In the sermon 'Eradicating Favoritism from Our Hearts' by Mike Davenport, the speaker delves into the issue of favoritism as addressed in James 2:1-13. He emphasizes that genuine faith should not coexist with partiality, using a scenario from the scripture where a rich man and a poor man are treated differently in a congregation. This reaction, based on outward appearances, reveals the sinfulness of favoritism, which is rooted in the heart. Davenport outlines four remedies to eradicate favoritism: recognizing it as ungodly and irrational, understanding its immorality, and acknowledging its forgetfulness of mercy. He warns that favoritism contradicts the teachings of Christ and the royal law of loving one's neighbor. The message calls for believers to reflect on their attitudes and to align their actions with the impartiality of God, reminding them that mercy triumphs over judgment.

Good morning. If you would open your copy of the scripture to James, chapter 2, I'm going to read verses 1 through 13. My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings and fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, you sit here in a good place, and say to the poor man, you stand over there, or sit here at my footstool. Have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brethren. Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. You do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble on one point, he is guilty of all.

For he who said, do not commit adultery, also said, do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak, and so do, as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the scripture. Father, we thank you for this time that we will have together today to worship you. And let us remember, Lord, that hearing the word preached is a form of worship to you. So Father we pray a blessing upon Mike as he comes to bring us your word.

Father we thank you that you will guide his words and Father we thank you that you will guide our ears to listen and hear your truth today. We pray a blessing upon this time that we gather together. We praise your mighty name Lord Jesus. Amen. Well as we made our way through the first chapter of the Epistle of James, we were given pictures of what a vibrant, living, genuine faith looks like in regards to our trials, in regards to temptations, and in regards to our response to the Word of God.

This faith given to us as a free gift of God and cultivated in our hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit seeks to express joy in the midst of trials, seeks to equip itself for the hour of temptation, and seeks to examine itself in light of God's standards declared to us even here in James 1 and throughout all scripture. Here in chapter 2, James seems to set a different course as he continues to deal with this matter of genuine faith, a course that he will continue through much of the remainder of his epistle. He begins to bring forth specific case studies in regards to this genuine faith. And though a different course is being set, James gives us a smooth transition from the things previously laid down for us in chapter 1. The last verse of chapter 1 gives us a glimpse of genuine faith as it relates to our fellow men.

Desiring that his readers would understand what God judges to be pure and undefiled religion, James describes that these actions are done to the least of these, To those who are unable to pay you back, deeds done that will probably go unnoticed on this side of eternity. Pure and undefiled religion does not ignore the true needs of the weak and defenseless in their day of trouble. So having just described genuine religion or genuine faith, in that light it should not surprise us that the very first case study regarding our faith that James gives us has to do with this issue of favoritism or partiality. It's probably not where we would have begun but this is the inspired Word of God and James deals with this issue of favoritism and Partiality you see genuine faith will be about the business of eradicating favoritism from our hearts, removing any carnal partiality that it finds. And so I've entitled this message Eradicating Favoritism from Our Hearts.

Eradicating Favoritism from our hearts. And I hope to look at this under the following headings found in the passage today. First, a scenario for the revealing of the heart. A scenario for the revealing of the heart. Secondly, the sinfulness of the response that we find here, the sinfulness of the response, and then thirdly, the suitableness of the remedy, the suitableness of the remedy that James provides us in this passage.

So first, a scenario for the revealing of the heart. And oddly enough, we're going to skip verse 1. We'll come back to that. We're going to look at verses 2 and 3 to see the scenario that James gives us. For if there should come into your assembly or congregation or literally here synagogue at that particular time, if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings and fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, you sit here in a good place and say to the poor man you stand there or sit here at my footstool.

James sets before us a situation that takes place within the very walls of the Church of Jesus Christ. Within the very walls. You see even our corporate gatherings are occasions for the testing of our faith. Yes, our faith, says James, is tested at the very doors of the church each And every time a visitor walks through those doors. So James envisions here two specific visitors arriving at church in our day and time on a given Sunday.

Two men who outwardly portray a vast difference in regard to their socioeconomic status, they come from different sides of the track. One of the men we are told is arrayed with gold rings and fine apparel. The other is described as a poor man in filthy clothes. We are not made aware of anything else that distinguishes them, nor are we made aware of anything that they may have in common. We know nothing of their spiritual condition.

