Today's Scripture
James 2: 1-13 All Equal
My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
RJ's Devotion
What the passage says
V. 1-4 Live according to God’s view and perspective. Do not judge people the way the world does.
V. 5-7 In God’s view the poor might be the ones who are rich in spirit.
V. 8-13 Take the commandment seriously. Do not love the ones who are favorable, but love your neighbors… meaning everyone.
What does the passage mean to me/us?
This is how the Message version starts this passage.
“… don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith.”
We are bound to be influenced by the world. We receive much information from the world. As a matter of fact, we are swamped with this information.
It is essential for us to have the discernment to know what is right and wrong in God’s view. We can’t use the Bible to justify our worldview.
When we start doing that, we are using Bible to make our point.
Rather, the Bible needs to be our guidance to live a ‘Christ-originated faith.’ When we live out the Word, we are claiming that Christ is our Lord.
We no longer live in the throne of our life, but Christ reigns.
There might be times where we will have to live in a manner that is different from the world. However, that will be okay, when we see the joy of living according to the purpose.
Prayer
Lord, we come to you with the desire to live for your purpose. Help us and guide us, in all that we do. We want to live a ‘Christ-Originated faith.’
In Christ Name, Amen
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