2. JAMES 2:1-2
“1 My brothers, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So, don't treat people differently: 2 Suppose someone comes into your congregation and that person is dressed in fancy clothes and is wearing rings of gold. Then suppose a beggar also comes in, wearing ragged old clothes.

3. JAMES 2:3-4
3 Do you give special attention to the one who is wearing the fancy clothes? Do you seat him in the best place? Then do you say to the beggar, "Stand over there!" or "Sit here near my feet!"? 4 Are you not contradicting yourselves? You have become critics with evil motives!

4. JAMES 2:5-6
“5 Listen to me, my dear brothers! Was it not the poor people of this world whom God chose to make rich in faith and to receive the kingdom which He promised to all who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the beggar! Do not the rich people oppress you and drag you into court?

5. JAMES 2:7-8
7 Aren't they the ones who say awful things about the precious name that you wear? 8 The royal command is found in Scripture: "You must love other people the same way you love yourself.“ If you obey this command, you are doing fine,

6. JAMES 2:9-10
9 but if you treat anyone differently, your deeds are sinful! So, according to the law, you will be judged as wrongdoers. 10 The person who "obeys" the whole law and yet breaks only one of its commands is as guilty as if he broke all of the commands!

7. JAMES 2:11
11 The One who said, "You must not commit adultery" also said, "You must not commit murder.” If you have not committed adultery, but you have murdered someone, then the law says that you are a wrongdoer.

8. JAMES 2:12-13
12 So now, you should speak and act as people who know that they will be judged by a law of freedom. 13 At the Judgment, God will show no mercy to the person who did not show mercy to others. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:1-13).

10. INTRODUCTION
GOOD evening. We thank God…

11. INTRODUCTION
Please repeat after me: “Now I understand! – God treats everyone the same. – God accepts any person – who worships Him and does what is right. – It doesn’t matter what race a person comes from” (Acts 10:34-35).

12. INTRODUCTION We are so very thankful for this congregation…
Visitors: you are always our welcomed and honored guest…
We are humbled…
Our topic for this evening is:

13. EQUALITY IN CHRIST
Loved ones, there is one great hindrance to equality, even in the church.
That hindrance is “prejudice!”

14. THE PROBLEM OF PREJUDICE
The problem of prejudice and respect of persons must be faced afresh by every generation.
The word "prejudice" literally refers to the pre-judgment of another.

15. THE PROBLEM OF PREJUDICE
This judgment is based simply on his race, economic status, or some other outward circumstance of life.
This is snobbery at the least and may even be a form of idolatry.

16. THE PROBLEM OF PREJUDICE
Some of the most effective work being done for Christ today is by humble, sacrificing servants of the Lord who labor in His cause for sheer love of Him, and without desire for public acclaim whatsoever (Daniel 12:3).

17. THE PROBLEM OF PREJUDICE
Over the entrance of such houses were posted these words: "Abandon all rank, ye who enter here."

18. THE PROBLEM OF PREJUDICE
So must it be in the church. “Abandon all rank, ye who enter here."
The things which serve to classify and separate men in the world must NOT be allowed to divide us in the church.

19. THE PROBLEM OF PREJUDICE
"Now in Christ, there is no difference between Jew and non-Jew, between slave and free, between male and female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

20. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
Equality is one of those states about which we talk much and know little.
Graduates from the same class begin with seemingly "equal opportunities" but come to vastly different ends in life.

21. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
There is one place – and only one – where all men are truly equal and given the same spiritual blessings. That one place is in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

22. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
“9 Let the brother who is poor feel good that God lifted him up 10 and the rich brother should feel good that God lowered him. For man is like the flower of the field – here for only a short while.

23. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
11 The sun rises and gets hotter and hotter. As it burns the grass, its flowers dry up. The sun's heat destroys their beauty. They die. It is the same with a rich man. Even when business is good, he may die and be worth nothing” (James 1:9-11).

24. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
In our day, one of the most common bases of social distinction is the disparity of wealth among men.
Most of the earliest Christians were apparently servants of humble status (1 Corinthians 1:26-29; Colossians 3:22; Acts 4:34-37).

25. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
James did NOT require that a communistic state of economic equality be established among these brethren.

26. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
The brother in humble circumstances; that is, the poor Christian who is without the treasures of the world, is to "feel good that God lifted him up."

27. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
But in Christ this same man sees himself differently and comes to have a new sense of worth and self-esteem. He knows he is loved and important to God (John 3:16).

28. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
He knows he is important because Jesus and His disciples came to preach the Gospel to the poor (Luke 4:16-21; Matthew 28:19-20).

29. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
The poor man in Christ has every privilege which belongs to children in the family of God (Ephesians 3:15). We are all “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17).

30. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
On the other hand, the rich man is to rejoice in his low position, for he is like “the flower of the field – here for only a short while.” In other words, he learns that his material riches are not able to buy spiritual security.

31. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
He thus obeys the same commandments unto salvation which the poor man obeys and uses his possessions for the glory of God (Matthew 6:19-21; Galatians 6:6-10).

32. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
Will some be tempted to show partiality toward one over the other? Undoubtedly.

33. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
“My brothers, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So, don't treat people differently” (James 2:1). The command is this: Don't show favoritism! Don't try to be a Christian while showing partiality to men.

34. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
This is strong language, yet it does NOT rule out special friendships.
Christians must discriminate among their associates, but they must do so on spiritual rather than carnal grounds.

35. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul" (Proverbs 22:24-25).

36. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
However, should you, as a Christian, refuse friendship to a good man because the house he lives in is not as nice as yours, or because his skin is of a different color? No.

37. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
But neither do you form your closest friendships and spend your time with someone who has a bad temper and a wicked tongue.

38. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
Spiritual distinctions among men are not only right but necessary.
Although God is not a respecter of persons, will all be saved? NO! Why not? Because of racial origins or economic status? NO! But because of their response to His will.

39. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
In the same way, Christians must make certain spiritual distinctions while avoiding carnal prejudice and fleshly distinctions.

40. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
"Don’t be fooled. Bad friends will spoil good habits" (1 Corinthians 15:33). "The elders who are good leaders deserve double the pay. This is especially true for those who work hard at preaching and teaching" (1 Timothy 5:17).

41. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
We say again that all mankind is equal before God, and that it is sinful to show respect of persons from worldly considerations (Galatians 3:26-29).

42. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
However, it is an extension of this beyond proper bounds to imply that there are no differences obtaining between men.

43. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
Both Peter and Paul teach us to submit to and pray for the king and other high human authority (1 Peter 2:13; 1 Timothy 2:2).

44. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
Many… are often singled out in the Scriptures, and…declared to be worthy of special reward for their works of faith, their labors of love, and patience of hope they exhibit (1 Timothy 3:13; 1 Timothy 5:1-3; Hebrews 11).

45. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
However, what is taught is that there is no place for worldly acclaim in the Christian faith. All such reverence in public worship is unseemly and sinful. Inasmuch as God is no respecter of persons, neither should we be.

46. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
“2 Suppose someone comes into your congregation and that person is dressed in fancy clothes and is wearing rings of gold. Then suppose a beggar also comes in, wearing ragged old clothes.

47. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
3 Do you give special attention to the one who is wearing the fancy clothes? Do you seat him in the best place? Then do you say to the beggar, "Stand over there!" or "Sit here near my feet!"? 4 Are you not contradicting yourselves? You have become critics with evil motives!" (James 2:2-4).

48. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
The strict caste system of the Roman world created several social problems in the early church.

49. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
If you were ushering for a church assembly today and two men came in who fit the general description of the ones mentioned in this passage, would you be prone to show one to a good seat and take the other to a corner in the rear of the auditorium?

50. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
In first-century churches of Christ composed of poor and humble people, there was a temptation to regard the conversion of a rich or otherwise prominent man as a special event and to make a fuss over him.

51. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
But there can be no such distinctions of wealth, rank, race, or prestige in the church.

52. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
Thus it was that one could walk into a church assembly in the first century and find a master and slave sitting side by-side or a slave leading the assembly in which his master sat.

53. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
James moves next to specify another reason why Christians should not treat the poor with contempt and stroke the rich.

54. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
For one thing, since God loves and honors the poor man by giving him access into the kingdom of heaven, it is inconsistent that God's people should treat that same person with contempt.

55. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
"5 Listen to me, my dear brothers! Was it not the poor people of this world whom God chose to make rich in faith and to receive the kingdom which He promised to all who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the beggar! Do not the rich people oppress you and drag you into court?

56. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
7 Aren't they the ones who say awful things about the precious name that you wear? (James 2:5-7).

57. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
The point is therefore made with forceful emphasis that the people of God are NOT to be guilty of the sin of partiality.

58. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
The church of Christ must be the one place where worldly standards of judgment and discrimination are abandoned.

59. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
Spiritual brotherhood in Christ has made Christians one and has established “peace among those who please God” (Luke 2:14).

60. THE NATURE OF EQUALITY
Jesus is our peace. In His own body He broke down the fence of hate that separated people and made all men one in Him (Ephesians 2:14).

61. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
To the contrary, we are to live by a higher and nobler standard. We are to observe "the royal law" – a law which originates with King Jesus and is bound upon all within His kingdom.

62. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
"8 The royal command is found in Scripture: "You must love other people the same way you love yourself" {Leviticus 19:18}. If you obey this command, you are doing fine, 9 but if you treat anyone differently, your deeds are sinful! So, according to the law, you will be judged as wrongdoers” (James 2:8-9).

63. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
To acknowledge the fundamental rightness of this important commandment about loving one's neighbor as himself and then to turn around and show partiality is to sin.

64. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
To say, in effect, that you will love your neighbor but choose your neighbors carefully is foolish. We are not entitled to pick those whom we will regard as neighbors and look down our noses at the rest of mankind.

65. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
The Jews of Jesus' day told themselves that they were obligated only to others of their own race and then only to those who were on an equivalent social plane.

66. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
Thus, they would love their neighbors if those neighbors were "their own kind." Christians must NOT follow that bad example (1 Corinthians 10:6-11).

67. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
Jesus gave the Parable of the Good Samaritan to rebuke this narrow attitude.
Jesus concluded the parable with these words: "Then you go and do the same thing!" (Luke 10:25-37).

68. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
But men will always try to excuse themselves from such obligations, so James posed a possible objection which some might raise to this teaching.

69. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
"10 The person who "obeys" the whole law and yet breaks only one of its commands is as guilty as if he broke all of the commands! 11 The One who said, "You must not commit adultery" {Exodus 20:14} also said, "You must not commit murder" {Exodus 20:13}.

70. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
“If you have not committed adultery, but you have murdered someone, then the law says that you are a wrongdoer" (James 2:10-11).

71. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
James taught that the will of God is one great whole and that to break any part of it is to come under its condemnation.

72. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
One is a sinner whenever he violates any part of God's holy will. Viewed in this light, the sin of partiality is hardly a trivial matter.

73. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
This section of the Book of James is then closed with an appeal for Christians to remember that we shall be judged by the law of God. Those who want to receive divine mercy in the final day must show mercy to their neighbors now.

74. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
"12 So now, you should speak and act as people who know that they will be judged by a law of freedom. 13 At the Judgment, God will show no mercy to the person who did not show mercy to others. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:12-13).

75. LIVING BY "THE ROYAL LAW"
Jesus had before taught: “People who give mercy to others are happy, because they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

76. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
The Old Testament forbids respect of persons. "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great but judge your neighbor fairly" (Leviticus 19:15).

77. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
The New Testament treats this theme extensively.

78. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
That lesson from Peter's own mouth was this: “Now I understand! God treats everyone the same. God accepts any person who worships Him and does what is right. It doesn’t matter what race a person comes from” (Acts 10:34-35; Romans 2:11; Colossians 3:25).

79. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
Jesus neither overlooked the evils of important men nor turned men away because they were unimportant in the eyes of the world.

80. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
He was willing to converse with and teach Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council (John 3:1-7) but was equally willing to teach and thereby offer salvation to the tax collectors and sinners – the outcasts of His society (Luke 15:1-2).

81. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
Neither was Jesus' behavior toward others marred by the terrible racial prejudice which so frequently showed itself among His contemporaries (John 4).

82. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
"Teacher, we know you are true. It doesn’t matter to you what people think. You don’t pay attention to how important someone is. Instead, you teach God’s true way” (Mark 12:14).

83. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
He commanded us to, “Do for other people all the things which you want them to do for you” (Matthew 7:12).

84. OTHER BIBLE TEACHING ABOUT PARTIALITY
Since none of us would want to be the victim of another's prejudice or unfounded fears, none of us can afford to be guilty of treating someone else that way.

85. CONCLUSION
Is James a practical book? Does it speak to the needs of modern man? No honest person can doubt it for a moment.

86. CONCLUSION
Christian living involves taking men who have been set right with God through their salvation from sin and setting them right with each other.

87. CONCLUSION
It shows us how to overcome prejudice in our individual lives and within congregations of the people of God.

88. CONCLUSION
This lesson must be learned well if we are to evangelize the world and properly represent our impartial God to a color-conscious, class-conscious society.

89. CONCLUSION
QUESTION: In what situations have you ever been guilty of respect of persons? Do you think you could handle the same situations differently today?

90. CONCLUSION
ACTION: Jot down and apply the steps you can take to help eliminate prejudice and discrimination in some specific setting in our Portland community or right here in the church.

91. CONCLUSION
Please go home tonight and memorize Matthew 7:12: “Do for other people all the things which you want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the law and the prophets.”