After providing some interest context, he focused on chapter two
By way of background, when James wrote his letter, Nate did say
The Roman Empire was at its zenith and all the people had to obey
There was a lot of social inequality which led to rising resentment
Similar to what we read about today, some people turned violent
“James the Just” encouraged people to do good deeds and work
Even in the face of persecution and often dealing with a big jerk
Many of his followers and readers would be tempted to retaliate
He said for them to have faith, persevere, and to love not hate
The first point Nate then talked about was the “sin of partiality”
Highlighting that we were all made in God’s image, “imago dei”
If we show favoritism, it implies one part of God we value more
Instead, remember that who we are in Christ should be our core
God loves us no matter what, but He also wants more from us
Differences among believers are irrelevant, Paul did oft discuss
In verses eight through eleven, James says favoritism is sin
If not merciful, we face judgment without mercy - with chagrin
Nate then quoted six reasons James said favouritism is wrong
Although he also said that the full list would be extremely long
When thinking about what this means for each of us individually
It is not merely a matter of those we come in contact with daily
Although we can all treat each person the same and with respect
There are situations with refugees and modern slavery to correct
Using a website, Nate has sixty eight slaves supporting his lifestyle
His points were hard hitting, making everyone think for quite a while
The second point Nate highlighted was about faith and action
“Grace+faith=salvation+good works” applies to every faction
From verse fourteen onwards, James talks about faith and deeds
We are called righteous when above our faith, our action exceeds
Every individual is God-created and part of a global community
By our love and actions, our Christian faith others will clearly see
Opportunities arise if we look at situations with a new perspective
Other societies and socio-economic groups can see how we live
Nate said the gospel is good news, but doesn’t always have advice
But is a way of life, in response to the fact that Jesus paid the price
In summary, Nate asked how we are being partial and what we can do
And with our every action, would James say that our stated faith is true
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