Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are not to show favoritism within the house of God.

People with similar personality characteristics to that of your own are easy to love. Sharing similar interest in music, sports or theology makes it easy to love and “hang out” with another person. Often inside of the church Christians who share common interests tend to form together into social clicks. Those who belong to the dominant social click tend to favor their own over those who are on the outside looking in!

It is hard to welcome in and make room for people who are different than oneself. For example, if I love but you hate sports then are you really going to “hang out” with me when most of my time I spend either watching or participating in a sporting event? If you love television but I find it boring will I really want to “hang out” with you to watch television? Finding common interests to help form a bond of friendship can be difficult. Differences in age, gender, social upbringing, occupation, marital status, spiritual maturity and a variety of other factors can make this search for commonality exasperating.

I believe this is why James begins chapter two by stating those “believers in the Lord” should not show favorites. Our status as Christians and Ambassador’s of Christ is the common ground that we all possess. Church members share the common goal of loving God and one another which can only be accomplished by including all people within a “single” body of Christ. Is it a sin to only invite those inside of one’s social click to a dinner at your house? It it a sin to not invite people to your house because they are not as spiritually mature as you think you are? YES according to James exclusion of like believers for any reason is a sin!

Since the ground is level at the foot of the cross, our speech and actions must reflect a genuine desire to love all believers equally and with the same love Christ showed us:

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:10, NIV)

I try very hard to include all people within my social group. Being image bearers forgiven by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is more than enough reason for me to make room for them within my life. If Christ only included those who were exactly like Him – sinless – to whom would He have included in the kingdom of God?