James 2:1-4 - Good Deeds - Holiness

“My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?  For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?” (James 2:1-4)

Well, this is about as hard a passage as you will find in Scripture.  It is hard because it shows God’s never-changing standard of justice and our Father’s command for holiness in personal conduct.  And, frankly, it calls out what fools and frauds we can be.  James was calling out the evil partiality of the ancient churchman and he just as much can call out the same today.

What does God think of the poor?  God chose them to be rich in faith (2:5).  The poor will inherit the Kingdom God promised to those who love Him.  Yet when we favour the rich we dishonor those people Almighty God honors.  Oh, sure, we can make up all sorts of justifications for this, but I suggest we let this Scripture transform our hearts and align us with God’s will.

We are to treat rich and poor without favoritism, to give honor where due in conformity to God’s standard.  God never changes, nor do His principles of holiness.  As God told His people through Moses in ancient times, we are to always judge people fairly, never favouring the poor or giving partiality to the rich (Leviticus 19:15).

James reminds us of God’s principles of holiness in personal conduct.  We must not take our freedom in Christ as a license to strut like a rooster and sin like a sailor.  We are free to go and sin no more.  I ask you this in all seriousness.  Yes, of course, Jesus fulfilled all the laws and we now have the law of Christ written on our hearts.  But has God changed?  Do God’s principles and standards of holy conduct in Leviticus 19 or Exodus 20 change?  Is what was once detestable in the sight of God (the love of money, greed, favoritism, sexual immorality, and treating people without love) now acceptable in God’s sight?

I humbly contend this with no claim to special ability other than my trust in my Saviour: We must put our faith into good deeds and holiness, as James challenges us to do.  We must never nurse hatred in our hearts for any of our family members.  Nor may we seek revenge or bear a grudge against a brother or sister in Christ.  Instead, we must love each other - loving our neighbours as ourselves.

God sees what we brag about.  And whether we care for the poor and if we are truly generous.  Whether we love the standards of the world.  If we love to be entertained and wield Scripture as a weapon against righteousness and holiness to support control structures rather than fear God and His standards.  Rather than yield to others as commanded by Jesus, do we step on others?

        God has no problem seeing and knowing the hearts of men.  He hears your claims and your justification to favor the rich and to marginalize what He honors.  He has no problem translating our Christianese.  We look down our noses at those who are different than us, less fortunate.  May that type of behavior stop and may the Church glorify God in all she does.

I have no special knowledge of God nor do I claim I'm better than anyone.  I know I'm not.  I am just a farm boy from Saskatchewan, blessed by God to know Him and trust Him.  I believe the Holy Spirit, God Himself, inspired Jesus' little brother to write this Scripture to have faith and to command the Church to trust Jesus more in a way that pleases God.  James tells us that there is pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father.  It means caring for orphans and widows in distress.  It means refusing to let the world corrupt us.  It means loving all people regardless of how they look or what they have or can do for us.  It means bearing the noble name of Jesus Christ and honoring Him by holy conduct following the principles of Scripture - not the principles of this world.  Living our faith with good deeds.  Forgiving others.  Confronting others directly.  Showing mercy in our deeds and in our hearts.  Truly forgiving others and holding no grudge, nursing no hatred.  It means remembering that we are sinners saved only by Jesus Christ.  He alone is our Judge and we stand before Him on a day that is to come for certain: judgment day.  We are to remind each other daily what disappears and what lasts forever - store up treasure in heaven!  Our lives disappear, like the morning fog.  Like the little flower that droops and falls.

But God’s promise stands.  God’s word and His people, new creations in a new earth and new heaven that will last forever.  God’s standards of holiness last forever.

On the Day, the Day that matters most, the Day of the King’s return, we will all be judged by Christ Jesus.  We all hope for and expect grace and mercy from our King.  Here our King tells us that we may be asked a relevant and determinative question: were you merciful to others?

Lord Jesus, please help us to patiently endure testing and temptation.  Please help us to refuse to let the world corrupt us.  Please help us to better understand your standards of holiness and help us to love right living, good living, godly living.  We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  May the church be pure and genuine and good, full of good deeds motivated by love and faith in Christ.  Amen.

Solomon and Abraham (Abe is off to Europe for a five-week adventure!)