in a good you say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,”footstool,”

4.4. haven’t you discriminated among haven’t you discriminated among yourselves and become judges yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?with evil thoughts?

5.5. Listen, my dear brothers: Didn’t Listen, my dear brothers: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him? those who love Him?

6.6. Yet you dishonored that poor Yet you dishonored that poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you man. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? and drag you into the courts?

7.7.Don’t they blaspheme the noble Don’t they blaspheme the noble name that you bear? name that you bear?

8.8. If you really carry out the royal If you really carry out the royal law prescribed in Scripture, Love law prescribed in Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. are doing well.

9.9.But if you show favoritism, you But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. law as transgressors.

10.10. For whoever keeps the entire law, For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all.breaking it all.

11.11. For He who said, Do not commit For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker.lawbreaker.

12.12. Speak and act as those who will Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom. be judged by the law of freedom.

13.13. For judgment is without mercy to For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy. the one who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Stop Being SnobsStop Being SnobsJames 2:1-13James 2:1-13

FavoritismFavoritism

• Vs. 1 “My brothers, hold your Vs. 1 “My brothers, hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ Christ without showing without showing favoritismfavoritism.”.”

• KJV: “Respect of persons”KJV: “Respect of persons”• Literally, “To receive the front” or Literally, “To receive the front” or

“To accept the outward “To accept the outward appearance”appearance”

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DiscriminationDiscrimination

• Vs. 4 “Haven’t you Vs. 4 “Haven’t you discriminated discriminated among yourselvesamong yourselves…?”…?”

• Literally, “To make distinctions”Literally, “To make distinctions”• To make distinctions among To make distinctions among

people based on false or people based on false or superficial criteriasuperficial criteria

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An ExampleAn Example

• Vs. 2-3 “For suppose a man comes Vs. 2-3 “For suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold into your meeting wearing a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, and a ring, dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. If you look with also comes in. If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine favor on the man wearing the fine clothes so that you say, ‘Sit here in clothes so that you say, ‘Sit here in a good place,’ and yet you say to a good place,’ and yet you say to the poor man, ‘Stand over there,’ the poor man, ‘Stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit here on the floor by my or, ‘Sit here on the floor by my footstool’”footstool’” Lst

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Other Examples of Other Examples of FavoritismFavoritism

• Cliques: Friends who enjoy each other, but Cliques: Friends who enjoy each other, but who never notice new people and include who never notice new people and include themthem

• Treating people who didn’t grow up in Treating people who didn’t grow up in Tallassee in a different wayTallassee in a different way

• Girls who date only guys with nice carsGirls who date only guys with nice cars• Football players picking on band membersFootball players picking on band members• Hiring the more attractive person over the Hiring the more attractive person over the

more qualified personmore qualified person• Making much over talented personalities and Making much over talented personalities and

not even noticing the faithful work quietly not even noticing the faithful work quietly done behind the scenes by others at churchdone behind the scenes by others at church

• Racism: Devaluing people on the basis of Racism: Devaluing people on the basis of their skin instead of valuing their charactertheir skin instead of valuing their character. >

Five Reasons to Stop Being Five Reasons to Stop Being SnobsSnobs

James 2:1-13James 2:1-13

It is inconsistent with the It is inconsistent with the Nature of Christ Nature of Christ

• Vs. 1, Wuest: “My brethren, stop holding Vs. 1, Wuest: “My brethren, stop holding your faith in your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of the gloryLord of the glory, in connection with an , in connection with an act showing partiality”act showing partiality”

• Christ is every attribute of the invisible Christ is every attribute of the invisible God expressed visibly, tangibly, & audiblyGod expressed visibly, tangibly, & audibly

• If the Lord of Glory descended to show If the Lord of Glory descended to show love to weaker people, what about us?love to weaker people, what about us?

• In the presence of Glory like that, who In the presence of Glory like that, who would demean others?would demean others?

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It is Illogical to Judge Others It is Illogical to Judge Others When You Will be When You Will be

JudgedJudged• Vs. 4 “Haven’t you discriminated Vs. 4 “Haven’t you discriminated

among yourselves and become among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughtsjudges with evil thoughts?”?”

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Judges with Evil Judges with Evil ThoughtsThoughts

• Thinking there is a way to differentiate Thinking there is a way to differentiate the relative value of peoplethe relative value of people

• Thinking you are the person to set those Thinking you are the person to set those valuesvalues

• Thinking human value could be based on Thinking human value could be based on superficial things like clothes, superficial things like clothes, possessions, and pedigreepossessions, and pedigree

• Thinking a person, created in the image Thinking a person, created in the image of God, can be of lesser valueof God, can be of lesser value

• Thinking there is a way to keep score Thinking there is a way to keep score where you can “win” and be a where you can “win” and be a “somebody.”“somebody.”

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It is Illogical to Judge Others It is Illogical to Judge Others When You Will be When You Will be

JudgedJudged• Vs. 12-13 “Speak and act as those Vs. 12-13 “Speak and act as those

who will be judged by the law of who will be judged by the law of freedom. For judgment is without freedom. For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”judgment.”

• Mark 11:25 “And whenever you Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.”forgive you your wrongdoing.” . >

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It is Incompatible with the It is Incompatible with the Sovereign Choice of Sovereign Choice of

GodGod• Vs. 5 “Listen, my dear brothers: Vs. 5 “Listen, my dear brothers:

Didn’t God choose the poor in Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love promised to those who love Him?”Him?”

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11stst Corinthians 1:26-29 Corinthians 1:26-29

26.26. Brothers, consider your calling: not many Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.many powerful, not many of noble birth.

27.27. Instead, God has chosen the world’s Instead, God has chosen the world’s foolish things to shame the wise, and God foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world’s weak things to has chosen the world’s weak things to shame the strong.shame the strong.

28.28. God has chosen the world’s insignificant God has chosen the world’s insignificant and despised things—the things viewed as and despised things—the things viewed as nothing—so He might bring to nothing the nothing—so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something,things that are viewed as something,

29.29. so that no one can boast in His presence.so that no one can boast in His presence.. >

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It is Irrational to Honor It is Irrational to Honor Those Who Dishonor Those Who Dishonor

YouYou• Vs. 6-7 “Yet you dishonored that Vs. 6-7 “Yet you dishonored that

poor man. Don’t the rich oppress poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? you and drag you into the courts? Don’t they blaspheme the noble Don’t they blaspheme the noble name that you bear?”name that you bear?”

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Are They Worthy of Your Are They Worthy of Your Honor?Honor?

• The player whose jersey you wearThe player whose jersey you wear• The actors you consider hunks or babesThe actors you consider hunks or babes• The people from whom you learn the The people from whom you learn the

sayings and mannerisms you usesayings and mannerisms you use• The musicians whose music you buy and The musicians whose music you buy and

to which you listento which you listen• If these people are openly critical of your If these people are openly critical of your

Christian faith, why do you honor them?Christian faith, why do you honor them?• If their work/art is opposed to the most If their work/art is opposed to the most

important part of your life, why are you important part of your life, why are you helping to make them rich?helping to make them rich?

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It is Irreconcilable with It is Irreconcilable with Christian Obedience Christian Obedience

• Vs. 8-11 “If you really carry out Vs. 8-11 “If you really carry out the royal law prescribed in the royal law prescribed in Scripture, Scripture, Love your neighbor as Love your neighbor as yourselfyourself, you are doing well. But , you are doing well. But if you show favoritism, you if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the entire law, whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all.”breaking it all.”

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Stop Being SnobsStop Being SnobsJames 2:1-13James 2:1-13