The Sin of Partiality: Part 2

The Word of God, Sheep, and Tough Love

James chapter 2, I was thinking about this message and isn't it wonderful that the Word of God gives to us through holy men of God that was moved by the Holy Spirit, breathed upon, the Spirit of God was breathing upon, they were moved, they wrote these wonderful words, it's in our language today, but as I was thinking about and preparing this message I could not help to think God's Word does not hold back the fullness of truth that what we need to hear, it's not what we want to hear, there's many itching ears out there today that want to hear what they want to hear, they have desires not to hear the truth and yet there are teachers out there that they cling to that give them what they want to hear, well it's not always what we want to hear, it's what we need to hear, it's like David in Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, it's the shepherd that leads us beside the still waters, he takes us where we need to be taken, you see, the sheep, if a sheep strays, sheep's dumb, they're going to lead, they're going to go somewhere they don't know, I saw this on Facebook, this wasn't planned, sheep got away from the flock, somebody posted it and they were shearing the sheep, this one needed to be sheared, he was away like five or six years, they found the sheep and the thing was like a huge, huge ball of wool and it was kind of funny looking, it's like the thing couldn't hardly walk and it's like look what happened to the sheep, it needed to be sheared, it didn't get sheared but it was in bad shape, thankfully the sheep was found and sheared, that's love, the shearing is love.

Well, and likewise, James the Apostle, he has a way to shear us, doesn't he? And scripture says that, when the Lord tends to his own sheep, it's tough love. Here in James chapter 2, there's tough love.

Now, what we've been looking at, this is part 2 of looking at, this little series we're looking at, Beware of Personal Favoritism, we're looking at the sin of partiality. Scripture has a lot to say about it, and I'm going to read all 13 verses, but in particular we're going to look at verses 18, I'm sorry, yeah, 8 through 13, 8 through 13, but I would like to read as a whole to get what we covered last week, a good portion of this, and he gives us a striking example of about personal favoritism that has happened, that actually happens within the church here, and that was a real example, I believe, that he was giving.

The Sin of Partiality in James 2

So, hear the word of the living God, as the Apostle James brings to us, Beware of Personal Favoritism. Verse 1, My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes and say, you sit here in a good place, and you say to the poor man, you stand over there and sit down by my footstool, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?

Listen, my beloved brethren, did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom in which he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. It is not the rich, is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbors as yourself. You are doing well.

But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are committing transgressions. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For he who said, do not commit adultery, also said, do not commit murder.

Now, if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law do. If you do not speak, you are a transgressor of the law of liberty.

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. God bless the reading of his word to our hearts this morning. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, you have given to us your holy word.

Oh, how thankful we are this morning. We fear and tremble before it. It can bring great comfort, but it can also strike, cut deep to the heart. But that's what we need. Father, we thank you for that. We thank you that it's a sharp, two-edged sword.

It pierces, it cuts, but it's the kind of cutting that brings the healing to our souls. Lord, may we be open to this kind of spiritual evaluation, spiritual surgery, so to speak. Father, may we be committed to a spiritual devotion, commitment of the heart.

This is what you require to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before you. Father, our prayer and our cry today is really summed up in one simple request. Oh, that we may see Jesus. Oh, that we may see Jesus.

This one request will change everything. And once we see him, there's healing to our souls. So, Father, because it transforms us and alters our lives totally and completely. So, Father, we ask this for your glory, and we ask it in the name of Jesus.

Amen and amen. The epistle of James is very practical. We saw that by the illustration we looked at last week, these first seven verses. Very, very practical and much more with day-to-day issues than with theology and doctrine, even though there is theology and doctrine there.

But James is, he comes right down to where we live, doesn't he? In a very usual sense. In the present passage we have just read, James is dealing with partiality, or you should say favoritism, in all thirteen verses.

Chapter 2 is made up of three parts. I've written it down in these three parts. Should I say three subjects are discussed by James. First of all is the duty of impartiality in the treatment of others.

