Expository & Systematic Bible Study – James Series 08/04/2024

Study 9: THE SCRIPTURE-BASED IMPARTIALITY OF

TRUE BRETHREN IN CHRIST
James 2:1-7

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory,
with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a
gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile
raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say
unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there,
or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are
become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God
chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he
hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not
rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they
blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?” (James 2:1-7). The
Apostle was asking a lot of questions to make us think about the way we accept the
faith and practice the faith once delivered unto the saints. The way you act out your
Christian faith does it shows that you have a balanced understanding of the faith. Do
you practice partiality in your interaction with people? Do you have the real and
transparent faith that shows that what you care for is the revelations of the word of
God, or do you have the faith with respect of persons?

You come into Christ when you are born again, and receive Him as your Lord and
Saviour in your heart and life. Then you become brethren in the family of God of
people who do the word of God and follow His footsteps. There are false brethren in
Christ whose lives do not reflect the very life of Christ. They are nominal, superficial,
and church-going Christians who do not have the word of God in their hearts and
lives. But the true brethren are those who live in the Bible-based impartiality.

1. THE BLESSED FAITHFULNESS AND IMPARTIALITY OF THE LORD OF

GLORY
James 2:1

The Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ is our Perfect Example and Model, and we walk in His
footsteps, He has that impartiality that we follow as Christians. “My brethren, have

1
not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”
(James 2:1). Jesus Christ is the Lord of Grace, Godliness, Godly and of Glory Who
have no respect of persons. He is the Impartial Christ.

(i) The God of Glory, Impartial, without Respect of Persons - Acts 7:2; 2 Chronicles
19:7; Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34. “And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers,
hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in
Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,” (Acts 7:2). As the Father is referred to
as the God of Glory, so is Christ Who is One with the Father is referred to as the Lord
of Glory. “Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and
do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons,
nor taking of gifts.” (2 Chronicles 19:7). God is Holy, and He does not take bribes.
You cannot bribe God with fasting or calling Him some great names, or with money
bags. If your life is sinful and evil, you cannot bribe God with anything because He is
the God of Glory, and does not take bribes. “For the LORD your God is God of gods,
and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not
persons, nor taketh reward:” (Deuteronomy 10:17) Whatever we are or have in the
natural, it does not make God to accept us if there is no repentance. Absalom had
that beauty, but that was not acceptable before God. “Then Peter opened his mouth,
and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:” (Acts 10:34).
If we say that we are true ministers of God, we must be like God that we do not have
respect of persons, or take bribes to put people in position. We must be impartial in
our dealings with all men as Christians and leaders in the Church.

(ii) The Lord of Glory, Perfectly free from Respect of Persons - James 2:1; Matthew
22:16; Romans 2:9-11,16; James 3:17. “And they sent out unto him their disciples
with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest
the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest
not the person of men.” (Matthew 22:16). Although they came with pretence, yet
they knew. This is what the Herodians, persecutors and the religious people do, they
will use you to destroy, and defame you. Are we Christlike, that we behave like Christ,
to be impartial and having no respect of persons in our dealing with all men? There
are people who overlook the sinful lives of people and blindly still support them
because they are their benefactors. Christ does nothing like that, He deals with people
on the basis of the word of God. There is no milk of human nature with Christ in His
dealings with men. “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth
evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to
every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For
there is no respect of persons with God. In the day when God shall judge the
secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” (Romans 2:9-11,16).
Jews or Gentiles, it is the way of repentance and salvation. We don’t look at their
physical appearance, tribes, or languages, but that they walk in the good ways of the
word of God. Can you be godly, God-like and live like God that you have no respect of
persons? “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable,
gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17). Any wisdom that makes you live
in iniquity is not the wisdom from God. We cannot compromise the word of God and
2
allow ourselves to go to Hell because we want to be at peace with all men. It is
impossible to do that. This is the wisdom from God that you are impartial in leadership.
May the Lord grant us the consistency and courage to know that this is the way to
live therein, to be holy and impartial in our dealings with all men.

