Favoritism Forbidden: James 2:13-13,17

 

Primary Scripture References: James 2:1-13,17
Supporting Scriptures: Philippians 2:3-4, 1 John 3:18, Matthew 7:16, Proverbs 20:11, Proverbs 16:2, Colossians 4:6, and Micah 6:8

Authorship:

·         The author of this book was none other than James, the half-brother of Jesus!

Audience: (vv. 1,5)

·         James is addressing his fellow believers.  

1.       This is very clear. In verses 1 and 5, James deliberately uses the phrase: “My brothers and sisters.”

2.       James is addressing more than a moment; he’s exposing a long-standing issue.

3.       This book was written as Insider correction, to correct wrong behavior, not necessarily to establish doctrine. These doctrines were established originally in the OT, by the law that God gave to the people way back in Exodus via some stone tablets, remember a guy named Moses? Jesus then taught these principles as well, but He made it even easier for us to understand. Remember the two Greatest Commandments in Matthew 22:36-40?

Remember, when something is repeated in the Scriptures like this, it is a pretty good chance that it might be important to the theme being taught!

The Message: (vv. 1-4)

·         James’ message is crystal clear: Favoritism is SIN! (vv. 1-4)

1.       James provides us with an illustration, from the Old Testament times, through New Testament times, the tradition was that the rich (and powerful) were honored or veneration. The poor, in contrast, were humiliated.

2.       This involved judging others with evil thoughts.

3.       This brings us to a cultural note that I will touch on more in a minute: paid, or preferred seating.

4.       Favoritism is sin, not social awkwardness.

God’s Perspective: (vv. 5-7)

1.       God chooses the poor to be right in faith.

2.       Heirs of the kingdom.

3.       Wealth ≠ spiritual value.

4.       The World’s values are not revered in God’s kingdom.

Unity of the Law: (vv. 10-11)

1.      Objection addressed: keeping most of the law.

2.      Breaking one command = lawbreaker.

3.      Same God behind every command.

4.      No hierarchy of sins – all need grace!

Law That Gives Freedom: (vv. 12-13)

1.      Speak and act as those judged by the law of freedom

2.      Judgment without mercy vs. mercy triumphing.

3.      Grace: receiving what we don’t deserve.

4.      Mercy: Not receiving what we deserve.

Application:

1.      How do we treat those who can offer nothing in return? Answer: Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others.”

·         This verse is a reminder to prioritize the well-being of others and to act with humility and consideration in our interactions with them.

·         Faith revealed by behavior:

2.      James 2:17 “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

3.      1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.”

4.      Matthew 7:16 “By their fruit you will recognize them. DO people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?”

5.      Proverbs 20:11 “even small children are known by their actions. So is their conduct really pure and upright?”

·         These verses encourage us to live with integrity, compassion, and purpose, and to let our deeds shine. They remind us that our actions are just as important as our beliefs, and that they can impact others and honor God.

Conclusion:

1.      Reject favoritism.

2.      Love your neighbor.

3.      Live transformed by grace.

4.      Let mercy triumph over judgment.

 Until next time, Blessings, You are Loved!

Rev. Michael E. Washburn

 

31 Days of Devotionals Day 6: Faith

 

Day 6 Faith

“Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” -Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

“Without Faith, it is impossible to please God.” -Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

 

Today’s devotion focuses on Faith. If we look at Hebrews chapter 11, we get a good working definition of Faith and the reason we need it. In this chapter, we also have the hall of the “Heroes of the Faith”. These heroes trusted God for the promises that he had given them, starting way back when Abel offered a “more excellent sacrifice” to God than Cain did. Faith is something we believe in and feel in our hearts; more accurately, it is in our minds and our souls. When we learn of the promises of God, the Holy Spirit of God convicts us of our sinful state. We make an active choice to repent (to turn from our sin, do a 180° or about-face to put it into military terminology), or we resist the conviction and prompting of the Holy Spirit, it is essential to note that when we are sinning, if someone points out our sin, this can feel like they are judging us, this is far from the truth. When we see someone sinning, we are absolutely called to present them with the facts that they are doing so, but we are to do so in LOVE. I have often heard people quote Matthew 7:1 to the tune of, 'You are judging me; you aren’t supposed to judge.' Nothing could be further from the truth. We are not to judge, not the person, but their works, their actions, but we must be careful when we do this because we will be judged by whatever standard that we judge their actions, as found in the continuing verses, 2-3. Then we receive a stern warning from Jesus about the consequences of judging without first addressing the sins in our own lives.