He deals with this in verses 1 -9. The duty of impartiality in the treatment of others. That's really what he's talking about, is how to treat others, no matter what class and distinction. Secondly, it is divided up as the duty of yielding obedience to the whole law in order to have evidence of true religion, or true Christianity I should say.

Let me say that again. And this is what we're going to be looking at today. The second part of this is the duty of yielding obedience to the whole law in order to have evidence of true Christianity. That's found in verses 10 -13 and that's what we're going to look at.

But third, Lord willing, we're going to be going in this direction. The last part of this chapter is dealing with the subject of justification. Showing that working faiths are necessary in order that a person may be justified.

Notice what I said, working faith. It's faith that works. It's not works and our works that saves us, but it's the works of Christ. But there's something that happens in our life and works follows it.

So we're going to be looking at that. A lot of gray areas in that, but the word of God makes it very clear. There's no contradictions. And it basically deals with being justified or esteemed. That's another word of justification, esteemed, declared righteous before a holy God.

How I can be right before God. And as I said before, Paul deals with that before the eyes of God and James deals with it before the eyes of men. And James deals with this in verses 14 -26 and I can't wait to go in those verses.

It's beautiful the way he brings this out. But Lord willing, we'll be looking at this third part beginning next Lord's Day as God wills it. But to recap a little bit to you that was not here last Lord's Day.

We covered last Lord's Day. We saw that the first nine verses of this chapter that James deals with is how we are to treat people. That's got to be emphasized and we see a lot of mistreatment in churches today and that's the one place it should not happen, but it still happens, doesn't it?

There's redeemed sinners and there is mistreatment and there's reasons for this. There's no justification for it before God as far as God's concerned because the law is perfect and the standard is perfect.

So we saw in these first nine verses how James deals with how we are to treat people in different strata of society. He answers the questions such as how do you treat the rich man when he comes in the church or the assembly?

How do you treat the poor man when he comes into the assembly, rich or poor, black or white, no matter what class? He deals with it, doesn't he? The Word of God deals with our everyday circumstances and that's what I love about James.

He's very practical, very, very practical. It's Christianity in shoe leather and he deals with, actually here's another, some things he deals with. He deals with God's war on poverty and interestingly enough he also deals with God's war on riches.

That's what the Word of God, and the Word of God has a lot to say about riches, much. There was to be no favoritism whatsoever on account of rank, birth, color, wealth or even clothing, attire, apparel, however you want to say it.

The case to which the apostle refers for an illustration of this is that where two persons, and we saw this, should come into the assembly of meeting of Christians, worshipers, one is elegantly dressed and the other is poorly dressed and they should assign to the latter.

The poor, a more humble place, and the reasons which the apostle assigns should not do is this. Number one, and like I said, the reasons which the apostle assigns is this, that we should not do this, and I'm just going to clip some quick corners here, that God, number one, has chosen the poor of this world and haven't selected his friends mainly for them.

We see that in verse five, if you notice in verse five, that, listen my beloved brethren, did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith? And heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him?

Yes, those are the ones that God, most of the time, there are some rich, it doesn't say not any, it says not many. And it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, isn't it? We see that.

So God has chosen in verse five, excuse me, okay, secondly, because rich men in fact oppressed the poor, they oppressed the poor and showed that they were worthy of no special regard. We see that in verse six, notice what verse six says, but you have dishonored the poor man.

Is it not the rich who oppress you, personally drag you into court? And you see the situation, the word oppressed literally means to tyrannize, a reference to civil court. And I'm sure it got very, very ugly.

We're not going to look at that, we capped on that a little bit. And third, because they were often found among revilers, in fact despised their religion, we see this in verse seven. Notice what it says in verse seven, do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

MacArthur notes here, probably a reference to religious courts, wealthy Jewish opponents of Christ were harassing these poor Christians. And there is a reference here that is given to us about this that Jesus refers to in John chapter 16, verses two through four.