(iii) The Lifters of His Glory, Impartial, without Respect of Persons - Deuteronomy
16:19-20; Proverbs 24:21-23; James 2:9; 1 Timothy 5:20-21. “My son, fear thou the
LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For
their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons
in judgment.” (Proverbs 24:21-23). Christians and people of God should not meddle
with people who are giving to change. Whoever we are dealing with the Scripture is
always the same. We do not exalt science above the word of God. The Lord gives you
the grace to abide in this simple and clear teaching of the word of God. “Them that
sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. I charge thee before God, and
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things
without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.” (1 Timothy
5:20-21). It is not the preacher to fear the people he is preaching to, but the people
who are not living right are to fear on the basis of the word of God that we are
preaching. We are to do nothing by partiality, and we do not prefer anyone above and
beyond another.

2. THE BROTHERLY FELLOWSHIP, WITHOUT PARTIALITY, LIVING BY HIS

GOSPEL
James 2:1-4

(i) Fresh Focus on Brethren in the Faith - James 1:2,16,19-20; 2:1,5,14; 3:1,10,12;
4:11; 5:7,9-10,12,19-20. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations; Do not err, my beloved brethren. Wherefore, my beloved brethren,
let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of
man worketh not the righteousness of God. My brethren, have not the faith of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. Hearken, my
beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and
heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? What
doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not
works? can faith save him? My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that
we shall receive the greater condemnation. Out of the same mouth proceedeth
blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Can the fig
tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain
both yield salt water and fresh. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He
that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the
law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the
law, but a judge. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath
long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Grudge not one
against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth
before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name
3
of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. But above
all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth,
neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye
fall into condemnation. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one
convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error
of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
(James 1:2,16,19-20; 2:1,5,14; 3:1,10,12; 4:11; 5:7,9-10,12,19-20). He was
writing to the brethren. Don’t allow any anger in you, slow to wrath. Anger does not
improve anything in the Church, and does not make us more holy, righteous and
Rapturable. James wrote to the brethren, those who have the grace of God in them,
and not of the world. If you are a master and preacher of the word that you do not do
what you are preaching, then a greater condemnation will come upon you from the
Lord. The grace of God restrains us from speaking evil of the brethren. The world does
not have the ability to be patient but those of us who are Christians have the ability
and grace to be patient. True believers do not carry the pregnancies of grudges about.
A believer is not in the ability of swearing. You always tell the truth as it is. We must
be forthright as brethren, and as you read this Epistle of James, you must pay close
attention to the writing, because it was written for the brethren.

(ii) Faultless Fellowship among Brethren without Favouritism - James 2:1-4;

Leviticus 19:15; Proverbs 28:21; Jude 1:16. “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in
judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person
of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.” (Leviticus
19:15). This is under the Old Covenant before the great grace came into the lives of
the people of God. We must not have respect of persons, and everything we do in
judgement, we must do in righteousness. “To have respect of persons is not good:
for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.” (Proverbs 28:21). To have
respect of persons in leadership, or appointing people into responsibilities is not good.
We must be impartial. “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their
own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's
persons in admiration because of advantage.” (Jude 16). Pray that God will set
us right ready for the Rapture in Jesus Name.

(iii) Forthright Faithfulness in Builders of the Faith - Jude 1:20-25; 1

Thessalonians 3:10-13; Luke 18:8; Hebrews 11:5-6. Those who are called to build the
faith of others and themselves are to have forthright faithfulness. Titles or positions
in the Church do not take anyone to Heaven, it means nothing in the sight of the Lord.
What matters before God is holiness without which no man shall see the Lord, clean
hands and a pure heart and follow peace with all men, these are what matters in the
sight of the Lord. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion,
making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;
hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep
you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty,
dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 20-25). The Lord will keep
4
you. “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son
of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). When the Son of
Man comes, shall He find righteousness, holiness, faith, faithfulness, fidelity,
impartiality, and grace on earth? “By faith Enoch was translated that he should
not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before
his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith
it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he
is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:5-
6). Men-pleasers, people-pleasers, and society-pleasers will not make it at the Rapture.
What is your goal in the faith? Why are you a believer?

