James 1:27-2:13

James 1, verse 27. That's where we're picking things up.

James 1:27

And we're tempted to think that when James tells his hearers to keep themselves unstained from the world,

! That he means, right, enough with the sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Stay away from the basement clubs in Soho.

Nothing good happens after midnight.

We saw last time, a couple of weeks ago, that he's talking about something else.

What he's talking about is living as Christians according to the same values as the world around us.

In 1.19 and following, James' concern was that in response to the persecution and the trials

that this scattered group of believers are experiencing,

that they would get drawn into a kind of revolutionary anger.

The sort of thing that we see today.

When people don't get what they want, when they're badly treated,

they riot, and they fight,

and they even burn cities to the ground.

And it's all talked about as a kind of virtuous thing.

It's one of the ways that a worldly culture responds to suffering, or indeed perceived suffering.

Well, this morning, James continues on this thread.

Only this time, the worldly value that he addresses,

it's there in chapter 2, verse 1,

is favoritism, partiality.

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The way to get things done in the world,

the way that you get ahead,

often the way that you get out of trouble,

is by knowing rich and powerful people.

And usually the two go together, rich and powerful.

So if you can ingratiate yourself with a rich person, you can benefit.

Start-up businesses, understand this.

Start-up entrepreneurs network like mad,

hoping that the rich guy will invest.

Or that the influential person will use their product,

and they can put it on their social media.

Partiality is something that is considered a veritable positive thing

in the world of start-up business.

On a personal level,

rich and powerful people can do things,

and can get things,

and can go places.

And if they like having you around,

well, you get favor by association.

We treat rich people differently.

We make time for them.

We can clear our schedule for them.

We give them attention.

We laugh at their jokes,

because we want to benefit in some way.

And the reason that that kind of behavior is worldly

is because it's actually a form of self-love.

There's lots of talk in our culture today about the rich using people.

That may be true.

But plenty of people use the rich as well in order to get what they want.

The point is that James says that there isn't to be any of this in the church.

But it's really important, I think,

that we see that James isn't referring here simply to financial wealth.

Remember that these believers,

to whom he writes,

have come to faith in Christ from Judaism,

and they have been scattered because they've been persecuted

for naming the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

and not bowing the knee to the Jewish system.

So, when James gives this mini parable in verses 2 and 4,

he has 2 to 4.

He has a particular kind of rich person in mind.

So, do you see, it's interesting the details that are mentioned.

This person who comes into their gathering is wearing a signet ring,

and he has fine clothing, verse 2.

Those point to his authority.

And we're told in verses 6 and 7

that this rich person is actually an oppressor and a blasphemer.

I think what we're supposed to see is

that this isn't just a generic wealthy person.

This man is some kind of leader from the Jewish establishment

who has come to see them.

So, what's happening is this beleaguered group thinks,

well, if we can treat this guy well,

with all of his authority, all of his influence,

he might use that influence in order to help us.

It's a bit like today,

us trying to get favor from the local MP

or even the prime minister.

They come along on Sunday,

and we make a fuss of them

because, well, they might be able to help us.

They might be able to assist us in our mission.

So, you're unwelcome.

Down at the door there,

and two men arrive at the same time.

One of them pulls up in a Range Rover

with blacked-out windows,

and you think he looks familiar,

very well-dressed.

You might have seen him on television.

Hello, sir.

Lovely to meet you.

You're very, very welcome.

Let me get you a seat.

Come with me.

Come this way.

The other guy arrives.

He looks a bit shabby.

Morning.

Very welcome.

Wait there for a moment.

Sorry.

Just, if you don't actually,

just grab a seat wherever.

I think there's one over there somewhere.

In fact, you know,

maybe you just want to perch on the floor.

That's all right.

It can be a subtle kind of thing,

but it's usually pretty obvious.

The person with wealth and authority and power

gets special treatment.

It's the same self-love

that marks the culture on display in the church.

And James says it's worldly and it's ugly.

Just like anger, actually,

it doesn't bring about the righteousness of God.

He's saying political manipulation,

working the rich does not accomplish God's work.

Indeed, when you do that,

look at verse 4.

He's saying,

you make distinctions among yourselves

and you become judges with evil thoughts.

Literally, you divide yourselves.

That problem sound familiar?

We heard that right at the start of the letter

in chapter 1, verse 8.

Double-mindedness.

Divided.

One foot in the kingdom of God,

one foot in the world.

One foot in the kingdom of service

one foot in the kingdom of equality.

One foot in the kingdom of

out for what I can get.

