James 2 · Clearspring

A Warning against Favoritism

¹My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.+ ²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.+ ³If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”+ ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?+ ⁵Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?+ ⁶But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?+ ⁷Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?+ ⁸If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.+ ⁹But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.+ ¹⁰Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.+ ¹¹For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.+ ¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.+ ¹³For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.+

Faith and Works

Galatians 3:1–9

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?+ ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.+ ¹⁶If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that ?+ ¹⁷So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.+ ¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.+ ¹⁹You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.+ ²⁰O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?+ ²¹Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?+ ²²You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.+ ²³And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.+ ²⁴As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.+ ²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?+ ²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.+

A Warning against Favoritism

Faith and Works

Study James 2