We are told nothing in regards to their reason for coming to church that day. James simply draws out their appearance as the thing that distinguishes them. Now the arrival of these two very different visitors gives rise to two very different reactions. These two reactions are based solely, they're based solely on what senses can accurately determine. Having merely observed the outward appearance of these two men, the congregation has formed opinions by which their actions will be governed.

Note with me these two reactions. You pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, you sit here in a good place, and say to the poor man, you stand there or sit here at my footstool. Now neither of these two men were ignored. Neither of them were ignored. Both were addressed, And both were given a place.

But James makes a distinction between the two responses by noting that attention was paid to the one with gold rings and fine apparel. We don't read of such attention given to this poor man. Thayer's Greek lexicon gives a contextual definition of the words pay attention. So they take the words from the Greek in the original, they apply it to the context, and they say this pay attention that was done to the rich man is to look upon with a feeling of admiration and respect. So this rich man was looked upon with admiration and respect.

In other words, the congregation's admiration of the power, the position, or the wealth of this fine-clothed man gave rise to an unmatched, unequal, and therefore unrighteous accommodation because such a welcome was not given to the poor man. This scenario, as it unfolds itself and occurs in like manner in our daily lives. Such a scenario requires a response from us. That response will either be a sinful response or it will be a righteous response even if our response is a determination not to respond we can simply say well I just I don't want to do the wrong thing so I'm just not going to respond at all. Our circumstances, understand this, our circumstances do not dictate or determine our response.

Our responses don't simply flow from the circumstances. Our upbringing does not ultimately dictate or determine our response in such a situation. Our response flows out of and thereby reveals the inner most thoughts of the heart. It's a heart issue. And that is the purpose of James in writing this entire epistle.

He is seeking to set before our eyes the true condition, the true status of our own hearts to test our faith by true north as dictated by the Word of God. So what should we think of and how should we judge the response of the congregation in this scenario set before us? What has the arrival of these two visitors revealed to this congregation in regards to their hearts and what does it reveal to us in regards to our hearts well not only does James set before us a scenario for the revealing of the heart but secondly he shows us the sinfulness of the response secondly the sinfulness of the response verse 4 have you not shown Or have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? James does not leave us to ourselves in terms of determining a correct verdict in regards to the reactions displayed in this scenario that he just set before us. Instead, he asks a rhetorical question, a question to which the answer is obvious.

By such vastly different responses he declares, have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? And by means of this simple question, the sinfulness of their response is revealed. Note here that the revealing of this sinfulness uncovers not only their actions, but it also uncovers their heart. First, James deals with the action. In their differing responses to these visitors, they are guilty of having shown partiality.

They have shown partiality. This is to say they have made unhealthy and hurtful distinctions that have led to prejudice or discrimination James would have us understand that such discrimination is not a fruit of genuine faith. Do you recall Jesus's assessment of the Pharisee in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector that had both gathered to the temple to pray. The Pharisee in his prayer to God, He drew hard lines of distinction between himself and other men, especially that other man over there. God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.

The partiality, the discrimination, the prejudice present in his prayer led Jesus to say that this Pharisee went down to his house feeling good about himself but devoid of true justification in the sight of God, he revealed that this man did not have genuine faith. But this type faith. But this type of attitude is not limited to those who prove to be true Pharisees. Such a sinful attitude can also be found in the most eminent of saints the Apostle Peter was guilty of showing partiality towards his fellow believing Jews by refusing to eat with his fellow believing Gentiles You can read about it in Galatians 2 Peter's favoritism was rebuked by the Apostle Paul before others in order that Peter might eradicate this partiality from his heart. But secondly here in our text, James deals also with the heart, not only the actions, you've shown partiality, but also the heart.

In their differing responses to these visitors, they are guilty of becoming judges with evil thoughts. Such discrimination, shown through their actions, would have never been displayed had they not entertained evil thoughts. The idea behind judges with evil thoughts is the following after perverse opinions. This is what you've done. You have followed after perverse opinions.

