Real Faith for Real Life Faith Service Worship Vision
There may be times when you find it difficult to reconcile God’s truth to your own opinion or worldview, God’s truth is eternal, it does not change, our understanding of the truth does change as we allow God to work in our hearts and minds. These sessions are not about opinion, they are about learning truth, the truth contained in the Bible, together we are going to focus on how we apply God’s truth, black & white in a grey world. To set godly priorities, grow in Christian character and live according to God’s standards so that we are a living witness to others. Notes from previous sessions are available from the Bible Study Section of www.ashingdonelim.co.uk.
Session 4
10 May 2011
Don’t Play Favourites James 2:1-13 What is your favourite? People have a lot of favourites. We have favourite foods, and activities and tv shows and movies. We even have favourite people. In the world, people are often treated differently based on external factors, who you know, how rich you are, what you are wearing, what you look like. This is something that is hurtful to individual people, when a decision about how a person is being treated is being made on such superficial grounds. And while this does go on in the world, it doesn’t make it right and it is something that should never go on in the church. In this study we are continuing our series Real Faith for Real Life as we work through the book of James and we are going to see that: n
a real faith treats others as we would like to be treated and
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a real faith lives in light of the incredible mercy we have been shown.
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If 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,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 1
Listen, 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? 6 But you have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? 5
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For 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. 8
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:1-13 12
James begins by addressing a problem that is going on in the early church that people are selecting favourites in regards to who is coming into the church. It is important to understand what James means when he talks about favouritism.
What does it mean to play favourites? We need to read Scripture in light of other Scripture because sometimes, we misunderstand what is being said.
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