True Faith Loves
Last week we talked about how true faith acts. This week we will follow that up with what that looks like toward others. True faith, determined disciples of Jesus, love. They love equally no matter who it is and don’t show favoritism. True disciples of Jesus love their neighbor, no matter who that neighbor might be, as they would love themselves. And true faith is exemplified in an active love that is working in and through the believer every single day.
Illustration:
Pastor Jeremiah Steepek transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning.
He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service, only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him.
He asked people for change to buy food – no one in the church gave him change.
He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit in the back.
He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him. As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation.
“We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek.” The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation. The homeless man sitting in the back stood up and started walking down the aisle. The clapping stopped with all eyes on him. He walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment then he recited,
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? ’The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning. Many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame. He then said, “Today I see a gathering of people, not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples. When will YOU decide to become disciples?” He then dismissed service until next week.
Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher and theologian, once said, “The human race in the course of time has taken the liberty of softening and softening Christianity until at last we have contrived to make it exactly the opposite of what it is in the New Testament.” (Attack, 39)
Martin Luther said, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” Loving others and being people of God should and will cost us something. What is it costing you to love like Jesus loved?
True Faith Loves Equally
David Platt: “Favoritism is a common way the church (then and now) slides into worldliness.” It is our responsibility as the church to love all people and see equal value in every person. No matter what they look like, their social status, or what they can do for us. Jesus died for all and calls us to love all equally.
Douglas Moo says in his commentary on James that the word favoritism in the original language of the NT literally means to “receive according to the face,” or in other words, to make judgments about people based on external appearance.
Favoritism happens any time we are making judgments about people based on external appearance. This could be according to what they are wearing, general physical appearance, color of skin, or a host of other characteristics. As the people of God, we must be on guard against this sin because it is often subtle and almost unnoticed.
What is James’ solution? Verse 1, “My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.” We focus on the glory of Christ.
Did Jesus have wealth? Did Jesus serve the poor or the wealthy? Did he come for the healthy or the sick? Was anyone out of Jesus’ reach because of their race, gender, sexual history, social status, appearance, or giftings? Jesus gives us the example of how we ought to love equally.
2 Corinthians 8:9 reminds us of this: “for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.” You can’t show favoritism when you know Christ. He laid aside his wealth to love all of us who were broken and spiritually bankrupt.
In his wealth he refused to overlook us. Christ paves the way for us to look beyond what the earth claims as valuable. If the person is a human being then they all share one thing in common: they are made in the image of God. No matter anything else, they are made in his image and we should love equally because of that fact.
True Faith Loves Every Neighbor
The context of this command is found in Leviticus 19:15-18, this shows us what James is getting at. “You must not act unjustly when deciding a case. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich; judge your neighbor fairly. You must not go about spreading slander among your people; you must not jeopardize your neighbor’s life; I am Yahweh. You must not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him. Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.”
God said in Leviticus 19 to be just and not to show favoritism but instead to love your neighbor as yourself. Likewise Jesus said in the Gospels to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:39; Mark 12:31).
Jesus is asked by a scribe in Mark 12 to give us the most important command of all and Jesus says this: “Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, love your neighbor as yourself., There is no other command greater than these.”
In further bringing home the first point about favoritism, James gets the heart of what favoritism is: loving ourselves more than loving others. Pride! That pesky word seems to keep coming up in God’s word as a warning to us lately hasn’t it?!
Sunday is the most segregated day of the week. And I hate it church. I hate that we even have terms like “black church” and “white church” or “Hispanic congregation.” Heaven is going to have every nation, every tribe, every color. I can’t wait to praise God together under one banner and with all different styles! Jesus came for the world, not just our little world that we see and know every day. Not just America, the whole world!
We have to think outside of what we know and what we grew up with. There are only two races that matter in this world: saved and unsaved. Followers of Jesus and those who are not. May that be the only lens through which we view people. No other! The story of the good Samaritan bodes us to look beyond cultural lines and into the kingdom with loving and caring hearts and eyes for all.
True Faith Loves Actively
In Matthew 12:36–37 Jesus says, “I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Our words have power, our words have accountability. Remember what Jesus himself said when he was speaking to those who didn’t feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or help the poor: “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!” (Matt 25:41). You will stand before God to give an account for your words, your actions, or your lack thereof when it comes to that which God has said is most important—to love your neighbor as yourself. So speak with love and act with love.
Is there mercy in our response? Is there grace in our hearts? Do we reflect the savior that we say that we follow and has a hold of our heart?
As we have received mercy, so we extend mercy. Just as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing” (Matt 6:14-15). When you are forgiven of your sins, you are compelled to forgive others. As you have received mercy, you extend mercy. But the reverse of this truth is particularly humbling and penetrating: if we do not extend mercy, we demonstrate that we have not received mercy.
Love is active, it is engaged, it is backed up beyond just our words. Matthew 12:34, out of an abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Our actions are rooted in our hearts and where they are founded. Are we compelled to rich actions of mercy and love? Or are we compelled to rich actions of revenge and judgment?
Jesus’ actions were filled with love and compassion… even for the ones nailing him to the cross! “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” Do we have such love for those cutting into us with harmful words and actions? Is our response when the squeezing comes to release Christ’s love and abundance of mercy? Love is active, love is engaged.
Conclusion
True faith, authentic faith from our creator and our savior is enriched with Christ’s love. Not worldly, romantic, rom com love. But abiding love that forgives, surrounds all, and shows no partiality. It reaches across the aisle, to all neighborhoods, and to those who have wronged us and to those who have loved us.
Is your faith saturated in the love of Christ? Or is it sprinkled with it here and there? Is it consequential, and when people deserve it? Or all-encompassing and fulfilled entirely throughout? Jesus gave us the absolute perfect example in how to love and who to love. Are we making excuses for our situations or humbling saying, “Lord, help me to love like you do and you did when you were here. I want to be an extension and an expression of your love.”