Talk

Faith and Favoritism

Ben Stuart
October 20, 2019

Ben Stuart continues our collection, This Changes Everything, and walks us through what James has to say about partiality and favoritism in the church. For followers of Jesus, God has changed us from the inside out, and it changes how we treat people!

Scripture References

48
But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
17“ ‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.
18“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the
Lord
.
33
“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
12My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
1My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.
3If 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,”
4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, 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?
6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
7Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.