August 1, 2004

Rev. Rurel Ausley

Don't Judge A Book By It’s Cover!!
James 2:1-13

1. How many times have you heard, "Don't judge a book by it’s cover!"? What was that simple admonition trying to communicate? Can you illustrate some time when you judged someone prematurely only to find out later you were wrong? How should our Christian values differ from the world's about what is on the inside/outside of a person? (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 Sam. 16:7) Yet, how often and in how many ways do we "judge people by appearances"?

2. Read James 2:1-13. James gives us four reasons why we should not mistreat people, anytime, but especially just because of appearance. What is the very first reason that James exhorts people not to show favoritism? (2:1) What is it about Jesus that should make us not show favoritism? (Matt. 22:16) Name and discuss some biblical characters in whom Jesus saw their future vs. their past. (Ex. Zaccheus, Matthew) How was his whole ministry one of looking at the potential of people? What was Jesus' own personal experience of being judged? (Is. 53:3; John 1:11) How did Jesus respond to the religious leaders when they did this? (John 7:24) If we look at everyone through the eyes of faith, how would we respond to people?

3. James says secondly that God relates to us because of God's grace. (2:5-7) What did James say about the poor? How were Jesus' disciples even confused about the issue of riches? What did Jesus say about the rich? Why do you think that is so? Why does having a lot make it hard to put God first in your life? What does it say about us that we are impressed with people who have a lot? Is God impressed? (Ps. 49:16, 17) How impressed are we by money? How does God's grace force us to relate to people not on the basis of human merit or social status but by God's plan?

4. We are not to show favoritism, thirdly, because of God's Word. (2:8-11) To what does James refer to make his next point? (2:8) Why does he call it the royal law? Who does Jesus tell us is our neighbor? How can we fulfill God's law? (Rom.13:10) How can showing favoritism lead a person into disobeying all of God's law?

5. Lastly, we don't show favoritism because of God's judgment. (2:12-13) How will our words be judged? (2:3) How will our deeds be judged? How will our attitudes toward others be judged? How can we show mercy to people? James tells us that one of the tests of the reality of our faith is how we treat other people. Can we pass the test?