James 2:18 - Prayer Tents

The Sin of Partiality

2My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with [an attitude of] personal favoritism.G3450G80G2192G3361G4102G2257G2962G2424G5547G1391G1722G43822For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,G1063G1437G1525G1519G5216G4864G435G5554G1722G2986G2066G1161G1525G2532G4434G1722G4508G20663and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"G2532G1914G1909G5409G2986G2066G2532G2036G846G2521G4771G5602G2573G2532G2036G4434G2476G4771G1563G2228G2521G5602G5259G3450G52864have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?G1252G3756G2532G1252G1722G1438G2532G1096G2923G4190G12615Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?G191G3450G27G80G1586G3756G2316G1586G4434G5127G2889G4145G1722G4102G2532G2818G932G3739G1861G25G8466But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?G1161G5210G818G4434G2616G3756G4145G2616G5216G2532G846G1670G5209G1519G29227Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?G987G3756G846G987G2570G3686G1909G5209G19418If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.G1487G3305G5055G937G3551G2596G1124G25G4675G4139G5613G4572G4160G25739But if you show partiality, you are committing sin [and] are convicted by the law as transgressors.G1161G1487G4380G2038G266G1651G5259G3551G5613G384810For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one [point,] he has become guilty of all.G1063G3748G5083G3650G3551G1161G4417G1722G1520G1096G1777G395611For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.G1063G2036G3431G3361G3431G2036G2532G5407G3361G5407G1161G1487G3431G3756G3431G1161G5407G1096G3848G355112So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by [the] law of liberty.G3779G2980G2532G3779G4160G5613G3195G2919G1223G3551G165713For judgment [will be] merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.G1063G2920G448G4160G3361G1656G2532G1656G2620G2920

Faith and Works

14What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?G5101G3786G3450G80G1437G5100G3004G2192G4102G1161G2192G3361G2041G1410G3361G4102G4982G84615If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,G1437G1161G80G2228G79G5225G1131G2532G3007G5600G2184G516016and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for [their] body, what use is that?G1161G5100G1537G5216G2036G846G5217G1722G1515G2328G2532G5526G1161G1325G846G3361G2006G4983G5101G378617Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, [being] by itself.G2532G3779G4102G3362G2192G3362G2041G2076G3498G2596G143818But someone may [well] say, "You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."G235G5100G2046G4771G2192G4102G2504G2192G2041G1166G3427G4675G4102G1537G4675G2041G2504G1166G4671G3450G4102G1537G3450G204119You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.G4771G4100G3754G2076G1520G2316G4160G2573G1140G2532G4100G2532G542520But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?G1161G2309G1097G5599G2756G444G3754G4102G5565G2041G2076G349821Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?G1344G3756G11G2257G3962G1344G1537G2041G399G2464G846G5207G1909G237922You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;G991G3754G4102G4903G846G2041G2532G1537G2041G5048G4102G504823and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.G2532G1124G4137G3004G1161G11G4100G2316G2532G3049G846G1519G1343G2532G2564G5384G231624You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.G3708G5106G3754G1537G2041G444G1344G2532G3756G1537G4102G344025And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?G3668G1161G2532G1344G3756G4460G4204G1344G1537G2041G5264G32G2532G1544G2087G359826For just as the body without [the] spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.G1063G5618G4983G5565G4151G2076G3498G3779G4102G5565G2041G2076G3498G2532