Posted on 06/17/2018 5:11:51 PM PDT by metmom
"My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism" (James 2:1).
Because God is impartial, we as Christians must be impartial too.
People are prone to treat others differently based upon external criteria such as looks, possessions, or social status, but God is utterly impartial. He never shows favoritism and always judges righteously.
Favoritism can be defined as a preferential attitude and treatment of a person or group over another having equal claims and rights. It is unjustified partiality. James 2:1-13 confronts it as sin and admonishes us to avoid it at all costs.
God's impartiality is seen throughout Scripture. For example, Moses said to the people of Israel, "The Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt" (Deut. 10:17-19). Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, warned his judges to rule without partiality because God Himself has "no part in unrighteousness, or partiality" (2 Chron. 19:7).
God's impartiality is also seen in His gracious offer of salvation to people of every race. In Acts 10:34-35 Peter says, "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him."
God is also impartial in judgment. Romans 2:9-11 says that God will bring "tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil . . . but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good. For there is no partiality with God."
Our text is a timely admonition because prejudice, discrimination, and bigotry are ever-present evils in our society—both inside and outside the church. I pray that God will use these studies to guard you from favoritism's subtle influences and strengthen your commitment to godly living.
Suggestions for Prayer
Ask God to reveal any partiality you might be harboring. As He does, confess it and turn from it.
For Further Study
Read Ephesians 6:5-9 and 1 Timothy 5:17-21. How does God's impartiality apply to how you should respond to your co- workers and your church leaders?
Studying God’s Word ping
They were just as subject to judgement as Babylonians and Egyptians, and God enacted it when his law was rejected.
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>> “Just like we’re not saved because of anything we’ve done.” <<
That is not what the word says!
Try reading Romans Ch2 or John’s first epistle!
Christian doctrine is trying to send us to Hell! Christian doctrine is the “inherited lies wherein there is no profit” spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah.
Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 3:1-29 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
So where do you go to offer the sacrifices required by the Law for your sin?
Where is the consecrated priesthood which is authorized to offer such sacrifices?
You don't keep the law yourself because no one CAN keep it. Without the consecrated priesthood and altar, Law keeping is impossible.
So depending on obeying the law makes you condemned by it for your failure to observe it.
Another right-on word from our brother.
But guess where most partiality is found? In attitudes and treatment of those in church leadership. Almost invariably they get special treatment in most churches. No, not referring to “give honor to those to whom honor is due...”
It permeates all through church life. A poor example is “For Pastor”sign on the parking spot nearest the church building closest to the entrance.
The godly pastor will park in the spot furthest from the building........
Theoretically speaking, we should ALL have such a godly attitude.
But based on what I see in church parking lots, people cruise for the closest spots, just like in supermarkets.
Like it would kill some of them to walk an extra few feet. And lots could use it.
The Bible makes clear that everything-and everyone-on the earth belongs to God.
There's nothing we can do, no sacrifice we can make, to redeem ourselves.
You ar3e completely confused.
You disregard the entire first epistle of the greatest apostle: John.
That epistle describes in detail how we achieve the righteousness of Yehova through the sacrifice of his son, by confession and repentance.
“If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
If we stumble in our quest to follow his covenant, we have that path to true righteousness in the eyes of Yeshua, to whom all judgement is given.
This is our source for the required white garment for the wedding feast.
Do you doubt the great apostles account?
That is where the grace is applied, only to those on whose hearts the covenant is written.
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The Buddha taught tontreat every one as your own mother
Love thine enemy
Love overcomes all
So true.
Perhaps the worst partiality is where leaders are given more “slack” in their lives and behavior than other saints......or, even have sins in their lives hidden and covered up what would not be ignored in others.
Yes, “love covers a multitude of sins...” - but it does not treat people differently........
Jesus isn’t our back up when we fail ourselves by our own efforts.
What a way to spit in His face.
It is a simple thing to say that God is impartial. Yet there are many places in scripture where God selects a person or group of people over another. My wife and I frequently discuss this topic even while we acknowledge the plain teaching of scripture-that God is impartial.
Personally, I think this is a mystery more profound than the Trinity.
But He doesn’t select based on human merit or favoritism, but His plan.
Ask yourself this, what did Paul do to earn his salvation?
Was it persecuting God's children incessantly? Stealing their property? Throwing them and their families into prison? Having them murdered?
That's strange, because John clearly says that he is!
1John 2:
[1] My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
[2] And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
[3] And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
[4] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
[5] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
[6] He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
[7] Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
What could be more clear?
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
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All scripture clearly teaches that Yehova is totally partial!
It teaches that he chose his remnant from the foundati8ons of the world!
He loved Jacob, and he hated Esau.
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It depends on what *foreknew* means, or how you interpret it.
I see it as God knew who would accept His offer of salvation and that instead of sending them to hell anyway, as He very easily could have, He chose to save them and give them a place in heaven with Him.
He foreknew those who would accept/believe, and then because of that, He then predestined them for heaven.
Does that make any sense to you? Because I am still trying to figure out a better way of explaining what I mean.
Ya think? !!!!!
The Grace Grabbers stretch grace beyond all scriptural limits.
They actually reject the clear statement that Grace is for those that have the faith.
Ephesians 2:
[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(”Works” when spoken by Paul is always the Phariseeism from which he was saved on the Damascus road, the Takanot and Ma’assim)
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