No Favoritism!

"...since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."
Ephesians 6:9

This is not a new idea.  God does not accept bribes or look at us and think, "Hmm, he has a lot of gold; I should be nicer to him."  No, He is maker of all and owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  And this has been taught from of old.

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes."  Dt. 10:17

"For God does not show favoritism." Rom 2:11

 We see also from scripture that God doles out punishment justly:

"It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism." Col. 3:24-25

In James we are given a greater glimpse as to why we also should not show favoritism.

"My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism." Jms 2:1 NIV
"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." Jms 2:1 New KJV

First of all we are not to show favoritism.  We are not to hold this faith in our Lord and show partiality.  It is in view of the Lord that all distinctions disappear.

Now the Greek could actually be translated (according to some experts) as "of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Glory"!  James is making an incredibly strong statement that this Jesus is Divine—He is the Shekinah Glory that filled the tabernacle in Moses' day.

But see that it as we come to the Lord Jesus, in the Light of His Glory, that all our distinctions evaporate and become as nothing.  It is in His Light that we see light (Ps. 36:9).  We are not to look at the outward appearances and the trappings and baubles that glitter and glint.  No, we are to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.  Then we will have the mind of Christ.

It's not as though we never make distinctions or judge things.  Remember how the Lord judges things?  He looks at the heart, not the appearance (1 Sam. 16:7).  We have to look upon things the way that the Lord looks upon them, and that is not through favoritism.  Remember that the only thing "that counts is faith expressing itself in love" (Gal 5:6).  We must remember that we are all one in Christ; all earthly distinctions that divide us are gone.  (Gal. 3:26 - 29).

Consider Peter in Acts 10.  He had the Old Testament, he was able to quote from it and had already preached powerfully from it.  But he still didn't understand this point.  But suddenly he was confronted with what God really thought:

"Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.”" Acts 10:34

We need to be confronted with the Glory of the Risen Lord and then we will see our place in His body correctly.  Then we will be useful to Him and to one another.