So
what does “partiality” mean? To be
“partial”, according to Webster’s, means a person is “inclined to favor one
party more than the other”:
This
is such a serious issue because, when one really digs down to consider all that
is implicated in the study of this issue, the way we are about this is a direct
reflection of the nature of our hearts.
Let that sink in a second. Favortism is really quite vile in the eyes of God.
James 2:1-13 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious
Lord Jesus Christ must not show favortism.
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. 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,” have you not
discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 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? But you have
dishonored the poor. It is not the rich
who are exploiting you? Are they not the
ones who are dragging you into court?
Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom
you belong? If you really keep the royal
law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing
right. But if you show favortism, you
sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
There
is a serious sin problem with favortism and it is this: in God’s eyes, there is immeasurable value in
the soul of every human born (and the souls of the unborn, I might add..) since
the beginning of creation. The
scriptures tell us that. We are God’s
crowning creation achievement!
There
is no scripture in the Bible - so far as I can tell - that supports the notion
that God places a higher value on the souls of some men than He does
others. To the contrary, the Bible says
in Acts 10:34 that “God
is no respecter of persons”.
Here
are three reasons that favoritism is wrong and does immeasurable harm to the Church
of God:
1. It
shows the greed and arrogance of our own heart.
After all, why do we show favoritism?
Don’t we place one person in an exalted position in our outlook because
we may (even subconsciously) be considering what they could do for us – or how
we could benefit by being in their favor?
2. It flies in the face of God’s Gospel,
which places an immeasurable value on every human soul. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten
son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.” Whosoever means anyone. There
is no room for favoritism in God’s Gospel.
3. It shatters our testimony and grieves the
Holy Spirit. How could we ever be used
as a tool in leading anyone to Christ if we would walk past a person the world
would see as insignificant to “minister” to another? God would never bless a person’s ministry if
their heart was geared this way.
How many people have abandoned the
faith because they were victim to the evils of favoritism? They might have tattoos,
body piercings, they didn’t have nice clothes, perhaps their shoes weren’t
shined bright enough, their vocabulary wasn’t polished and they didn’t have a
formal education. They went home lost
and confused because the Gospel they heard from the pulpit didn’t align with
the gospel they experienced.
Please forgive ME if I have ever treated you in a way
that caused you to think I valued you or loved you less than I did someone
else. You are so valuable to the God of
this universe. If you’re already
trusting in Jesus for salvation, I pray hard that you might self-assess in this
area. If you’ve ever been guilty of favoritism,
ask for forgiveness and ask God to help you, by the work of the Holy Spirit, to
approach every person with the love of God.
If you’ve never asked Jesus to come into your life and save you, I plead
with you to do that today. Click here to learn how you can give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't it time? http://www.theencouragingword.org/discover-jesus
Rudy
