260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 219 - James 2: Favoritism & Genuine Faith

James is in our face with two topics in chapter 2: Favoring some people over others and how works demonstrate true faith. 1-13: I don’t know about you, but if the events of theses few verses actually occurred in our church, I’d be furious! Maybe it’s because I have been that shabby clothed, poor outcast. Maybe it’s because I work with students and they always seem to get blamed for whatever is broken or stolen. Maybe it’s because deep down, I know that I too show favoritism at times…….ouch! If we’re honest, all of us are prone to partiality. Maybe it doesn’t look like these verses, but we do it. Maybe for us it’s the tendency to go talk with the good looking or funny or athletic person, instead of the plain or overweight or depressed person that requires a lot of maintenance. Maybe it’s not confronting someone in sin because they are your boss or in the church because they give a lot. Maybe it’s planting a church in an affluent neighborhood because you know they can financially help instead of planting a church in a poor area of town because it can drain resources – yet both need Jesus. Whatever the scenario, James (actually GOD) says it’s wrong! Why? Because it causes us to make unfair, inappropriate judgments on people; “have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” Instead, we are to “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” Yikes! 14-26: These next few verses have often been used to say that the Bible contradicts itself. Paul says Christians are saved by grace thru faith, not works, and here it seems like James says it’s works. WRONG!~ Paul and James do not disagree. Paul is speaking of salvation, what it takes to be made right with God – by grace thru faith alone. Here, James is dealing with sanctification, how a person lives out their faith. To explain this he uses Abraham and reminds us, “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” Deeds are not what makes a person right with God but are a natural by-product of a person who HAS a relationship with Jesus! It can’t be just intellectual: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” SO WHAT?! *Who do you tend to favor? Come on, who is it? Will you ask God TODAY to help you quit doing that?! Ask Him also to remind us that we are no better than anyone else. And hey, I’ll do the same! *What makes a person right with God? GREAT question! What makes you or I right with God? It’s easy to get saved by grace and then try to keep up the relationship by works. Don’t do it. ALWAYS remember that our acceptance before God is never based on our performance! But that what we DO is just a “Thank You” back to God for all He’s done for us! Lord help our lives to be thank you letters back to You – today and every day!