So at the root of the response are reverse opinion or perverse opinions based upon false evidence that has led to a display of favoritism by means of a sentence delivered by those who have appointed themselves as judges. Do you see that? This is what is at the root of these responses that differ so greatly. They have had perverse opinions based on false evidence that have led to a display of favoritism by a means of a sentence delivered by these who have appointed themselves as judges. Dear ones, this scenario and the sinful response to it are not far-fetched.

We live in a day when evangelicalism, even of the reformed tradition, makes much of athletes, actors, politicians, musicians, etc. Who are willing to declare allegiance to Jesus Christ. Even within the walls of the church there is a culture that has been developed around men who are commonly called celebrity pastors. In giving preference to these persons, even the preference of our attention and admiration we reveal some level of partiality and favoritism that James is talking about and and my purpose in in referring to these Specific people is not to question the veracity of their faith. That's not what I'm talking about I'm bringing it up for us to take a look at our hearts and how do we respond to such people We will not always have such large distinctions of class present in our congregation, not of the people I just mentioned, and maybe not even such a difference in class between the rich and the poor as was the fact for these people of this day but But such favoritism can also be expressed by us by a quickness and eagerness to welcome and encourage certain visitors while others go unnoticed and ignored.

It can be expressed by a willingness and purpose to speak to one individual in evangelism about Jesus Christ while passing three others in the process. And brothers and sisters, can we not also truthfully confess that such favoritism has found its way into how we interact as members of this very congregation? Does not such favoritism and partiality often dictate the sphere of our fellowship? We can become clickish. We can deal with fellowshipping with the same people week after week why how because such a Discrimination such a judging attitude such a Partiality such a prejudice can creep into our very hearts Beloved such favoritism such partiality such prejudice must not be found among those who name the name of Christ, who call themselves Christians.

It cannot be. And where we find pockets of it in our own hearts, we must be about the business of eradicating it. Getting it out. Where it remains and is allowed to live, the genuineness of professed faith must be called into question. That's not my conclusion regarding this matter.

That's James's conclusion as he writes these inspired words under the influence of the Holy Spirit James's words not mine So what are we to do If we find such pockets of favoritism and partiality in our own hearts, how do we go about eradicating such a sinful response from our hearts? Well, James provides us four remedies in this passage, four remedies that, if rightly applied, will help us to eradicate remaining favoritism and prove the genuineness of our faith. So thirdly, we have in this passage the suitableness of the remedy, the suitableness of the remedy. You see, James doesn't leave us to ourselves to figure out where do we go from here. If we are honest with ourselves, we would all attest to the truth that there are pockets of such partiality and favoritism still remaining in us.

Well, there are four remedies provided here by James that are suitable, suitable remedies for the purpose of eradicating favoritism from our hearts. Remedy number one, you must be Convinced in your heart that Favoritism is ungodly You must be convinced in your heart that Favoritism is ungodly Verse 1 We're going to go back to verse 1. My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with partiality Don't hold this faith of the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory don't hold it with partiality You see favoritism is ungodly in this sense. It robs God of his glory. It robs him of his glory.

In our English versions, the words have words have been added and words have been reordered in The original language it is literally this my brothers not with favoritism hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the glory not with favoritism hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the glory The emphasis is on not with favoritism. It is found at the beginning of this sentence because James is declaring that it is an utter contradiction to confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to demonstrate favoritism or partiality in our daily dealings with others and because favoritism is ungodly we should be about the business of eradicating it from our hearts we cannot we cannot keep a grip on Christ and a grip on favoritism at on favoritism at the same time. James says, do not do this. Do not. You see, Christ and favoritism are incompatible.

They're incompatible. They cannot exist side by side. Note that the words the Lord in your translation, The words the Lord are in italics. They're not there. That's why literally it's Lord Jesus Christ the glory Lord Jesus Christ the glory He is the Lord of glory, But he's not simply the Lord of Glory he Himself is the glory He himself is the glorious one when we are gazing note this when we are gazing upon the glory of Jesus Christ any so called glory of man vanishes it vanishes Our faith, by saying we have faith, our faith has laid hold upon Him who is glory.