This is what he said to his disciples they will make you outcast from the synagogue, but an hour is coming. Notice that, he was saying, guaranteed this is going to happen. An hour is coming, and for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.

In verse three, this is the words of Jesus, these things, these things that he's talking about, suffering, persecution to the church, to his people. In other words, he says, expect it, it's going to happen.

These things they will do because they have not known the Father or me. And then he goes on to say, but these things, notice how many times he's saying, these things, he's talking about sufferings, I have spoken to you so that when their hour comes, and I love this, he's telling them this, that you may remember that I have told of them to you.

These things I did not say to you at all at the beginning because I was with you. Now what is he talking about? Technically he didn't need to warn them at that time, but now he's giving warning. Why? Because he was there to protect them.

He is the great shepherd of the sheep. He is the protector of the sheep. A sheep is always safe close to a shepherd, right? What happens when the shepherd goes away? Well, they're not under his protection, but that's why he says, I'm going to give you another comforter.

And if you notice in the context of this in John 15, 16, and 17, he gives warnings, and then what he does, he turns right around, he gives promises to assure their hearts, to encourage their hearts. I love that about the Lord, don't you?

He gives warnings, and that's absolutely pure truth and action. That's pure compassion for his own. He gives them the truth, he gives them the warnings, and that's what a true shepherd does. He warns the flock of the dangers, but yet he comes back and he gives promises to guarantee everything.

But everything Jesus tells him is right there and it comes true. And he's talking about martyrdom. He's talking about persecution. He's talking about sufferings. And to the early church, this was very real.

And by the way, it's very real today in other parts of the country. So because he was there, he protected his sheep like a good shepherd, protecting his own, keeping them from harm. But now he warns of his own, of persecution to come, and tells them why and what reason they were to persecute you.

And he says it, thinking these people will persecute you and put you to death, thinking that they are offering service to God. Now let me pause right here and insert this of what's happening today in our world.

The Muslims in Islam, they are very, very devout in what they're doing. They really do think that what they're doing in beheading and killing people in the name of Allah is something that they're really going to get some reward in eternity.

And look at how real Satan is. This evil is real. It's evil and it's deceptive. And it shows you Satan is alive on this earth as well. But there is a God in heaven that's over all. And sometimes you sit back and people think, why does God allow such evil?

But God's in control, folks. He is in full control. We don't understand a lot of this. And I'm telling you, there's some things on social media, be careful what you see. I came across something the other day and I should not have seen it.

It was a live witness of a death from an Islamic. And that image is stamped in my mind and I'll tell you, it's such a sobering thing of the evil that's before us. There's people dying for the name of Christ and even some not for the name of Christ, but these people are so serious and annihilating anyone that does not bow to Islam, to Allah.

So we need to be wise, don't we? We need to be, I believe the Lord would want us to be defense, to have defense. But in every way we can, for his name's sake, Jesus was very well, in that time, terrorism was real.

That's what I'm saying. Now why I'm saying that is Paul the Apostle was saved. Before Paul was converted to Jesus Christ, he was a terrorist. Saul of Tarsus literally had Christians put to death. He had the authority to do this.

He personified this attitude as he persecuted the church, thinking he was doing service to God. That's what he said. But he was, of course he was taught under the law of God, but the law, as you well know, condemns and puts to death.

He didn't see grace and mercy until he met Jesus Christ, or should I say Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. After Paul's conversion, he was the persecutor, he became the persecuted. You ever wonder why Paul took persecution so powerfully, gracefully, I should say, in a way that he was not hardly anybody else you could see?

This man was incredible. Read his life. He even gives it at times. He's stoned three times. He's shipwrecked. He's beaten. He's naked. He's destitute. He goes on. I was beaten with many stripes here. He's put in dungeons and he's put in chains and he's in much, much affliction.

