We have hidden biases which damage our witness to Christ. For example:
- We bias to the wealthy and against the poor
- We bias to the powerful and against the weak
- We bias to our nation/color and against others
Who can deny this problem or the damage it does to our witness to Christ? Can we beat bias and improve our witness? Yes, with the help of the Apostle James in James 2:1-4.
1. THE RICH CHRIST SHOWS NO BIAS
- Christ is rich and powerful: He is described as “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (1). You can’t get richer or greater than that, can you? And yet…
- Christ shows no bias: Despite being the richest and greatest, Christ did not show favoritism to the rich and powerful. And he still doesn’t.
Christ was better than all, yet least biased of all.
Well, that’s beautiful, but so what?
2. FAITH IN CHRIST SHOWS NO BIAS
- You have faith in Christ: “My brothers…you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (1).
- You should show no bias: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (1-4) James forbids favoritism towards the rich and powerful. Why? His basic argument is that who Christ is changes who believers in Christ are. What Christ did changes what believers in Christ do. If Christ is rich and powerful and showed no bias, and you are believers in Christ, neither should you show bias in your dealings with people.
Faith in the unbiased Christ produces fairness in unbiased Christians.
That’s tough but is it such a big deal?
3. BIAS DIVIDES AND REVEALS (2-4)
- Bias is divisive: James describes a common scene from many a Sunday morning. “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, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves” (2-4)
- Bias reveals an evil heart: That visible evil reveals an inner evil. You’ve “become judges with evil thoughts” (4) You’re as evil as a biased judge in court.
Divisive bias is demonic bias.
Do you see how bias is a big deal and damages our witness to Christ?
LIVING THE BIBLE
Be unbiased in all areas of life as a powerful witness to Christ’s person and work.
PRAYING THE BIBLE
Creator of all people in your image, we confess that we have hidden biases which damage our witness to Christ. We are biased towards the rich, the powerful, and people like us, and we are biased against the poor, the weak, and those different to us.
We praise you for revealing your unbiased heart in Jesus Christ, the friend of sinners, who though he was great and rich, yet showed no sinful bias or favoritism based upon wealth, power, or similarity
Increase our faith in Christ so that we are purged of evil and divisive thoughts, and become more like Christ in our hearts and conduct towards others.
Enable us to be unbiased in all areas of life as a powerful witness to Christ. Amen
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