With Respect of Persons – James 2:1 (Part 2)

Weekly Sermon

This sermon is a companion to a previous sermon:  With Respect of Persons - James 2:1 (Part 1)      

James 2:1 reads, “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” 

James 2:1 opens the sixth paragraph of this epistle with a direct and distinct prohibition against showing “respect of persons.”  As such, this prohibition establishes the contextual setting for the rest of the paragraph.  Grammatically, this verse presents a Biblical imperative for our daily Christian walk.  Furthermore, this Biblical imperative can be divided grammatically into four parts.  First, there is the direct address of loving concern for our daily Christian walk – “My brethren.”  Second, there is the main clause of spiritual caution for our daily Christian walk – “Have not the faith.”  Third, there is the prepositional phrase concerning the established center for our daily Christian walk – “Of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”  Finally, there is the prepositional phrase concerning the forbidden characteristic in our daily Christian walk – “With respect of persons.”  In the part of the message, we considered the first two of these truths.  Now, in this second part of the message, we shall consider the latter two of these truths.

The Spiritual Caution for Our Daily Christian Walk

In returning unto James 2:1, the spiritual caution for our daily Christian walk is delivered in the imperative of the main clause, “Have not the faith.”  This main clause is then modified grammatically by the prepositional phrase, “With respect of persons.”  Herein the verb “have” indicates a matter of daily activity.  Thus we understand that this main clause is referring to our daily Christian walk of faith.  Herein also the preposition “with” indicates a joining and unifying of two things.  Thus we are cautioned and commanded never to join the ungodly characteristic of showing respect to persons with our daily Christian walk of faith in our Lord.  As we have already learned, the ungodly practice of showing respect to persons by definition requires that we be focusing our attention upon the external considerations and appearances of this world.  Yet our daily Christian walk is to be a walk “by faith,” and “not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)  Thus our daily Christian walk of faith by definition requires that we be focusing our attention upon the spiritual considerations and interests of our Lord.  Even so, the ungodly practice of showing respect to persons and the godly walk of faith in our Lord, by definition in each case, are found to be completely in-consistent with one another.  The ungodly characteristic of showing respect to persons is all about “sight;” whereas the godly walk of faith in our Lord is all about “faith.”  Indeed, these two paths of life are so completely contradictory to one another that it is spiritually impossible to join the one with the other.  Whenever the spirit of partiality takes hold of our hearts, the spirit of faith is cast aside.  Yea, whenever we yield ourselves to the ungodly characteristic of showing respect to persons, we must turn aside from the godly walk of faith in and fellowship with our Lord.  These two elements cannot actually reside together in our hearts and lives.  Thus we are spiritually cautioned and commanded against ever at-tempting to join the ungodly practice of showing partiality with our daily Christian walk of faith.

The Established Center for Our Daily Christian Walk

Yet as James 2:1 delivers this spiritual caution for our daily Christian walk of faith, it places great emphasis upon the focus of our faith when it modifies the word “faith” with the prepositional phrase, “Of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”  Indeed, our Christian walk of faith is a walk that is wholly related to and rooted in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is the established center for our daily Christian walk of faith.  We walk by a faith that is centered in and upon Him.  “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing [that is – believing with faith in and upon Him], ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1 Peter 1:8)  Now, recognizing that in the original Greek the phrase, “with respect of persons,” is located at the beginning of this statement, we also recognize that the description of our Lord Jesus Christ as “the Lord of glory” is located at the end of this statement.  As such, this descriptive of our Lord is also in a place of emphasis, such that this emphasis upon our Lord Jesus Christ as “the Lord of glory” is set in direct contrast to the emphasis upon the ungodly characteristic of showing respect to persons.  The spirit of partiality is focused upon the glitter and glamour of this world; whereas the spirit of faith is focused upon the gloriousness and greatness of our Lord.  Even so, when our hearts are gripped with the all-surpassing glory of our majestically glorious Lord, the external, superficial considerations of this world that move us to the practice of respecting persons will have no influence upon our hearts.  On the other hand, when our hearts are being attracted and impressed by the external, superficial considerations of this world that move us to the practice of respecting persons, it reveals that we have developed a disregard and a dishonor for the all-surpassing glory of our Lord.  Oh, how great an offense against our glorious Lord it is when we are more attracted and im-pressed by the glitter and glamour of this world then by His gloriousness and greatness!

So then, our faith in “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory,” should move us to view other individuals, not from the perspective of their advantages in this world, but from the perspective of their relationship to our Lord.  If an individual is an unbeliever, then we should view that individual as one who is spiritual lost in sin’s darkness, just as we were before our faith in Christ for salvation.  Furthermore, we should view that individual as one who greatly needs to hear the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.  We should view that individual as one who greatly needs to come unto repentance and the knowledge of the truth.  We should view that individual as one who greatly needs to place his or her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior.  Indeed, we should view that individual and all such individuals as one for whom Christ died, no matter what that individual’s social status, financial wealth, physical appeal, public popularity, or racial distinction might be.

On the other hand, if an individual is a believer, then we should view that individual as a fellow brother or sister in Christ, as a member in the same spiritual family of God as we are.  We should view that individual as one who possesses the same “common salvation” as we do. (Jude 1:3)  We should view that individual as one who possesses the same eternal redemption, the same eternal salvation, the same eternal life, and the same promise eternal inheritance, as we do.  We should view that individual as one who has obtained “like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:1)  We should view that individual as one of us who have been “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” (1 Corinthians 1:2)  We should view that individual as one of God’s own dear children just as we are, and who thereby is an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ just as we are. (Romans 8:16-17)  Indeed, we should view that individual as one in whom Christ lives, no matter what that individual’s social status, financial wealth, physical appeal, public popularity, or racial distinction might be.  

Posted in Weekly Sermon, James, Sin of Partiality, Walk in Righteousness     

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