Jesus said this is what he's chosen to do. Now, that doesn't sound like a calling of glamour to be an apostle, does it? Chosen to suffer. This man was chosen to suffer. But look at what came out of all that suffering.

And the more he suffered, the more closer he came to Jesus. You know, a lot of times we look at suffering, and some of you have gone through much suffering. Ms. Lillian, I know it's gone down some roads of suffering that none of us ever see here.

Different roads that God has for each one of us, right? But suffering, the way the early Christians looked at it was a privilege. And they counted it joy to be closer to Jesus. Now, we look at it as, oh wow, it's such a pain.

You know what it is? We're babies to pain. And don't get me wrong, I don't like pain myself, do you? But you know it's in the midst of the heartache and pain. C .S. Lewis said this, God whispers to us in our comforts.

But when pain comes, he shouts to us. It's like you hear God so clearly. You see Christ closer. So when we start seeing the sufferings, and that's why you hear a lot of false teachers, they won't talk about suffering.

But that's the way we get close to Christ. When Paul said in Philippians that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, he didn't leave it there, did he? But the fellowship of his sufferings. The fellowship of his sufferings.

And you see this, we need to count this joy. And for his name's sake, when it does come to us, and when the hour does come, and Jesus said that you may remember. That's what we need to be reminded of.

And fourth, let me say this, there's the most important of all that this is where we pick up today. And that's because the law of God has required that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. And that they did this, in doing this, it was all that was demanded.

And that standard is high. That's what we're going to look at. That is, to love, that love of man was not to be set aside, the love for man, by the love of splendid clothing. And James deals with this in a very profound, clear way.

The Royal Law and Loving Your Neighbor

So, I really only have one point today. So that's enough, I believe, since I'm a long-winded preacher, I have to watch myself. I'm trying to narrow this thing down. And I'm trying to look at my clock more and more here.

So we're going to look at one point, and this is this, and I already mentioned it. The duty of yielding obedience to the whole law in order to have evidence of true Christianity. The duty of yielding obedience to the whole law in order to have evidence of true Christianity.

And we'll look at some applications. So, let's look at verse 8. Look at verse 8. However you are fulfilling the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You are doing well.

Well, the subject seems to have introduced in accordance with the general principles of the apostle's goal in this epistle. And that is pure religion and undefiled. We looked at that, and that's what he's talking about.

This is pure religion and undefiled. And should I say, true Christianity consists of the obedience to God's work. It's better to obey than to sacrifice. Because when we obey, we truly show our love toward our God.

Now, we're going to look at this. This consists in the obedience to God's word. Obeying the law of God. Obedience to the commandments of Jesus Christ. Not that we are saved by keeping them. Now, I want to make that crystal clear.

We're not saved by keeping the law or the commandments of Jesus Christ. But the faith in which is by God is a gift of grace. It produces good works. There's a vast difference. Regeneration comes first.

Then from out from regeneration and the changed life that God gives us, there produces and follows good works for His workmanship. It's not backward. A lot of people have got it backwards. From the outward inside, but it's in the side out.

It's not reformation, it's regeneration. So it's a gift of grace. It produces good works. So as verse 8 says, he calls it the royal law. Look at this. The royal law. I like that, don't you? That word royal.

It's better translated. There's another translation and it says the sovereign law. So what do you think of when you think of sovereign and royal? You think of a king. You think of majesty. That's what you think.

And that's exactly what's in James' mind. The thought is that the law of God is supreme. And it's binding. It's supreme. It's the highest in the universe. And this is the highest law in the entire universe of God in which He created.

The law of God. The king. We have the king. What James is doing here, he's reaching back into the Old Testament. That's what he's doing. He does this a lot and you notice all the apostles did that. Even Peter when he preached on the day of Pentecost.

He goes into the Old Testament. Shame, I'm telling you, shame on these heretics that say the Old Testament is no longer for us. Who in the world? Why rip out 39 books that was inspired and say I only have 27?

