Skip to main content

James 2:1

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.
(NIV)
Simple enough, right?

There are some people who would not say that favoritism is a struggle at all. There are others who would say that they struggle with it all of the time. The need here is to be honest with yourself.

Do you show favoritism?

Strong's Concordance defines this word in this way:

he fault of one who when called on to give judgment has respect of the outward circumstances of man and not to their intrinsic merits, and so prefers, as the more worthy, one who is rich, high born, or powerful, to another who does not have these qualities

I would also like to point out that the verse states, "...as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ..." Favoritism and true faith don't go together. The New American Standard puts it this way:

"...do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism."

In the original greek, that idea is definitely there. It is not a simple, don't show favoritism... It is a, BECAUSE you have FAITH... Don't show favoritism. This goes along with so much that James is supporting with his connection of True Faith and Your Life!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hebrews 11:23

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. (NIV) My first thought when I read this was, "Well, what parent doesn't think that?" Most parents think that their child is no ordinary child those first three months. I know that I still think of my two boys as extraordinary. I know that the creator God has designed them in a unique way. I know that they have talents that have been given to them to serve the King. I may not get the chance to see my son stand toe to toe with a pharaoh of Egypt or call down plagues, but I do think that I will get the chance to see them serve their purpose. I also want to point out that Moses' parents hid him for those three months. They didn't flaunt him, the chose a course of action that was very practical. Some would have you think that if it isn't flamboyant and take unnecessary risks, then it isn't fai...

Psalm 139:17-18

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. (ESV) Saying that God's thoughts are precious is a two fold statement.   First, it is a statement of reality.  For David, God's thoughts had become precious becaus he was beginning to understand what God was thinking about.   Second, it is a statement of theory.  God's thoughts should be precious to us.  We should begin to put  a high priority on what God is thinking about us.  So, we begin to think of God's thoughts the way we should, which will lead us to a better understanding of reality.

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (NIV) The husband's role is to love the wife. The degree, or the measure, of this love is comparable to Christ's love for the church. To get a demonstration of the extent of Christ's love for the church, simply look at the cross. This is a great love, it is a sacrificial love, and it is a love that holds no room for selfishness. I am fighting the urge to elaborate, but I believe that if a man really looks to the cross, my elaborations will seem trivial. The man who seeks to love their wife the way Christ loved the church must be calling on Christ daily for His grace. He is the only originator of this kind of love. If you are a husband, look to the cross today. Compare your love... not to the bad husbands of the world, compare your love to Christ and what He did on the cross. Then call on Him to enable you to live that kind of love.