We all have a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 says the following: For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Think about this, we go to bed at night and lay our heads on the pillow, we have faith that we will wake up in the morning. We get on an airplane; we have faith that the pilot knows how to fly it, is sober, not on drugs, and can fly us safely from point A to point B. I could go on and on with examples. Hebrews 11 specifically addresses the question of where or whom we put our faith in. Every one of these “Heroes” of the faith put their faith in God and His word, or in Jesus and His Words. If you haven’t already done this, will you do it now? If you have, but you are feeling down and struggling to maintain your faith in Christ, will you renew your commitment to Him, turn away from your sins, and commit to follow Him wherever He leads you?

 

Questions to reflect on:

1.      What or whom have I put my faith in?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.      Am I willing to put or recommit to my faith in Jesus and follow Him wherever He may lead me?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.      If you answered that second question with a yes, jump down to the prayer section immediately, please. If you answered no, what is honestly holding you back? Honestly evaluate your life and list here what it would take you to put your faith in Jesus?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer:

Dear Father God, please help me to commit to following Jesus. I (insert your name here) desire to repent from my sin and put my faith in Jesus's saving name, blood, death, and resurrection. Please give me the strength to take up my cross daily and follow Him. To love you above all and to love my neighbor as myself. If I struggle with self-esteem issues, God, help me to love myself and see myself as you love and see me, for only then, when I love you with all of my heart, strength, soul, and mind, can I love my neighbor as myself. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

 

 

31 Days of Devotions Day 5: Peace

 

Day 5 Peace

2 Thessalonians 3:16 “Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.”

John 16:33“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Matthew 5:9 ”Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Romans 12:18“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

 

Throughout the Scriptures, we see the theme of peace sprinkled everywhere. Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” We find this in the “Beatitudes” in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. The apostle Paul also urges us above in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

What does this mean? Let’s look at the most significant example of peacemaking. In Romans 5:8, Paul states: “But God commandeth His love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners (God’s enemies, because God cannot tolerate sin) Christ died for us.” Talk about the ultimate peacemaker! Sin requires payment. God is a God of justice; this isn’t fairness. What would be fair is the penalty of death for sin. That is what God told Adam and Eve would happen if they disobeyed and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree. Death does occur due to that. But before that, it is evident that death was not part of the plan. Death entered the world through the sin of disobedience, which stems from the sin of Pride (this was the original sin in the Bible, remember in Isaiah when it talks about Lucifer and the angels that followed him, their fall was due to his pride and wanting to elevate himself to the status of God. “I will be like the Most High,” he said. He then tempted man in the garden, paraphrasing here: "God knows that in the day you eat of it, you will be like God… sounds pretty similar, huh?"

There are two types of death. Physical death was never part of God’s plan, nor was sickness; these are the consequences of sin. But there is also eternal death. God intended us to live forever with Him. Eternal death is the ultimate death. You will be alive for eternity either way, but eternal death is complete separation from God and everything and everyone you love. Forever. God offered us another way to attain life eternal because while we were His enemies, God, in the form of Jesus, stepped down and lived sinlessly, although He was tempted in every way we were as humans, and took the penalty of sin away. He died (and then rose again, conquering death, hell, and sin) so that if we repent and choose to follow Him, we can be at one with the Father. He At-Oned us with the Father. Peacemaking requires looking for commonalities (common ground) and building on them. This is NOT the same as Peacekeeping, or keeping the peace at any cost (often to your own detriment). Not that peacekeeping isn’t essential, it is, but you must be careful with Peacekeeping to not become a “Doormat”.

 

Questions to reflect on:

1.     Am I at peace with God, or am I still His enemy? If you aren’t sure, think about the prayer at the end of this section and pray it. You can be at peace (At-One with God) through Jesus' perfect sacrifice. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.  How can I find common ground with my “enemies”? What are some things that I can use to build on that have value to each of us? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

3.    Am I willing to commit to being a “Peacemaker” as described in Romans 5:8 and 12:18 so that I can be a “Child of God” as described in Matthew 5:9? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Prayer:

Dear Father God, please help me to be a peacemaker and at peace with all men. But firstly, I desire peace with you. I thank you for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. I repent of my sin and ask Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of my life. Help me follow Jesus more and more each day so that people will see the love and peace you bring, know that I am a child of God, see the difference between me and the world, and ask me how to get what you have given me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

31 Days of Devotions Day 4: Contentment

 

Day 4 Contentment

 

Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased (made low), and I know how to abound (prosper): everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.”

 

This is a very interesting passage, as far as I am concerned, because of where the Apostle Paul was when he wrote it. As I said in part one, I grew up as a follower of Christ from a very young age, learning these principles and walking in them consistently until I was 17 and graduated from High School. But it wasn’t until I went through all of the trials in part one that I fully appreciated what Paul was saying here and the significance of where he was writing from. During the six months I was incarcerated in 2002-2003, God taught me what Paul meant by being content no matter what situation he found himself in. It is of great significance to me because Paul wrote this passage while in prison! How fitting that God should allow me to relearn this lesson in contentment when I was in a very similar place to Paul's. Since then, God has used the various circumstances in my life to teach me and give me the experience that I needed to teach others because I have experienced similar situations in which they find themselves.

