Faith and Favoritism Cannot Coexist | James 2:1-13

James opens chapter 2 with a strong and unmistakable command. This is not a suggestion for more mature Christians, not a polite encouragement, not even a mere principle for church leaders. It is a divine imperative. To hold the faith of Christ is to reject favoritism. To claim Christ and yet practice partiality is a contradiction that James says cannot exist in the same heart. Faith and favoritism cannot coexist.


The Context of James’ Rebuke
Remember who James is writing to. These were Jewish believers who had heard the gospel in Jerusalem, many of them converted under the preaching of Peter in Acts 2. They were taught the truths of Christ, the Messiah, the spotless Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. They knew the theology. They had grasped the gospel.

But after Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7), persecution scattered them. These dispersed Jews carried their theology into new towns, but they were not yet grounded in practice. They had not been taught how to apply the faith to real life. So disputes erupted—about doctrine, about worship, about practice. James writes to address this lack of doxology, this lack of lived obedience.

And here in chapter 2, he confronts a problem he had heard of in their assemblies: favoritism toward the wealthy and influential, and neglect toward the poor and lowly.


What Is Partiality?
The word James uses literally means “to receive the face.” It is judging based on outward appearance—clothing, status, money, or influence. It is seeing someone’s face, their social rank, their reputation, and making decisions about their worth before God and man.

We must be clear here: judgment itself is not a sin. God is a Judge (Ps. 7:11). We are called to exercise discernment (Phil. 1:9–10; Heb. 5:14). But unrighteous judgment—judging with evil thoughts, judging by appearances—is sin. That is the sin James is exposing.

Partiality is more than poor manners. It is a theological problem. To play favorites in the assembly of God’s people is to deny the very nature of God Himself.


God Is Impartial
This is the heart of James’ argument: God is impartial, and so His people must be impartial.
Deuteronomy 10:17 says:

“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.”

Peter declares in Acts 10:34:

“Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Paul writes in Romans 2:11:

“For God shows no partiality.”

The Geneva Bible of 1599 translates it memorably: “God is no respecter of persons.” That doesn’t mean God has no respect for human beings. It means He does not make His judgments based on external appearance. He does not say, “I’ll save this man because of his family name, or his education, or his possessions.” No—God looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).

If God is impartial, then His children must reflect His character. To show favoritism is to act unlike the God who saved us.


The Lord of Glory
Notice how James frames the command: “as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” He ties impartiality directly to our view of Christ.

The phrase “Lord of glory” (doxa) would have been loaded with meaning for Jewish Christians. It pointed back to the Shekinah glory cloud in the Old Testament, the visible presence of God that filled the tabernacle and temple. That glory is now revealed in Christ (John 1:14; 2 Cor. 4:6).

So James’ argument is sharp: if you confess faith in the Lord of glory, you cannot at the same time glory in man’s face. If you see Christ’s majesty, you cannot bow to worldly status. Favoritism and faith are mutually exclusive.

John Calvin comments: “Faith in Christ cannot stand with respect of persons, for they who seek to honor the rich rob God of his honor, since they prefer man to him.” In other words, to honor someone for wealth or appearance above another is to rob Christ of the glory that belongs to Him alone.


Partiality in the Church
James is not addressing some abstract issue. He is addressing how these scattered Christians were treating one another in worship. When a wealthy, gold-fingered man walked into the synagogue, he was shown to the best seat. When a poor man followed behind, he was told to stand in the back or sit at someone’s feet.

James says this is evil. The sin was not in providing a chair for one or asking another to sit on the floor. The sin was in making distinctions based on appearance (James 2:4). The sin was in valuing one soul over another based on wealth.

How easily this same sin creeps into our churches today. Do we greet the influential visitor more warmly than the quiet, unnoticed member? Do we judge spirituality by the cut of a suit, the style of a dress, the success of a business, or the following on social media? James would rebuke us just as he rebuked them: these distinctions are evil, because God looks on the heart.


The Incompatibility of Faith and Favoritism
James is blunt: you cannot both hold the faith of Christ and hold to favoritism. They cannot coexist. One must drive out the other.

Why? Because the gospel itself destroys all favoritism. The cross levels us all—Jew and Greek, slave and free, rich and poor, male and female (Gal. 3:28). At the foot of the cross, we are all beggars. Christ embraced the lowly, the poor, the sick, the outcast. How then can His people embrace the proud and despise the downtrodden?

Matthew Henry put it simply: “Religion and partiality are inconsistent; the profession of the Christian faith, and the exercise of respect of persons, are things that cannot stand together.”


Application: Examining Our Hearts
This first verse is itself an examination. James has been giving us tests of true faith:

• Response to trials (steadfastness).
• Response to temptation (resistance).
• Response to truth (obedience).
• And now: Response to the royal law—do I love my neighbor as myself, without favoritism?

This means I must examine my own heart. Do I instinctively prefer the wealthy, the influential, the attractive, the socially useful? Do I inwardly dismiss the poor, the awkward, the needy? Do I see faces, or do I see hearts?

Favoritism often hides in subtle ways. We may never say it out loud, but we think it: “That family is worth more to our church.” “That person is more useful in ministry.” “That person doesn’t fit here.” James says these thoughts are evil.

Instead, the gospel calls us to honor the lowly, to welcome the poor, to esteem all as image-bearers of God and fellow heirs of grace.


Mercy Triumphs
James will conclude this section in verse 13 with one of the most beautiful gospel statements: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” But even here in verse 1, that truth undergirds everything. The only reason you and I were not judged in our sin is because mercy triumphed. God did not choose us for our appearance, our money, our background, or our usefulness. He chose us out of sheer grace.

If mercy has triumphed for us, how dare we withhold mercy from others?


Conclusion
Faith and favoritism cannot coexist. The Christian who holds faith in the Lord of glory must put away all forms of partiality. For our God is impartial, and He has shown us mercy.

Let us therefore reflect His character, honor every brother and sister without distinction, and love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the royal law. This is true religion.