We believe in all 66. You see what I'm saying? You've got to have the both. You've got to have the law. You've got to have the gospel. Well James is reaching into Leviticus 19 .18 and what does it say?

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. That's powerful. Very powerful. Jesus speaks of this in the parable of the Good Samaritan. We looked at that last week and told us that our neighbor is anyone who needs help.

There's a lot of people that's needy and there's a lot of people that needs help. We also have to be wise of course. But mainly we want to talk about people who truly are in need, truly need help. And there's plenty of people out there in that situation.

So we see this in Luke chapter 10. I'm not going to go there but you know the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Levite passes by and you have people passing by and they pay no attention. One showed compassion, the Good Samaritan, the mixed breed.

He showed compassion and it's not a matter of geography is it? But it's a matter of, I think Brother Keith nailed it this morning, opportunity. Now opportunity is there and this is what he's talking about.

Opportunity and the important question is not who is my neighbor? That's not the question. Really the important question is to whom can I be a neighbor? That's the question. And we have plenty of opportunity to be a neighbor to many a people.

You know really that's what the gospel is all about. It's taking it to people that need it. And that's what they need most. And Jesus taught us. There is a sense of taking care of the outward needs to go toward the inward need.

The inward need is the aim, is the heart. And we know we can't change people, right? It's the gospel that changes them. But how can we take that gospel to people? And we got to remember this. We cannot change their hearts, right?

The results is to God's. But it's ours to obey, to take the gospel and to be compassionate and to show the love of God in real simple way. So you take it from the very top. Why is love your neighbor called the royal law?

Well I like this. For one thing it is given by God the Father. He's the King. He is the King. There's a theocracy in the scripture who gave the law. The Father gave the law. And God the Son, Jesus Christ, reaffirmed that law to his disciples.

You see this. And if you get this, you can pretty much understand what God is after. And actually he wants our hearts to love him. What's the first great command? Is to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, your strength.

Love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said on this great command you can, it's fulfilled in all the law and the prophets. It's all there. And Jesus did this. Now I don't know about you. When I just quoted that I said, immediately something within me said I don't do this.

How about you? Now do we fail to do this? Absolutely. I got good news for you. Jesus fulfilled it. Now if we go in Jesus name, but does that mean that we set aside our works and say we don't know. We strive to do this because we're children of God.

Because there's a family resemblance. Now in John 13 34 Jesus reaffirmed it. A new commandment I give to you. That you love one another even as I have loved you. That's a powerful love. That you also love one another.

Notice that what he said. He stresses it again. The importance of it. And God the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with God's love. And he expects us to share this with others. Now let me say this. Romans according to Romans 5 5 the scripture says and hope does not disappoint.

Stop right there. We're talking about a living hope. We're talking about the only hope that this world has. And that's in Jesus Christ. The only hope. And I just mentioned about these other religions.

They're out there killing people thinking they're doing something right before their God. But the gospel gives a living hope. And it does not disappoint. Let us remember that. When we give this gospel to people out there that are in desperate need of it.

Let us remember that the gospel is a living hope. And these people have no hope. We got to remember that. They are desperately without hope. And Brother Keith and Fee are encountering this. It's a reality isn't it?

They shared this and this girl shared her whole life it seems on email. And I read just almost all of it. It's incredible. I'm telling you. People need Jesus. Desperately. But some people and we look at it.

Well they're put there by their own bad choices and circumstances. Well naturally they don't have any wisdom. They don't make the right choices. They go into disaster and they look at the sin. They look at the fruit.

It's pleasure to die into the flesh and they partake of it. What happens? There's deceit. There's lies. There's abuse. And then it plummets them downward. Downward. It doesn't promise what it's supposed to promise.

The wages of sin is death. The gift of God's eternal life through Jesus Christ. But yeah I want to live my soul my wild oats and have fun to the flesh. Yeah. Well that's disaster. It's going to bring a person down.