 

I can say to them, “I was in a very similar situation; here is what God taught me and how He carried me through those circumstances.” He has given me the experiences so that I can both sympathize and empathize with these people who are hurting and help them realize that when their trust is in Him, they can get through those difficult times. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says this: “There hath no temptation (trial) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Many people, well-meaning followers of Christ, I’ve even heard ministers misquote this verse. They often stop after the word able, and make the verse sound like God will not give you more than you can bear, but they are missing the second part of the verse, which is maybe even more important than the first part. God makes a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it. It doesn’t say that God will just eliminate the trial; sometimes we need to go through it so God can use us to help others. It says that we may be able to BEAR IT. God may deliver you from it completely, but be open to letting Him help you to bear that trial.

 

One final verse here, often misinterpreted. Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” In the end, ALL things will work to the good. We may not always see the end result, but it is key to remember that it doesn’t say we will be exalted or even delivered; ALL things will bring glory to God!

 

 

Questions to reflect on:

1.     What does Philippians 4:11-13 mean to me? What am I facing that God could be using to teach me how to be content no matter the circumstances that I find myself in? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

2.      How can I use the trials I have been through and am going through to help others come to Christ by sharing my trials and what I have learned to help them through theirs? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.     Am I willing to commit to submitting to God in these trials and letting Him teach me how to be content no matter what state I find myself in? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Prayer:

Dear Father God, please remind me that when times are tough, or when things are going exceedingly well, to be content wherever I find myself because my joy and contentment are found in you and not my circumstances. Help me use these times, whether times of plenty or times of need, to relate to others, to sympathize and empathize with them, and, most importantly, to share your Good News with them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

31 Days of Devotions Day 3: Joy

 

Day 3 Joy

 

Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines;

The labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD, I WILL JOY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION.”

 

I’m going to be perfectly honest with you: I didn't feel like writing this devotion today. I haven’t had a regular full-time job since the middle of November 2024. I’m working to build my business; I’m Door Dashing and delivering for Uber Eats, Delivering for Grubhub and Instacart, I'm back in school to pursue my permanent licensure with the Wesleyan Church, and I’m volunteering A LOT. I’m doing all of these things and making very little money for doing them. I’m sulking a little bit. I’m running through some of the lies in my head that Satan has tossed out there for my overthinking self to chew on, ruminate over. We talked about some of them on Day 1. There are so many more.

I think back to how I imagine my dad must have felt, a disabled Vietnam Veteran, who was 100% disabled, but only qualified as 70% because of the government “Legalese”. He had to fight for years to get approved as 100% disabled, but even in that, all he wanted to do was to work and provide for his family. It’s hard for anyone, but I think that it is harder for men to be “out of work,” especially when you have others depending on you.

In my sulking and self-pity, I’m violating the things that I taught you just a little bit ago. I’m focusing on happiness rather than the joy that is so crucial to who we are in our salvation through Christ. That joy cannot be stolen; it cannot be quenched IF we put it and our hope in Christ. Let me repeat it: happiness is subjective, joy is not! There are so many verses in the Scripture about hope and joy, in both the Old Testament and New Testament, Philippians 4:4, Romans 12:12, Psalm 118:24. I really could go on and on. I chose the passage above from Habakkuk because it really spoke to me, as did another verse in Habakkuk today. Habakkuk is a book that, in my opinion, gets little notice. It’s a short book; you can read it in one sitting, just three little chapters. Habakkuk is considered a minor prophet, and he plays a significant role in conveying God’s messages and demonstrating unwavering faith and trust in the face of uncertainty. Give it a read, then do an in-depth study.

 

  

 

 

Questions to reflect on:

1.     How does the passage in Habakkuk resonate with me? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.          Do I rejoice in the joy of my salvation, or am I tossed to and fro by the winds of change? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.     Am I willing to commit to studying about where my joy comes from and to ask God to help me be holy and replace my happiness with true joy? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Prayer:

Dear Father God, please remind me daily where my joy is found. Help me to commit to learn to replace my “happiness” with the true joy found in your Son, Jesus. Send others to help me remember this when I am struggling in this area. In Jesus' name, Amen.

31 Days of Devotions Day 2: Hope

Day 2: Hope

Colossians 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Isaiah 40:31“But they that wait (hope) upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Romans 5:1-5 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 

Scripture contains many verses about hope. As I stated on day 1, God desires us to be holy, as He is holy. He doesn’t promise ease when we trust in Jesus; instead, our faith and hope grow through trials. When life is easy, we often overlook our need for God—I did this myself, even as a believer. In my own trials, detailed earlier in this book, I learned to rely on God in both good and bad times. Satan wants us to lose hope because hopelessness makes us vulnerable. Don’t let him steal your hope; keep it firmly in Jesus and His sacrifice.

