“Being Rich in Faith”

 “Being Rich in Faith”

 

My dear brothers and Sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our Glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?  James 2:1

 

James is writing to the Jews who were DISPERSED to other regions.  He is concerned about them being PREJUDICE, which is one of the ways a believer is STAINED by the WORLD.  Our Lord God is the CREATOR and GOD of ALL people, regardless of their STATUS in this life. He sent His ONLY SON to be the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE for ALL of mankind.  No matter if they are BLACK OR WHITE, RICH OR POOR, YOUNG OR OLD, MALE OR FEMALE, JEW OR GENTILE.  He does NOT SHOW ANY PARTIALITY.

James, gives them an EXAMPLE of being PARTIAL;  He tells of a person who is dressed in EXPENSIVE CLOTHING, indicating that this person is WEALTHY, who comes into their MEETING PLACE (church) and at the SAME-TIME, another person, dressed in DIRTY RAGS, indicating that he was POOR, came in.  If you gave the person dressed in the EXPENSIVE CLOTHING and JEWELRY one of the BEST SEATS in the MEETING PLACE, and took the POOR PERSON to another place that was far from being a GOOD place to sit, and you told them to sit on the FLOOR.  THAT IS DISCRIMINATION. 

James goes on to ask the question:  “Hasn’t God chosen the POOR in this world to be RICH in FAITH? In James’ time the RICH were MEAN to those who were DISADVANTAGED. And the people at the MEETING PLACE, in the example, were CATERING to the RICH and NEGLECTING the POOR, in hopes of FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, 

The ONLY ONE who is WORTHY of FAVORITISM is the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Jesus, tells us to LOVE our NEIGHBOR as we LOVE OURSELVES. And our NEIGHBOR is anyone we come in contact with.  The question is: Do you show FAVORITISM to one person over the other because of their RACE, FINANCIAL STATUS, or their STANDING in SOCIETY?  If you are, you are committing  a SIN, breaking  A LAW of GOD. 

We are to show KINDNESS, COMPASSION and LOVE, attributes of our Heavenly Father and His Son, JESUS CHRIST.  If you are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER, then DISCRIMINATION is only one of MANY SINS that you should REPENT of. The UNFORGIVABLE SIN is REJECTING GOD’S GIFT of SALVATION which is available ONLY through the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, who GAVE HIS LIFE to SAVE MANKIND’S WRETCHED SOULS and to give us an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and to be able to ESCAPE AN ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE ONCE you are THERE. 

In order to do that you MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR , JESUS, who DIED in YOUR place.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for us, before God, You MUST CONFESS ALL your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT GOD’S GIFT of SALVATION, and STOP DISCRIMINATING! And BE RICH IN FAITH!!  Do this NOW, while you STILL CAN!!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!