Am I guilty of personal favoritism?
Yesterday
We began LOOKING at James 2:1-13.
Today
We want to LOOK a little closer, zooming in on just verse 1.
Open GODcha to the Book of James.
NOTE:
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Or, you can use your hardbound Bibles and follow along.
You can print off this post and put in a Notebook!
Let’s Go to the Lord in Prayer
O Lord, we come today hungry, humble and needy. Take our hearts and soften them to peel away indifference and apathy. May we see You today for who You are, and see ourselves. May we be changed, and live accordingly. Thank you!
Let’s LOOK at What God Says
Go to GODcha
Let it’s Road Signs lead and guide you.
Where will you begin?
It’s always best to begin LOOKING by reading!
READ God’s Word
Read James 2:1-13 again asking the 5W’s and H.
Keep in mind, you are training yourself in this critical skill.
What’s the CONTEXT? How do these verses connect with the end of Chapter 1?
Let’s jump in to James 2:1 and see what we are to ‘do’ to be a ‘doer of the Word’.
What does James warn?
Who is our faith in?
How is Jesus described?
Unlock the Meaning 
What Words are 
Key to this verse?
Let’s unlock Faith, God, Jesus, and Favoritism.
Why don’t we look at each one separately.
Understand the Words God Uses
Check Out the Meaning
What is ‘faith’?
Do you remember we looked at ‘faith’ back in James 1:3?
Trials Test Our Faith Part 3 >
Do the 3C’s ring a bell?
There are 3 Vital Elements to Faith:
Conviction,
Commitment, and
a Conduct that gives evidence to that Conviction and Commitment.
We saw: True faith not only believes, it behaves!
TIP: Don’t forget to take the definitions back to the text, to see what it means in its context.
1 “My brethren, do not hold your faith [conviction, commitment, and conduct] in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.”
We see: Our faith is in Jesus!
Let Truth Explain Truth About 
Faith
CR-Cross References-Word Search Tutorial >
And as we LOOK at these Cross References,
Hear God Speak!
God Talks – We listen carefully.
We Talk – and He listens.
THINK and REASON by asking the 5w’s and h.
What is the result of our faith?
a. If we believe, have faith in Jesus, the Son, we will not perish but have eternal life. (Joh 3:16)
NOTE: Jesus is talking to Nicodemus who was locked in unbelief and ignorant to the Truth.
b. It is by grace through faith we are saved, not of ourselves, or our works. (Eph 2:8-9)
NOTE: The context of these verses is that believers, those now in Christ, had been dead. (Eph 2:1-4)
Understand: It is not about being bad and made good! No, it is about being dead and made alive! (Eph 2:5-7)
Remember . . .
Respond to God!
LISTEN. . .
What might the Spirit be asking?
Am I locked in unbelief, ignorant of the Truth?
Am I among the walking dead, depending on works for my salvation?
Or, do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Lord, the Messiah?
When did I look to Christ, in faith, and receive salvation and eternal life?
Respond to God. . .LIVE it out!
Now, let’s keep LOOKING.
What does James call his own brother?
Our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
Understand the Words God Uses
Check Out the Meaning
Lord, kúrios; supreme in authority, controller; master, owner.
Jesus, Iēsoús; Savior.
Christ, Christós; anointed, the Messiah.
Glorious, dóxa; is the true apprehension of God. The glory of God must mean His unchanging essence. Giving glory to God is ascribing to Him His full recognition.
Favoritism, prosōpolēpsía; A respecting of persons, partiality, favoritism (Ro 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; Jas 2:1).
TIP: Don’t forget to take the definitions back to the text, to see what it means in its context.
Let Truth Explain Truth About
God, Jesus, Glorious, Favoritism
And Hear God Speak!
THINK and REASON by asking the 5w’s and h.
1. To understand James, what does John say about Jesus?
JESUS came as God in the flesh, glory veiled in flesh. (Joh 1:14).
Understand: JESUS is the glory of God.
2. Where is the glory of God?
a. Christ, the glory of God: IS IN those who hold their faith in Jesus. (Col 1:27)
b. The Whole Godhead: IS IN those of faith. (Col 2:9)
c. Each Believer’s Body: is a temple of the Holy Spirit who IS IN those of the faith, glorifying God in their bodies. (1Co 6:19-20)
d. The Church (God’s household): is being built into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:21-20)
We see: The Glory of God IS IN every believer.
