James (series 4): Prejudice Is A Sin!

Prejudice is a Sin!Prejudice is a Sin!

Speaker: Doug Humphrey Senior PastorSpeaker: Doug Humphrey Senior Pastor

Mohandas GandhiMohandas Gandhi

Prejudice is a Sin!Prejudice is a Sin!

Speaker: Doug Humphrey Senior PastorSpeaker: Doug Humphrey Senior Pastor

1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”

4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

I. Avoid showing personal favoritism. (1-4)

1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

Favoritism

προσωπολημψία: “to receive by face”

Favoritism

προσωπολημψία: “to receive by face”

• Romans 2:11

• Ephesians 6:9

• Colossians 3:25

2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

Matthew 23:5-6

5 Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels of their prayer shawls long;

6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the market places and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’.

4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

Potential Areas of Prejudice

• Race

• Gender

• Economic attainment

• Educational background

• Geography

• Dress

Potential Areas of Prejudice

• Accent

• Relative Attractiveness

• Occupation

4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

II. Realize that prejudice is wrong for at least three reasons. (5-11)

A. Prejudice is inconsistent with

God’s methods. (5)

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

B. Prejudice ignores the universality of man’s sin. (6-7)

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

Romans 3:10-12

10 There is no one righteous, not even one;

11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one.

Romans 3:23

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...

C. Prejudice is inconsistent with God’s Word. (8-11)

8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

Prejudice

1. Is inconsistent with God’s methods.

2. Ignores the universality of man’s sin.

3. Is inconsistent with Scripture.

III. Live in light of divine judgment. (12-13)

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

John 5:24

24 Truly, Truly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes Him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Two Major Judgments

1. The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15)

2. The Judgment Seat of Christ

(1 Corinthians 3:1-15)

Three Key Passages

• Romans 14:10-12

• 1 Corinthians 3:1-15

• 2 Corinthians 5:10

2 Corinthians 5

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Four Areas of Evaluation

• Our deeds

• Our faithfulness

• Our words

• Our motives

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

We can store up compassion for the future by showing compassion to others today!

Application/Challenge

Be a doer of the word by extending God’s love and mercy to everyone. Avoid the sin of prejudice.

Application/Challenge

1. Identify the one area in which you are most prone to prejudice.

2. Admit to God that this prejudicial attitude is evil and deserving of God’s judgment. Ask for His forgiveness.

Application/Challenge

3. Determine by God’s grace to avoid all expressions of partiality in the future.

4. Thank God for his unmerited favor toward you.