Sheryl Brady - The Sin of Partiality

James addresses much of what we’re discussing today, and in James, I’m going to read to you from the English Standard Version, chapter 2, beginning at verse 1. It says, «My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, 'You sit here in a good place, ' while you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there, ' or 'You sit down at my feet, ' have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers: has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, then you shall love your neighbor as yourself; you are doing well. But if you show—there’s that word—partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.» James is giving us an extremely clear example here of what prejudice looks like. Can I tell you today that God hates prejudice? One of the reasons that God hates prejudice is that, fundamentally, it challenges what God has created. I said prejudice will challenge what God has created. Let me remind you that the reason we are all here and so different—the reason we have different colors, shapes, sizes, races, and genders—is that we are meant to be this way because God created us intentionally. I didn’t come up with that idea; God came up with it. Quite frankly, our differences keep us from being boring; they are what makes us beautiful when we come together. It is the diversity of God that creates a beautiful sight to behold. Anyone who thinks that God should have made the entire world look like them displays an intolerant expression of pride, arrogance, and narcissism, suggesting that they know more than God about what creation should look like. Acts 17:26 says, «From one man, He made all nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth.» Can I tell you today that God is a God of diversity? Anytime I think less of someone He has created than I do of myself, I forget who made me. God is a God of diversity. The Bible says, «This is one day that I need a hole out of a man’s corner, and I ain’t got one, but that’s okay; I’m going to preach anyhow today.» The Bible states in 1 Corinthians 4:7, «Who says that you are better than anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, then why are you bragging as if you did not receive it?» Who claims that anyone is better than anyone else, and what do you have that God Himself did not give you? At the end of the day, anything you have and anything that you are is due to the goodness of God in our lives. Can I tell you that this is not about a black race? What’s happening in our nation is not about a black race; it’s not about a white race, a Hispanic race, Koreans, Asians, or any other race. God made every last one of us. This is about the human race. This is about a spirit from hell that has sought to define the human race that God created and instituted. We’ve got to wake up and realize that no matter what color our skin might be, we are brothers and sisters. The human race is what matters, and anytime we are prejudiced, we are rejecting what God Himself has created. The second reason that God hates prejudice is that it is a sin of ignorance. Anytime I reject or disrespect someone because they don’t look like me, it shows ignorance. 1 John 2:11 states, «But whoever hates his brother is in darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.» On the other hand, James 3:17 says, «But the wisdom from above is first of all pure; it is peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds; it shows no favoritism and is always sincere.» The wisdom that comes from God shows no favoritism. I know sometimes I joke and say I’m His favorite child, but the truth is that God doesn’t show favoritism—neither to you, nor to me, nor to people in America, nor to people in South Africa, nor to people in different regions of the world. God loves all of us, and being free from prejudice, according to what James said right there, is the mark of our faith.