We see: The entire Godhead IS IN every believer, thus we are to be like Jesus glorifying God in our bodies by NOT showing partiality!
LISTEN…
Is the very God of glory in me?
If so, am I glorifying God in my body by not having an attitude of favoritism?
Respond to God. . .LIVE it out!
3. Now, what do you learn about God and Jesus with regards to partiality?
a. God is the God of gods, Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does NOT show partiality nor take a bribe. (Deut 10:17)
b. God does NOT look at the outward appearance, but looks at the heart. (1Sa 16:7)
c. There is NO partiality with God. (Rom 2:11)
d. Jesus was NOT partial to any. (Mat 22:16)
We see: God and Jesus show NO partiality toward any of us!
4. What then is true of those whose faith is in Jesus?
a. Do no injustice in judgment; you shall NOT be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly. (Lev 19:15)
This is a command!
b. To show partiality in judgment is NOT good. (Pro 24:23)
c. NOT to judge by appearance, but make a right judgment. (Joh 7:24)
This is a command!
d. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. (Phil 2:3)
e. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. (1Ti 5:21)
We see: To show partiality contradicts God’s heart.
Understand: We are to receive others as God received us, showing NO partiality!
LISTEN…
Am I claiming to hold to a faith in the glorious Lord Jesus, who shows no partiality, but I am guilty of practicing partiality?
Why do I base a person’s worth on the basis of their race, clothing, money, education, and/or position?
What must I do to not be bias and regard others as more important than myself?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
What Did We LEARN?
Let’s Sum It Up!
We LEARN:
How We React to People is a Test.
We LEARN:
Our faith is in the glorious Lord (Master), Jesus (Savior).
Jesus is glorious because He is the glory of God.
We LEARN:
Because God does NOT show partiality.
Then, Jesus, the glory of God, does NOT show partiality.
Because the whole deity, who does NOT show partiality, resides in those who hold their faith in Jesus,
Then, we of faith:
Are NOT to have an attitude of favoritism.
Are NOT to be partial to anyone.
Understand: we all, who are imperfect and different, are not separated by age, status, or color because we all share the glory of God, the glory of an impartial God and Savior.
We see: Showing favoritism does not line up with one who holds their faith in Jesus.
There is NO Hurry
To Race Through God’s Word to Us!
Your goal is not to get through a passage(s), but rather to engage with God, hear Him speak to you!
You don’t want to miss what God is:
showing you,
teaching you,
desiring of you.
Remember He is speaking to you through His Word by His Spirit, wanting to reveal much to you.
Let’s Call It a Day
Meditate today on all God has shown you about Himself, His ways, and Jesus, and NOT showing partiality.
How has God stirred your heart today?
How has God corrected your thinking?
Journal Your Discovery in Your Notes
Record your discovery in your notes and your hardbound Bibles!
Don’t forget to add these truths about God and Jesus, to your List.
Video Tutorial> Notes Tutorial >
Turn What You Learned into Prayer
Perhaps….
GLORIOUS FATHER IN HEAVEN, we bow before You and praise You. We are so grateful that You loved us and sent Your Son, our glorious Lord Jesus, the Lord of Glory. Oh Father, God of gods, Lord of lords, the Great, the Mighty, and the Awesome God, we are ever so grateful that You, and You, beloved Jesus, did not show partiality toward us! Father, may we truly understand that You are not partial when it comes to our salvation, our nationality, or our social differences. You bring us all to a level playing field, looking at our hearts. Knowing You want us to examine ourselves to see if our faith is the real deal, may we understand that how we react to others and treat them is a test. May we be willing to admit if we are guilty of this attitude of favoritism. Father, work in my heart, all of our hearts, that we would not regard precious ones better than others for any external reason. Oh Father, may You make those of us who believe, who have the whole deity dwelling within us, more like Jesus in whose name we ask these things. Amen!
I am so proud of you, for you are doing the one thing that is necessary, learning to sit at the feet of Jesus, in His presence, listening to what He has to say to you!
GODchats posts 3 to 4x a week to give you time to sit at the feet of Jesus and not be rushed.
Please know that God established a pattern for mankind, and that pattern is that we work six days and then we have one day when we set it aside to rest, and replenish our body, and focus on worshiping God. Rest tomorrow and worship God!
See you in a couple of days: To continue LOOKING @ James 2:1-13.
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