Do you show favoritism?



James 2:8-10 (NIV)
“If you really keep the royal law found in scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”

I have heard this in a church, “you wouldn’t give the shirt off of your back for a stranger, like you would for your children.” This is the mindset of the average Christian that I have met. There is favoritism when it comes to yourself, family, and friends over a stranger. Do you put your wants over other’s needs? It does not matter if you go to church every time the door is open, help those in church when they need it, or participate in every church activity. If you show favoritism, to any one person over another, you are guilty of sin.

In God’s eyes, no matter how “small” the sin is, we are equivalent with murderers, adulterers, liars, thieves, homosexuals, and all other sinners. We are quick to look down on those who commit the “bad” sins, and call for them to be punished. We look at the riots, the terrorist attacks and do not see them as individuals who are in need of being saved, we see their actions that are offensive to us and call for justice. We fail to realize that we are all deserving of the same punishment for our sins, Hell.  

The good news, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior? If you have, have you shared the good news with your neighbor, those around you? Are you putting your “embarrassment” of sharing your faith above someone’s need for Christ? Are we showing favoritism towards ourselves, that we are saved from our sin, yet you have not shown the love of Christ to someone you think is a “bad” sinner?

Challenge: Look at all sin equally and realize that every sinner needs the salvation provided by Jesus Christ. Share the good news with someone this week, and put their need of Christ above yourself.

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