3. THE BLAMELESS FOLLOWERS, WITH PERSEVERANCE, OF THE LIFE OF

GODLINESS
James 2:5-7

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world
rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that
love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and
draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name
by the which ye are called?” (James 2:5-7). They blasphemy the Name of the Lord.
You make people outside the Kingdom because they cannot see you abiding in the
word of the Lord.

(i) The Righteous Heirs of the Promised Kingdom - James 2:5; 1 Corinthians 1:26-
28; Romans 8:14-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:12-14. “Hearken, my beloved brethren,
Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the
kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5). “For ye
see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the
world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which
are not, to bring to nought things that are:” (1 Corinthians 1:26-28). “For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with
our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may
be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:14-17). As many as are led by the spirit of
the world, are the sons of the world. But when you are born again, that you are now
led by the Spirit of God, then you are the sons of God. You live under fear when you
are in bondage of sin. You will be glorified with Him.

(ii) The Reproached Heirs in the Present Kingdom - James 2:6-7; 2 Corinthians 8:9;
Revelations 2:9-11; 3:9-12. This is the present kingdom of the world, that they belittle
the Church and Christ because of your behaviours and lifestyle. “But ye have
despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the
5
judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are
called?” (James 2:6-7). The people that you interact with, do they blasphemy the
Name of the Lord because of your behaviour and character? Do people blasphemy the
Lord by your actions and behaviours? Pray that the Lord will help you so that they
will not blasphemy the Name of God through you. “I know thy works, and
tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them
which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear
none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some
of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days:
be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that
overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” (Revelations 2:9-11). There
are people who say that they belong to Christ but in their character and lifestyle, they
deny Him, they are the synagogues of Satan.

(iii) The Rich Heirs of the Prevailing Kingdom - James 2:5; 2 Corinthians 6:10; 1
Corinthians 2:9-10; Revelations 3:17-21. “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not
God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which
he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5). When we are rich in faith,
we are rich in grace, fruits of the Spirit, love, prayer, joy, godliness, holiness, hope,
good actions, and activities. Tonight we want to come to God to enrich our faith, and
that we will live by the love of God and the grace of the Son of God Who loved us and
died for us.

Quotable Quotes from Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.

The way you act out your Christian faith does it shows that you have a balanced
understanding of the faith.

They are nominal, superficial, and church-going Christians who do not have the word
of God in their hearts and lives. But the true brethren are those who live in the Bible-
based impartiality.

Jesus Christ is the Lord of Grace, Godliness, Godly and of Glory Who have no respect
of persons. He is the Impartial Christ.

If your life is sinful and evil, you cannot bribe God with anything because He is the God
of Glory, and does not take bribes.

If we say that we are true ministers of God, we must be like God that we do not have
respect of persons, or take bribes to put people in position.

This is what the Herodians, persecutors and the religious people do, they will use you
to destroy, and defame you.

6
We are to do nothing by partiality, and we do not prefer anyone above and beyond
another.

Anger does not improve anything in the Church, and does not make us more holy,
righteous and Rapturable.

If you are a master and preacher of the word that you do not do what you are preaching,
then a greater condemnation will come upon you from the Lord.

True believers do not carry the pregnancies of grudges about.

To have respect of persons in leadership, or appointing people into responsibilities is not

good. We must be impartial.

Titles or positions in the Church do not take anyone to Heaven, it means nothing in the
sight of the Lord. What matters before God is holiness without which no man shall see
the Lord.

When the Son of Man comes, shall He find righteousness, holiness, faith, faithfulness,
fidelity, impartiality, and grace on earth?

Men-pleasers, people-pleasers, and society-pleasers will not make it at the Rapture.

The people that you interact with, do they blasphemy the Name of the Lord because of
your behaviour and character?

There are people who say that they belong to Christ but in their character and lifestyle,
they deny Him, they are the synagogues of Satan.

When we are rich in faith, we are rich in grace, fruits of the Spirit, love, prayer, joy,
godliness, holiness, hope, good actions, and activities.

Note:

This is an outline from the message preached by Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of the
Deeper Christian Life Ministry Worldwide at the Monday Bible Study in Lagos HQ Church, Nigeria, West Africa
on Monday 8th April 2024.

Watch the GS Message Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ma2ZjwJSVg