Living the Gospel of Love

"Love your neighbors as you love yourself" - James 2:8

   This was the central theme verse of last night's CONNECT Service found in James 2:1-13 as preached by Kuya Francis Tupaz. This letter of James speaks to the Christians at that time. This verse particularly talks about love, but in a different light. We kept on talking about love in the context of courtship and relationship, and it's not wrong. But if we try to see the bigger picture, there are more aspects of love: love of God, love of others, and love towards brothers and sisters.

  James 2:1-13 also focuses on the the issue of the sin of partiality. Favoritism or partiality really happens, even during the time of James, especially in the Church. Poor were not treated equally with the rich people.

  Mahatma Gandhi, in his biography tells that he has read the gospel a lot, he even wanted to be converted as a Christian but he was stumbled when he went to a church and a minister once told him, "Go to your own kind". Then he told himself, "I will do the principles of a Christian but I will never be a Christian." Now, Mahatma Gandhi is known to be one of the pillars of Hinduism. See his influence? It all came to happen simply because he was stumbled by a minister who displayed partiality.

  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." What if God only showed favor to the Jews?  What if God's Word was only made available to the Jews? Where would all of us be? We should not show partiality because of these three points: First, it is commanded of us NOT to; second, the Gospel is not partial; lastly, it doesn't emulate the love of Jesus. 

We should not show partiality because IT IS COMMANDED OF US NOT TO. James 2:1 says, 
"My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism." Romans 2:11 also speaks about God not being partial. It says, "For God does not show favoritism." We are not to show partiality because it doesn't communicate love. In one way or another, whether we intentionally do it or not, we tend to show partiality to others even in the church by these three factors: First, by social status; second by race; and lastly by physical appearance. 

   We show partiality by social status. In Jewish tradition, wearing ring is a norm to show someone's social status. Ring wast their status symbol that time. And so, the people who are coming from a rich family gets more favored over the poor. We also show partiality by race, and an example of which was the experience that Gandhi had when a minister told him that he should look for his own group. Scriptures tells us in the book of Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." We also show partiality by physical appearance. James 2:3 says, "If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” As Christians, we are not supposed to treat others based on their looks or the clothes they wear. Because God doesn't look at the outward appearance but He looks at the heart, and so should we.

Second, we should not show partiality because THE GOSPEL IS NOT PARTIAL. Acts 10:34 says, " Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism" The Word of God tells us clearly that indeed God does not show favoritism. As His children, we are expected not to show partiality simply because God and His Word itself are not partial. With regards to the availability of His Word, He made it available for the both rich and poor. Mark 16:15 tells us, He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." We should not be selective of the people whom we share the Word and love of God. We are not to be partial not only in sharing the Gospel but also in terms on how we receive it. We are not to be partial in abiding with the truth that the Bible tells us. Obedience of the word should not be selective. God's word is absolute. Therefore, we should not treat His commands as if it is a buffet table, only choosing what we think and feel that is convenient for us. Selective obedience is disobedience. 

Lastly, we should not show partiality because IT DOESN'T EMULATE THE LOVE OF GOD. James 2:8 says, "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right." The royal law mentioned here is found in Leviticus 19:15 that says, "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly." The royal law mentioned in James 2:8, "Love your neighbors as yourself" capsulized the whole idea of the law. If you show favoritism, you don't communicate love, if you don't communicate love, you are no different from sinners (lawbreakers). Just as God's salvation is impartial, we as the recipient of that salvation and of God's grace, we should not be impartial because God did not show partiality. 

  We can live out a life without partiality with the way we treat others. John 13:34-35 tells us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” If become partial, the Church will die, if we are going to be selective of the people whom we share the gospel with, the Church will die. The question is, how much will it take us to step up to reach out to people? 

We should not be selective of people. Moreover, God tells us that we have to love even whom we regard as the "unlovable". Matthew 5 44-47 tells us,  ^"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  

    ^{Whatever it is that we do right now, it has a ripple effect. A little act of kindness that you do right now can make a difference. Do not wait for that chance of doing great or big act of kindness. Let us stop by being mere hearers of the Word but be the doers of the Word by loving one another, without partiality and favoritism. A simple Hi  and Hello can serve as your starters in showing love and kindness to others.}





 
 

All is Well

"All is well that ends well." 

I've been hearing that  cliche a lot of times. But what does that phrase really mean? According to a dictionary, it is  an event that has a good ending even if some things went wrong along the way. 

     

    Have you ever had that "all is well" moments? It's such an amusing moment right? That feeling when you ran out of words to explain just how thankful you are that you were able to huddle a a task despite the impediments that come your way. 

    This week has been pretty tough for me. I am a class adviser of second year students and part of my job as an adviser is to consolidate the grades and prepare a progress report card. It was an arduous task; I had to undergo a long process and consolidating, encoding, and reading of the grades. I had to do a series of counter checks to ensure that I'll be giving the grades which are really due for my students. 

   For days. I've been going home late from school for I have to spend more time for it, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to accomplish it on time. I was one of the teachers who submitted my consolidations late and that had a ripple effect. Things got tougher as I thought it would be. I lost track of everything that I forgot to follow the protocol and so it made my task more complicated as it was supposed to be. 

  I grew tired and weary, I was hopeless that time thinking what would happen if I would not be able to produce report cards. I was also frustrated about myself; I am a perfectionist type and I want things to get done smoothly and considering that instance is such a mess, I got myself all messed up too. 

 The night before the cards out activity, I was really anxious and restless but I chose to rest in God's presence, I sought His face and I was exhorted. As I browse on His Words, it led me to Hebrews 6:17-18 and it says, God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged."  

  That verse helped me to remember that God is gracious and His promises are true, He will deliver me from and through the adversaries that I am going through. 

 True enough, God fulfilled His promise.