Let's work the angles and see if we can get ahead.

And James says,

don't do it.

And he goes on to provide two reasons

why we're not to do it.

Point number one,

he says it's against God's design.

To show partiality

within the church

is against God's design.

Verse 5,

Listen, my beloved brothers.

Has not God chosen those

who are poor in the world

to be rich in faith

and heirs of the kingdom,

which he has promised to those who love him?

But you have dishonored the poor man.

A couple of weeks ago,

we heard James tell the poor man

to rejoice in his exaltation

for this reason.

In the economy of God,

it is the poor whom he chooses.

He goes to those that the world overlooks.

He meets them in their need

and he chooses them

to be in his family.

Now, James isn't saying,

he's definitely not saying,

as some theologians seem to want to say,

that material poverty

is a requirement for salvation.

He can't be saying that.

God doesn't choose the poor

because they are poor.

He's saying that what is required

is humility,

poverty of spirit.

Remember, I said at the outset

that this letter echo after echo

after echo of the Sermon on the Mount.

Who is blessed?

Who finds favor with God?

Who flourishes in God's eyes?

The poor in spirit.

And anyone who possesses

that kind of poverty

can be saved.

Indeed, they will be saved.

In practice, what that means, however,

is that those who have

very little materially

are actually at a spiritual advantage.

How is that the case?

Well, if you have nothing else

to hope in,

you're very aware of your need

and you're open

to what Christ has to offer.

That's why Luke,

when he uses his beatitudes,

he says in Luke chapter 6, verse 20,

Luke 6:20

blessed are the poor.

If you have plenty of other things

to trust in,

money,

contact,

influence,

then you look to those things

to deliver the life

that you want

and what ends up happening

is that you resist

what God is doing in your life

to grow you to maturity.

When trials come,

how many of us,

the first thing we think

is we can pay our way out of this,

we can ring somebody

who will help us

to get our way out of this.

If only I had

that level of influence,

if only I was that kind of person,

well then I could fix this situation.

That's the problem.

If you have those things,

you tend to trust in them.

That is why Jesus says

in the following verses

in Luke chapter 6,

Luke 6 · chapter mention

he starts,

blessed are the poor,

he goes through his beatitudes,

and then he says,

624,

woe to you who are rich

for you have already

received your comfort.

If we have resources,

we can fix things.

Without those resources,

when things come our way

from God under His hand

to cause us

to have to lean on Him

and have to grow,

what ends up happening?

We lean on Him and we grow

and we're spiritually much healthier.

Woe to you who are rich

for you have already

received your comfort.

Hey, by the way,

this is why God sends

trials of various kinds

to those who are truly His,

trials that money

and contacts and influence

can't do anything to fix.

God is intent on maturing us,

on growing us up,

whatever we have materially,

whatever we have in terms

of contacts and influence.

And sometimes He will send

things our way

that whatever we have

can't fix,

like sickness,

like problems with our children,

like relational breakdown.

Your money doesn't work.

Your contacts are no help.

Your influence delivers nothing.

What's happening?

God is forcing you back on Him

so that you gain steadfastness,

chapter 1, verse 3,

so that you grow to maturity.

Look, if wealth or comfort

or privilege in this life

causes you to miss out on Christ

or to fail to grow up

in the ways of Christ,

whatever you have,

it isn't worth the pleasure

or confidence that it has provided.

Whatever it was that you trusted in

rather than Him,

it wasn't worth it.

So, to dishonor the poor

is to push against God's design.

He chooses the poor

and the world to be rich in faith.

And they are co-heirs

with everyone else

in God's kingdom.

The ground at the foot

of the cross of Christ

is level.

However we've got

to the point of poverty of spirit,

that doesn't matter.

That is God's work.

The ground at the foot

of the cross is level.

Just to say,

many of us

are rich,

at least by global standards.

But it may be

that you feel relatively poor.

You're not as rich

as someone else.

Well, if that's the case,

let me say,

look at verse 5.

Let verse 5

get into your bones.

Listen, my beloved brothers,

has God not chosen,

has not God chosen

those who are poor

in the world

to be rich in faith

and heirs of the kingdom?

Our world might despise

poverty and weakness.

God does not.

Our culture might choose

the strong and the impressive,

but God doesn't.

Your poverty is no barrier

to knowing Christ,

nor is it a barrier

to receiving

a heavenly inheritance

that is worth

more than any

earthly inheritance.

Even the biggest,

the Gates children,

the Musk children,

the Bezos children,

poor kids.

they're all looking forward

to a massive inheritance.

It is nothing

compared to this one.