Why then should we be enamored and why should we be impressed by any? Puny fading borrowed glory of man who is like the flower of the field flourishing today but gone and withered and burned up tomorrow. Why? Our faith is laid hold of the glorious one. What is it of man's glory?

What is there to admire? But when the glory of Jesus Christ is diminished, we begin to think more highly of wealth and popularity. As we consider the importance of the glory of Jesus Christ in this matter, we should not overlook the fact that he laid aside His glory when he took upon himself human flesh and came in our likeness in order to redeem us and Considering this glory which he didn't lose. He was still the glorious one, but it was veiled He didn't think it a thing to be held on to, to be like his Father. He laid his glorious side, and he tells us that in John 17, Oh Father, the glory that I had with you from the beginning.

Give it to me once again." He is the glorious one, but he laid it aside and he veiled it and he came in humility likened to us that he might redeem us. But consider the hostility, the harshness, and the partiality shown to the Lord of glory by those to whom he came. He has no form or humbleness, and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised, and we did not esteem him. He came to his own, and his own received him not, not only his people, but his family. Who's writing this?

James, the brother of Christ, who for the longest time did not receive his own brother. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Is this not the carpenter's son? When considering these responses we must ask ourselves what sort of response would we have given to this veiled glorious one? Would our response have been any different than the Jews of that day?

If Christ were to appear in our congregation today, clothed in the humility and the simplicity of His first coming, how many of us would fail to greet Him and welcome Him? That would never happen. That would never happen, you may say. But before you think of that and come to that conclusion, remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25 that in ministering to the very least of his people you are ministering to him and to the extent that you are not you're not doing it unto him. We ourselves cannot be altogether so different.

We're not as these people. And so the first remedy is that you must be convinced in your heart that favoritism is ungodly, that it is incompatible with Christ and it robs him of the glory that is his. Second remedy, second remedy. You must be convinced in your heart that favoritism is irrational. You must be convinced in your heart that favoritism is irrational Verses five through seven Listen my beloved brethren has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?

But You have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? Favoritism is irrational in this sense. It robs God of his sovereignty.

It robs him of his sovereignty. It robs him of that expression of his will. You see, favoritism ignores the holy will, the righteous purposes of God as revealed in Scripture. Therefore, it is in and of itself irrational. You know, we noted earlier that when the glory of Christ is diminished, we are more prone to show favoritism, becoming enamored with the accomplishments and the glory of man.

In Order to set our hearts are right. We must ask ourselves is God impressed With those things that so easily impress me is God so impressed Evidently it's not something that the Christian is quick to consider. Having admonished the readers in the previous chapter to be swift to hear, slow to speak, James here interjects an imperative, listen! Listen, my beloved brethren! How often do we go about our lives thinking we know about what God would have us to do and yet we fail to listen and learn from what he has done himself and from what he has actually said he would have us to do.

James wants his readers and he wants us to consider our ways in the light of God's ways. Doing so will prove the irrational nature of a response displaying favoritism. Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom? But you, on the other hand, unlike God have dishonored the poor man. How vastly different the scenario would have played out if the congregation had responded in a way that reflects a right understanding of the sovereign ways of God.

You see, God's operation in terms of the gospel is to actually regard the poor and the weak and to most often bypass the rich and the mighty. Consider what the scriptures have to say in regards to God's choosing. The following The following is part of the song of Mary in Luke 1 52 and 53 He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty." Listen to the prayer of Jesus to his father in Matthew 11, 25, and 26. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes even so father for so it seemed good in your sight." How about 1st Corinthians 1 26 through 29.

For you see your calling, brethren. Look around you. Look around you. Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of this world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence." But James continues his argument.

Not only is favoritism irrational because it flies in the face of the sovereign will of our God, it is also irrational because it ignores the common experience of God's people. Having impressed upon them by means of a rhetorical question what God does. James now asks them by means of two more rhetorical questions what the rich man typically does. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

These dear saints to whom James was writing were no strangers to such oppression and such blasphemies. Remember that he's writing to those who have been scattered. Their own scattering came at the hands and an experience of those who were the rich religious leaders who were the rich rulers who were the rich tradesmen The book of Acts records this We see it in Acts 13 50 we see it in Acts 16 19 and 20 and we see it again in Acts 19 23 to 24 Considering what we know of the will and the ways of our God, along with whatever our own experience has taught us, though our experience is not as much firsthand at this particular time in the history of our nation, but certainly as we think of our experience being in the church, all we have to do is look at church history, but also realizing that even here and now we're starting to see some of this through the different news outlets of things coming, persecution coming our way. So even though our own experience may have not taught us yet by our own experience, knowing the will and ways of our God, knowing what history teaches us.