 

Questions to reflect on:

1.     Am I sure that my hope is in Jesus? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.      

3.     What are some other things that I may have put my hope in that really aren’t secured like my salvation through Jesus? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.      

5.     What are some practical things that I can do to help build my faith? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6.      

 

 

Prayer:

Dear Father God, please remind me daily where my hope comes from. Help me commit to doing things that build my faith so that, during times of trial, I remember that my hope is in Jesus, take those trials and rejoice in them as my hope in Him, and my faith grows. In Jesus' name, Amen.

31 Days of Devotions: Day 1: Happiness vs. Holiness

                                         Day 1: Happiness vs. Holiness

1 Peter 1:15-16 “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

 

The passage above in 1 Peter refers to Leviticus 11:44-45, where God says to the Israelites that God’s people (which includes us, now that we are grafted into the vine) are to reflect God’s character in our lives. We are to be sanctified, which means set apart. This is a command, not a suggestion.

There are many lies out there that Satan uses to keep us from “being holy,” a few that come to mind:

1.     If I’m not happy, then God must not love me. God doesn’t promise us happiness; in fact, quite the opposite. Paul tells us in Philippians 1:29-30 and Romans 8:17 that suffering is a privilege we share with Christ. Happiness is subjective, not objective. Our circumstances can change our happiness. What we should be seeking is Holiness, because Holiness produces Joy. Our joy is found in Christ. We can be joyful in our suffering, no matter what that may be, because our Joy comes from the Lord.

 

1.     My past defines me, and God doesn’t want me if I’m not pure. In John 4:1-17, we find the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. The Jews of Jesus’ time considered Samaritans “Second-Class” citizens. They were the result of Jews breeding with other people groups. This woman was also a prostitute. Jesus stopped, spoke to her, and shared how to have eternal life. Think of other stories, Zacchaeus, a tax collector, and Matthew, a tax collector. These were the lowest of the low. Abhorred by the Jews of Jesus' time. Yet Jesus stopped, made time to care for them, and called them to follow Him. There is nothing that you have done in your past that is irredeemable.

 

1.     I am alone, and I’m the only one who struggles with____. If we look at Hebrews 4:15, we can see that this is simply not true! Jesus was tempted in ALL of the ways that we are tempted. All sin can be classified into three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Jesus had to be tempted with those things, or else how could he be our “Great High Priest” who was tempted and remained sinless to atone for our sins? In Matthew, we see that Jesus' three temptations encompass all sin. Also, remember that in Ecclesiastes 1:9 the Scripture says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

 

1.     I have to be perfect. Remember Paul? You know, the author of the majority of the New Testament? In Romans 7:18-20, he says this: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

 

Scripture includes examples where followers of Christ did evil things, such as King David, who committed adultery and arranged a murder to cover it up. Yet, God called him a man after His own heart because David genuinely repented and asked for forgiveness. This shows that Jesus' sacrifice is not a free pass to sin. Instead, when you repent, ask for forgiveness, and turn your life over to Christ, God no longer sees your sin—He sees the righteousness of Christ.

 

These are just a few of the lies Satan tells us, which we readily believe. I would even venture to say that we want to believe them because God’s love and free gift could never be free. That’s too simple, right? Wrong. Ephesians 2:8-9 has this to say: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not that of yourselves: it is the (Free) gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (emphasis mine) It is free to us, but it isn’t free. Jesus gave His life to pay the cost of our sins.

 

 

We often mistake happiness for the solution, but happiness is temporary, disappearing as soon as circumstances or the weather change. In contrast, joy comes from holiness, from being set apart, and from understanding that, unlike happiness, your joy cannot be stolen. Our joy is rooted only in Jesus.

 

Questions to reflect on:

1.     If God sees me as perfect because He created me, and He sees Christ when He looks at me, who am I to see me any differently? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.      

3.     What lies does Satan tell about me that I believe and tell myself? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.     Can I commit to giving myself positive affirmations every morning? Many are in scripture. Write them on 3x5 cards or in a small notebook. When negative thoughts creep in, read and say them aloud. A friend once suggested writing a simple prayer on a card to stick on my mirror so I could pray it while getting ready for the day:

“God, please help me to see myself the way you see me, please help me to love myself the way you love me.” I did this every day for I don’t even know how long and guess what: I don’t have to read it anymore. It immediately pops into my mind when I get up, and when I’m struggling, my thoughts turn to that prayer to God.

 

 

Prayer:

Dear Father God, please help me to resist the lies of the devil. Please help me see myself the way you see me and help me love myself the way you love me. In Jesus' name, Amen.