James 2:1 KJV
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
I found the phrase "faith... With respect of persons" a fascinating one this morning. Worldliness promotes the respect of persons. Those who have achieved, those who have been born into, or those who have earned some sort of notoriety, wealth or success are lifted up as heroes and examples.
We do the same thing in our churches, promoting various preachers as leader of leaders or pastors of pastors usually because they have built large churches or in some other way achieved a result a number of preachers would want to achieve.
But the word of God insists that, while it is possible to have faith in Christ with respect of persons, faith in Christ is to exclude respect of persons. And it is easy to see why; Christ is the Lord of glory. His glory is so high above that of any person that it levels all men to the same playing field. In respect to Christ's glory any greatness a man may have achieved is but a bump. It is nothing. It is certainly nothing to be in awe of. Respecting persons is an evidence of having not seen Christ. It would be impossible to look into the glory of Christmas and be awestruck at a person's achievements at the same time. I live under the shadow of Mt Rainier. This mountain so towers above the others that one forgets she sits surrounded by no small mountain range. It is practically impossible to view her and see the others at the same time.
The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is really counter to this aspect of culture. We are to refuse respect of persons, even if it is insisted upon by the religionists who surround us.
To the Lord of glory only be glory and honor and majesty and power.
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
I found the phrase "faith... With respect of persons" a fascinating one this morning. Worldliness promotes the respect of persons. Those who have achieved, those who have been born into, or those who have earned some sort of notoriety, wealth or success are lifted up as heroes and examples.
We do the same thing in our churches, promoting various preachers as leader of leaders or pastors of pastors usually because they have built large churches or in some other way achieved a result a number of preachers would want to achieve.
But the word of God insists that, while it is possible to have faith in Christ with respect of persons, faith in Christ is to exclude respect of persons. And it is easy to see why; Christ is the Lord of glory. His glory is so high above that of any person that it levels all men to the same playing field. In respect to Christ's glory any greatness a man may have achieved is but a bump. It is nothing. It is certainly nothing to be in awe of. Respecting persons is an evidence of having not seen Christ. It would be impossible to look into the glory of Christmas and be awestruck at a person's achievements at the same time. I live under the shadow of Mt Rainier. This mountain so towers above the others that one forgets she sits surrounded by no small mountain range. It is practically impossible to view her and see the others at the same time.
The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is really counter to this aspect of culture. We are to refuse respect of persons, even if it is insisted upon by the religionists who surround us.
To the Lord of glory only be glory and honor and majesty and power.
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