We have great reason to be convinced that favoritism, it's not rational. It's not rational and should therefore be eradicated from our hearts. Remedy number three, remedy number three, you must be convinced in your heart that favoritism is immoral You must be convinced in your heart that favoritism is immoral verses 8 through 11 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

For he who said do not commit adultery Also said do not murder Now if you do not commit adultery But you do murder you have become a transgressor of the law. Favoritism is immoral in this sense. It robs God of his holiness. It robs him of his holiness. When considering the law of God, we must first start with the character and attributes of our God from which the law flows and by which it is framed.

The law is not arbitrary. The law of God flows from his character and from his attributes. And the scripture clearly declares God to be without partiality. God is no respecter of persons. Deuteronomy 10, 17, and 18.

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords the great God mighty and awesome who shows no partiality Nor takes a bribe He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow Does that group sound familiar? He administers justice for the fatherless in the widow and loves the stranger giving him food and clothing. What James has already told us of the character of God back in chapter 1 verse 5 also shows how favoritism is immoral, in that it is a sin against the very character of our God. If you recall, James told us that the faith-filled man who prays for wisdom from above will find God to be one who gives to all. And his giving is without, it's without partiality.

And his giving is without partiality. It's liberal, and he does it without reproach. You... Okay, you can go. Back again.

God doesn't give like that. He shows no partiality when we come into his presence. James refers here to the royal law. You see, it's the character of God that makes the law truly loyal. Royal.

The character of God makes his law truly royal. It's the law of the great King. And if the moral law itself is royal, how much more the summation of the law in the two greatest commandments, the second of which is given here, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. If the law itself has given in the Old Covenant is royal. How much more this summation, the second greatest commandment, it's royal.

It's been given by the king. If we treat our neighbor impartially, we do well as keepers of the law. But if any trace of partiality can be found in our dealings with our neighbor, we commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. Now note that the Apostle James does, well not the Apostle James who is the elder there, James does not draw back from pointing to the law of God as a remedy for sin in the life of the New Testament believers. He says, for whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point he is guilty of all for he who said do not commit adultery also said do not murder.

He doesn't draw back from pointing to the law as a remedy for sin in the life of the New Testament believer. In these statements, James is declaring the binding, abiding, convicting relevance of the law of God in the life of the believer as that law is portrayed to us in the Ten Commandments. He does not here merely point to a New Testament command that somehow replaces the commandments given on Mount Sinai. But he says, now, If you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. James is saying in this section that if you keep the second greatest commandment as summarized by Jesus, You do well.

But if you show partiality in your dealings with others, the entire moral law of God stands as your accuser, accusing you of being a transgressor of that law. So great is the deception of our hearts that not only are we prone to showing partiality in regards to others, we are prone to show partiality in regards to the law of God. Picking and choosing what parts we will obey and ignoring the others and then pointing to the ones that we have obeyed and declaring ourselves righteous in regards to the law. But James says if you've broken one, doesn't matter how many others you've obeyed, you break that one law, you're guilty of all. The law stands as your accuser.

So if we are ever to eradicate favoritism from our hearts, We must be convinced that it is immoral it is an Opposition to the royal law of God and in opposition to the very character of our God We cannot treat this sin lightly the law condemns us and We must agree Remedy number four the last remedy that he gives us You must be convinced in your heart that Favoritism is forgetful You must be convinced in your heart that favoritism is forgetful You must be convinced in your heart that favoritism is forgetful Verses 12 and 13 so speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty for judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Favoritism is Forgetful in this sense it robs us It robs us of mercy That forgetfulness When we start to show favoritism this Forgetfulness robs us of mercy So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of Liberty our words and our Actions today will meet us again on that final day. Your words and actions from yesterday, they're not gone.