In Christ,

you inherit God's kingdom.

Don't show partiality

because it is against

God's design.

James continues,

it is also secondly

against God's law.

Verses 8 to 11,

if you really fulfill

the royal law,

according to the Scripture,

you shall love your neighbor

as yourself,

you are doing well.

But if you show partiality,

you are committing sin

and are convicted

by the law as transgressors.

For whoever keeps

the whole law

but fails in one point

has become guilty

of all of it.

For he who said,

do not commit adultery,

also said,

do not murder.

If you do not commit adultery

but do murder,

you have become

a transgressor of the law.

Now, James hasn't gone here

on a theological tangent

to talk about the law.

Verse 9,

partiality is still

his concern.

But he ties it here

to God's law

because it is such

a prominent theme

in the Old Testament.

Exodus 23,

Deuteronomy 1,

Deuteronomy 10,

Israel are commanded

to act without partiality,

to be impartial.

And they're to do that

because to do that

is to mirror

or to imitate God.

And when we get further on,

when we get to Jesus'

summary of the law,

impartiality lies

behind what He says.

You remember?

The Old Testament law

is summed up

in two commands.

Love God

and love your neighbor.

And it follows.

It un...

Whatever.

There's no disconnection.

It has to follow

that you simply

cannot love your neighbor

if you discriminate

against them.

Just sit on the floor there.

I'm going to talk

to the rich guy.

Partiality is a failure

of neighbor love.

It is very simple,

but it is so important.

James speaks to those

because of its importance.

He can't emphasize this enough.

In fact, he says,

listen, to those of you

that want to wriggle out of this,

I've got something to say.

They say, okay, well,

maybe do fall down

on the partiality front.

Maybe not great at that,

but I'm good at the others.

I'm pretty good at the others,

most of them anyway.

I'll take the test.

I'm sure I'll do a solid

seven out of ten

on the Ten Commandments.

He says, no.

The law comes as a whole.

You can't break it in one place

and not destroy the whole thing.

It's a bit like bursting a football.

You can't burst a football

and put a hole in one place

and not ruin the whole thing.

If you tried to say,

but no, it's not ruined.

There's only a tiny hole there.

The hole's only in that part.

It's nonsense.

One place it breaks,

the whole thing is useless.

And if you start going,

oh, no, there's only

a tiny hole there,

you miss the point.

God's law requires us

to love our poor neighbor.

It's saying here,

if you only have time

for the rich,

you're in sin.

So, partiality is against

God's design.

It's against God's law.

This is James' kind of one-two

as to why favoritism

has no place in the church.

But I said at the beginning,

it kind of comes naturally to us.

We might know that favoritism

is an ugly trait,

but it just kind of happens.

We gravitate towards rich

and influential

and powerful people

if we can gain their favor.

So, how do we change?

How do we change?

Well, I want to suggest

that we focus ourselves.

We lift our eyes.

We focus our gaze.

We turn our hearts

to three realities

that James mentions

in the passage here,

but he mentions them

almost in passing.

So, the first one

is the fatherhood of God.

Look at verse 27.

Chapter 1, verse 27.

Religion that is pure

and undefiled before God

is this,

to visit orphans

and widows

in their affliction,

to keep oneself unstained

from the world.

He doesn't say that.

He doesn't say God.

He says God the Father.

The sort of religion

that God the Father loves

reflects God the Father's

posture towards the world.

He loves as a perfect father.

It's terrible.

It's a terrible home

where fathers have favorite children.

You see it in families

where one child

is particularly talented.

They get all the time

and attention.

Why is that?

In the hope that the child

can make it in some way.

Whatever area

their talent lies,

it's often couched

in terms of,

I just want to give them

the best opportunities

they can.

But actually,

it's usually much more

about the parents

because if your child

becomes rich and famous,

there's a good chance

you will as well.

Favoritism among children,

favoritism among your children

is really destructive.

One of my children

describes themselves

as favorite child.

They come to my office

after school

and they say,

Hi, Dad,

favorite child here

and continue.

Sometimes they even

sign off their emails,

Yours,

favorite child.

Now,

their siblings

find this annoying.

So,

we've had a few

dinner table summits

where I make it clear

to them

who my favorite

really is.

Obviously,

I go around

and tell them things

that I value about all of them.

They say,

No, that's boring.

Who's your favorite?

I say,

Well, of course,

your mother's my favorite.

Good fathers

don't discriminate.

And we don't love

our children

for what we can get

from them.

And we don't discriminate

because

that is an imitation

of how God loves

His children.

