Faith Works: You Have A Choice To Make
09/14/08
Dr. Phil Wilkes, James 2:1-13
We all have our favorites. Favorite foods, favorite ice cream, favorite restaurants, favorite clothes and on it goes. We play favorites with people we like based on very subjective criteria that we establish. Based on what we value we choose to like some people and to reject others.
James writes in this passage to address a problem occurring among Christians. They were playing favorites with those who came to church. They were choosing some over others because of how they might benefit from certain people. Using the same criteria they would also reject or ignore others that did not meet their standards or could not benefit them in some way. They were playing favorites.
James says that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are not to show favoritism towards some people while ignoring others. The solution is to live out the royal law found in God’s word to “love your neighbor as yourself. James even goes so far as to say when you show favoritism you sin before God (James 2:9) As you have experienced the mercy of Christ in your life you are to show that same mercy and love towards everyone you interact with.
Podcast
We all have our favorites. Favorite foods, favorite ice cream, favorite restaurants, favorite clothes and on it goes. We play favorites with people we like based on very subjective criteria that we establish. Based on what we value we choose to like some people and to reject others.
James writes in this passage to address a problem occurring among Christians. They were playing favorites with those who came to church. They were choosing some over others because of how they might benefit from certain people. Using the same criteria they would also reject or ignore others that did not meet their standards or could not benefit them in some way. They were playing favorites.
James says that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are not to show favoritism towards some people while ignoring others. The solution is to live out the royal law found in God’s word to “love your neighbor as yourself. James even goes so far as to say when you show favoritism you sin before God (James 2:9) As you have experienced the mercy of Christ in your life you are to show that same mercy and love towards everyone you interact with.
Podcast