They'll meet you again on the day of judgment. How much does that reality grip your heart as you go throughout your day? My words, my actions, I'll see them again. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, this saving grace of Christ has liberated you to obey this law out of a heart of love and gratitude having been thus liberated we are admonished to so speak and so do in a way that reflects an acknowledgement and remembrance of that great day that lies before us. The judgment of God that is coming in that final day, That judgment that's coming should dictate the way we judge today.

Do we not have a great interest in the way we desire for God to deal with us on that day? Shall we then not have great interest in how we judge others here and now? Have we become so forgetful? Have we become so forgetful? James here warns us of the danger of forgetfulness.

Here's what happens. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. You see, forgiven men are forgiving men. Forgiven men are loving men.

And forgiven men are merciful men." Do you recall the parable of the unmerciful servant who had been given so great a debt that he could have not even paid off, but yet forgave little. He had no mercy on his fellow servant and though he had been the recipient of earlier greater mercies, he received a final judgment without mercy, without it, it's gone. So in your dealings with others, in your families, in the workplace, in the community, and in the church, in your dealings with others, Do not be forgetful of that great day to come. Remember the words of Christ, blessed are the merciful for they and they alone shall obtain mercy. Live in the light of That day of judgment He the response of Paul as well as his words his response as well as his words when he said Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done whether good or bad. 2nd Corinthians 5, 9, and 10. Be about the business of eradicating favoritism from your heart that you may be well pleasing to God who shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons. Be like him. To show favoritism, to show partiality, discrimination, prejudice, name it, whatever you will, to show that attitude is to be ungodly.

It's to be irrational. It is to be immoral and it is to be forgetful. You heard, you've heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But Jesus said, I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you.

Do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For he makes his son rise on the evil and the good he sends rain on the just and on the unjust for if you love those who love you what reward have you do not even the tax collectors do the same And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. How is it with you my dear brother my dear sister?

Do you love like Christ loves? Do you look upon others the way Christ looked upon you? What was it What was it that made you so lovely to Christ What was it that you had to give besides your vileness and filthiness? This poor man that came into the presence of this congregation with filthy clothes What comparison were those clothes? To what you came to Christ with.

Jesus took you as you were. What then will you require and demand of others in order to show them the mercy, to show them the love of which you have been partakers? No doubt we have unconverted men and women and children here in our midst today. My friend, are you here without Christ today? You don't know Him?

You don't love Him? Go to Him. Go to Him. You will find Him to be no respecter of persons. He said that the one who will come to him, he will by no means, by no means cast out.

Listen to the beautiful words of the hymn writer. Come, come ye sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore. You may not be welcomed in the doorway of the church, but you come weak, wounded, sick, sore, poor, wretched. Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, joined with power. He is able.

He is willing. Doubt no more. Come ye needy. Are ye needy? Come!

Come and welcome God's free bounty glorify true belief and true repentance every grace that brings you nigh without money come to Jesus Christ and by come ye weary heavy laden bruised and broken by the fall if you tarry till you're better if you tarry till you think now he'll accept me, if you tarry till then you will never come at all. Not the righteous, not the righteous, not the man with fine gold on his fingers, not the man dressed well, not the man who has but few sins, not the righteous. Jesus came to call sinners let not conscience make you linger nor a fitless fitness fondly dream all the fitness he requires is for you to feel your need of him and guess what that need that you feel this he gives you is the Spirit's rising being. So my dear friend, come as you are. Come as you are to Jesus.

My Savior delights. He delights to be called a friend of sinners. He's able to save you. He's willing to save you. Doubt no more.

Oh Father, how we thank you that you are a friend of sinners. How gracious we are that we did not have to prepare ourselves, that we did not have to make ourselves perfect in your sight or even near perfection. But you told us to come, come with our burdens, come with our sins, come with our vileness, come with our filthiness, come with our inability, and to come and lay hold of your Son Jesus Christ. Oh Father, give us grace to eradicate all favoritism, discrimination, prejudice from our hearts. Give us grace to love like Christ loved, to treat others the way Christ did.

Lord, reveal to our hearts whether our faith is genuine And where we find those pockets, may we run to Christ and find forgiveness and find in Him these remedies by which we can be made more like him. In his great name we pray, amen.