As we've said,

He loves those

who have nothing

to give

in return.

God loves those

who know

that their hands

are empty.

And to those

who know that,

He showers us

with the love

of a perfect

Father.

Whatever your experience

of earthly fathers,

and I know for some of us

that's not great,

say the least,

but whether your experience

is good or bad,

when you come to God,

you are received

by a Father

who loves you

indiscriminately.

In our sin,

we're all the shabby guy.

We're all the guy

with nothing to offer.

Spiritually speaking,

you can have

all the zeros

in the world

at the end

of your bank account.

Spiritually speaking,

we're all the shabby guy.

When it comes to God,

that currency

doesn't work.

And yet,

in our shabbiness,

God doesn't wait

for us to get cleaned up

in order to accept us.

You know that,

don't you?

God isn't waiting

for you

to clean up your life,

to show yourself

to be impressive,

to be able to perform

at a level

that He can go,

well, okay,

I'll accept you.

No.

He doesn't wait

for you to sort yourself out.

He comes to you

at your worst,

and He says,

my son

shed His blood for you.

Come and welcome.

God doesn't overlook you.

He loves you,

and He welcomes you

in the Lord Jesus.

And here's the thing.

It is to the degree

that you know

that love yourself,

that you know it

in your heart,

not just up here,

not just that you can

answer the question,

does God love me?

Yes, God loves me

because I put my faith

in the Lord Jesus.

It's that when you

experience that

in the depths

of who you are,

that you know

that you've been

welcomed into God's family,

that you know

that you are secure

in His love

despite your spiritual poverty.

It is to the degree

that you know that yourself

that you won't look down

on others.

First reality

we need to grasp

is the fatherhood of God.

The second

is in verse 1,

it is the glory of Christ.

Again,

James includes

a detail almost in passing

that is absolutely

massively important.

My brothers,

show no partiality

as you hold the faith

in our Lord Jesus Christ.

He could have gone on

from there,

but he adds,

the Lord of glory.

Why does he do that?

Well,

I think it's to remind us

that there is only

one truly glorious person.

There is only one man

who has walked

the path of trials

to maturity

and to glory.

Hebrews 5,

Hebrews 5:8

verses 8 and 9,

although he was a son,

he learned obedience

through what he suffered

and being made perfect,

mature.

He became the source

of eternal salvation

to all who obey him.

That's the pattern.

And it is this pattern

holding to the faithfulness

of Jesus

that James exhorts us

to imitate.

We could summarize

the letter to this point,

I think,

this way.

Rejoice in your trials

as Jesus rejoiced.

Remain steadfast,

persevere

as he persevered,

and be made mature

as he was made mature.

Part of our love

of the rich

is their glory,

their power

and their authority

and their status,

and that's what we're drawn to

and that's what we want

to share of.

So, if we can just

make them like us,

we can just get

rich adjacent.

That would be the way

it would be described,

isn't it?

If we can just get

alongside them,

we'll get caught up

in that glory ourselves.

We'll get to share

some of that glory.

Remember,

having lunch

with a wealthy friend

a number of years ago

and it was quite

an experience.

The people

that waited

on the table

and the people

that were also

at the table,

they treated me

very differently

because I was

with the big guy.

I was sharing

in that glory.

The problem is,

it is when we

desire that,

when we pursue

that and we

want their favor

in order to get it,

it does terrible

things to us.

I don't mean

even just the sinister

things that people

do for the praise

of the rich.

I mean,

laughing at jokes

that aren't funny.

Yes, of course.

Flattery.

Denying your values

in order just

to keep them on side.

Keeping your mouth

shut when the big guy

states his opinions

about things

that you think

are nonsense.

Why are we

drawn to this?

In the world,

it's because

of the glory hunger

that exists

in the human soul.

We, all of us,

are created

for glory

and there is this,

as it were,

this gap in the soul,

this emptiness,

this lack of glory

and we're hungry

for it.

But what we do

is we decide

that the glory

of the rich

in this life

is enough for us

and we settle

for so little

when we do that.

Because whatever glory

that is,

it's always fleeting,

it's always dissatisfying,

the pleasures

always come

and they go.

And when Christians

do this,

when we seek

the approval

of the influential

and the rich,

what we're doing,

we do that

because we've diminished

or we've forgotten

the glory of Christ.

You know,

if we really grasp,

again,

in the deep places

of our heart,

if we really grasp

that there is only

one truly glorious person,

He is absolute beauty,

absolute truth,

absolute goodness,

absolute perfection.

