preferring gay clothing

On to James 2!

This passage I’m walking through today is a little lengthy. I am going to talk through it a little differently than some of my other posts. There are also several cross-references, but I will only list a few. I suggest deeper personal study! 🙂

James 2:1-13

1 ~ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

Our faith does not mix with partiality.

We are called to love all men {people} with Christ’s love. [John 13:34; 15:12; Romans 13:8; 1 John 4:7, 11-12, and more]

This passage is not specifically in reference to our treatment of fellow believers. We must treat the wicked and unsaved with the SAME love… None of us are better than they.

Our ONLY righteousness IS Christ, and only because He gave Himself for us! [John 3:16; Romans 5:6, 8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11]

He died for ALL, equally.

2 ~ For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 ~ And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 ~ Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

When we begin preferring people that dress well or look a certain way based on our own thoughts, when we look at those who visit our assembly [church services] and straightly judge them based on their appearance, we can know our thoughts are become evil and we are judging in a way we are not meant to.[John 7:24] …with evil thoughts… evil. Evil is a strong word.

5 ~Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 ~ But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 ~ Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

The only “riches” that matter are faith and being an heir of the kingdom God which are promised to those that LOVE HIM… not those that have pretty clothing or pleasing manners.

8 ~ If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 ~ But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

And the ROYAL LAW is to love our neighbor [anyone with whom we come in contact] as ourself…

And James points out that often, those that appear in goodly apparel with a gold ring are the same that oppress and blaspheme God’s name. WHY would we wish to impress them? Only when our focus is off of our Lord: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 ~ For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 ~ For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

All men are transgressors.

All men….. ALL MEN. [Romans 3:23]

12 ~ So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13 ~ For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

We will be judged according to the law of liberty {liberty -our freedom in Christ- has a law?}… it appears that judgement will contain the amount of mercy that OUR judgement contains.

We must speak and act in mercy towards those who come seeking God, those that enter our church seeking, those that are coming to God under whatever circumstances!

Truly, this Spiritual Maturing process hurts. But that is because God wishes to purge self from within us so that He can fill us with His Spirit. [Galatians 5:13-25]

Remember that Patience is working…