Love Others Without Favouritism

Series – ‘Developing a faith that works’

Today

‘Love others without favouritism’James 2:1-13

Don’t show favouritism

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism James 2:1


Favouritism = Gk ‘prosōpolēmpsia’

1st word = ‘receive’ or ‘take’’2nd word = ‘face’ or ‘person’

Literally means ‘taking at face value’


‘Teacher … we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are’

Matt 22:16


Suppose a man comes … wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? - James 2:2-4

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs

1 Tim 6:10


Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

James 2:5

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich

2 Cor 8:9

Favouritism violates the Royal Law

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as law-breakers

James 2:8-9

Favouritism will be judged

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment

James 2:12-13

• Favouritism violates the Royal law

• Don’t show favouritism

• Favouritism will be judged

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others,Isn’t always “me first, ”Doesn’t fly off the handle …

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,Doesn’t revel when others grovel,Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,Puts up with anything, Trusts God always,Always looks for the best, Never looks back,But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be cancelled – 1 Cor 13:1-10

Spiritual

Love Others Without Favouritism