And if we really know

that through the gospel

we aren't merely

associated with Him,

we aren't merely

glory adjacent

in some detached way.

And if we grasp

that we don't merely

follow His example

in our own strength,

but we're united to Him

and we possess

His Holy Spirit,

that changes

just about everything.

It changes how you think

about the very Christian

life itself.

What is the point

of your Christian faith?

What is the point of it?

To glorify God

and enjoy Him forever.

You are Christian

because God saved you

not to live

your best life now,

but to make you

like Christ,

the glorious one,

and to bring you

into a share

of His glory.

And He sends trials

along the way

to ensure

that we get there,

to make us

like Christ,

and in order to get us

to a share

of that glory.

The glory path

that we walk

is a path

that inevitably

requires us

to go through

the same trials

that Jesus endured.

If you want

to be like Jesus,

if you want

to share eternity

with Jesus,

you have to walk

the path

that He walked.

When we see

the glory of Christ,

that He is the glorious one,

it changes the very

Christian life itself,

how we view it.

It especially then

changes also

how you view

other people

in the church.

When you are in Christ,

the glorious one,

you don't need

earthly glory.

Do you know that?

When you have Christ,

you have everything

that you need.

You don't need

earthly glory,

and you see

that your poorer

brothers and sisters

share in that glory

in the same way

that you do,

and you're equal.

Can you see

that Jesus Christ

is the Lord of glory?

And can you see

that all the glory

that you're searching

for in other things

is found in Him?

Unless we are

captivated by Christ's glory,

we will be taken up

by lesser glories.

We'll be sucked in

and seduced

by lesser glories.

I'll be dazzled

by wealth and power

and anything else

that I might be able

to get in on.

Unless I am dazzled

by Christ's glory,

I'll be unimpressed

with you if you can't

meet my glory needs.

If you're not

going to be able

to satisfy the glory

hunger within me,

well, you're no use to me.

And so,

partiality will

inevitably follow.

Lift your gaze

from the petty glories

of this life

and set your mind

and heart

on the glory of Christ.

Fatherhood of God,

the glory of Christ.

And then, thirdly,

James is more explicit

about this,

the judgment to come.

The judgment to come.

While we might make

these judgments

about people now,

that person's impressive,

that person's important,

not so much.

Don't forget that we will

all one day

be judged ourselves.

Look at verse 12.

So speak and so act

as those who are

to be judged

under the law of liberty.

For judgment

is without mercy

to one who has shown

no mercy.

mercy triumphs

over judgment.

The law of liberty

that we have set aside

in our judging

between people

won't be set aside

on the last day

when it is God's turn

to judge us.

When it's not you

standing at the door

of the church

making your judgment,

oh, impressive,

come and sit here,

lovely,

let me get you

a cup of tea,

but it's God

standing at the door

of heaven

as you approach.

As you approach

holding the two tablets

of the law

cracked apart

because you refuse

to love your neighbor

as yourself.

That's all of us.

That's all of us.

What are we hoping for

at that moment?

What do we need

at that moment?

What we need

is mercy.

And we will plead,

Lord,

have mercy on me.

And you know

how God will reply?

You want mercy?

How much mercy

did you show

to the people

who needed it from you?

The poor man,

the homeless,

the person

who could do

nothing for you.

Did you give them

time and care?

James reminds us

that a day is coming

and if we don't show mercy

to those around us now,

don't expect to get it

then from God.

God,

it is a very solemn warning.

It's not just that

you're shortchanging

yourself then

if you choose

to pursue the favor

of the rich

and the powerful

for what they can give you

in this life,

but you're doing

a terrible deal

with eternity.

But,

it's not the last word,

is it?

Look at verse 13.

It is incredibly

convicting,

but it's not the last word.

James also reminds us

that in Christ,

mercy triumphs

over judgment.

Because God is merciful,

we should be merciful.

Yes, we should,

but we hear the challenge.

But when we sense

the fact that we have

failed there,

we don't despair

because the one

who demands mercy

has also shown mercy.

Here's the thing

to go away with

this morning.

For disciples of the Lord Jesus,

God's mercy

is always the last word.

Mercy triumphs

over judgment.

The pursuit

of wealth and power

do not accomplish

the work of God.

The pursuit of wealth

and power

do not accomplish

the work of God,

either in our lives,

in the church,

or in the culture.

But a deep knowledge

of the fatherhood of God,

the glory of Christ,

and the judgment to come

will change us.

It will.

It will change us.

It will change

our relationship

to earthly glory,

and it will change

how we view others

in the church.

So, may God help us.

Let's pray together.

Let's pray together.