Love!

# 29 2020 Dev. James 2:5. Love! Read all of Ch. 2 1-13. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

James 2:5 “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”  

The second chapter of James is divided into two very important subjects for the followers of Jesus and for those who may want a better understanding of Christianity. James is talking about showing favoritism and true faith. We take up favoritism in this devotional.

James makes his point with an extreme example of showing favoritism to a rich person over a poor person. Let’s be honest, being materially well off in this world is considered not only a good thing but is the life goal for many people. Being rich is not the issue here, God has blessed many a faithful people who use their wealth for the good of the community in order to glorify God.  What James is referring to is that in secular society rich people are given deference and expect it from those not as well off. This was the way of the world in James’ day as it still is today and he points out that for believers in Jesus this is discrimination and you make yourselves “judges with evil thoughts”. The issue is not being rich or poor, our station in life is providential and a blessing from God: “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”

The followers of Jesus love Him and James encourages us to “keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. In other words, discrimination breaks the law of love as does murder and adultery. We are not only talking about discrimination among believers, No, the royal law of love covers every person God places in your path of this life, it is a matter of how believers judge and if you prefer the word “discern” over “judge” you still are making a choice.

James puts it this way: “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, (the royal law)¹³ because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Amen!

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