There's no wisdom in sin beloved. Period. Sin makes you stupid doesn't it. And it will continue to make people stupid. But think of this. The beginning of wisdom is fear God. Once you start fearing God.

How can you do this on your own? There has to be something happen at divine intervention. And it is the gospel. The gospel comes and it says but God. But God. But God. And that's what happens. And as I was about to share the scripture Romans five five and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been shed abroad or poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given us.

That's regeneration. So how can we have the love of God in our heart unless God supernaturally changes our heart. To give it. So the love of God has been lavishly. That's the way I like to look. It's been lavishly shed on you and poured in your heart.

That's mercy. And that's what James is eventually going to give to us. Mercy and we're going to look at justice. Judgment. But that mercy has been lavishly given to us. Something that we do not deserve.

It's an act of God's grace that has been implanted within our hearts. Evidence that we belong to him and that we love the one who first loved us. How can we give compassion unless God unless we have received compassion.

You see. And that's what scripture teaches. Scripture teaches that true believers are taught of God to love one another. You see that in first Thessalonians four nine. They've even been taught of God to love one another.

Right. So why does why does this always happen in churches. One answer. Sin. What's what's James dealing with here. He's talking to. What did he say. Notice right here in the verse. Verse five. Listen.

My beloved brethren. He's talking about brothers and sisters in Christ. He's given them a rebuke. He's. And that's love. And he's given them illustrations. But you notice. We'll see this in just a minute.

He calls partiality sin. Period. He calls it like it is because of sin. James here is dealing with the sin of partiality. And think of this. There would be no need for thousands of complex laws in our nation or in this world.

And each citizen. If everyone truly loved his neighbor. Did you ever think of that. There would be no need for it. If we truly loved our brothers and our sister and our neighbor. James goes to the royal law.

The supreme law. The love your neighbor as yourself. And I like what MacArthur says here. He says this of this verse. The sovereign law quoted from Leviticus 1918. When combined with the command to love God.

In Deuteronomy 6 4 and 5. Summarizes all the law and the prophets. According to what Jesus said in Matthew 22 36 through 40. James is not advocating some kind of emotional affection for oneself. Self love is clearly a sin.

And you see this in 2 Timothy 3 2 where people will be lovers of themselves. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. And then there's a list. Bam bam bam. Love and money and this and all these false things.

But rather he goes on to say this. Rather the command to pursue meeting the physical health and spiritual well being of one's neighbor. All within the sphere of our influence. With the same intensity and concern as one does naturally for oneself.

End quote. That's well put isn't it? I mean you know if we care for ourselves and we take time for ourselves and we pamper ourselves. He's saying we should do that in helping others. We should do that with that same kind of sacrifice.

Really if you want to look at it. Scriptural agape love is sacrificial love. It's not this warm fuzzy feelings. You see what I'm saying? Love is not based upon just a feeling. It's willingness. It's sacrifice.

And by the way the Bible looks at it. If you look at Christ's love it was a willingness to die. He died. He had a willingness. I don't know if you know this but read the gospel. It's almost like Jesus is so willing to die.

It's like other people when Peter rebuked him being used of Satan. Be it far from you Lord to go to the cross. Get thee behind me Satan. In other words Jesus was his mind. One thing was on his mind to do the Father's will and was to die on that cross.

Nothing else mattered to Jesus. And he knew why he had to do it. Folks isn't that great love? He did that for you and me so that we can obtain eternal life. He was so I mean narrowed into that one great desire.

That's love. That's talking about the love of God. And if you look at what he went through physically and spiritually it's an incredible love. The more I think about it the more it humbles me. I'm thinking who that is who did this for my soul and salvation.

It's incredible. This is a place of worship right there. But what does he do? It is a great love. So one of man's reasons why this is the royal I'm sorry one of the main reasons why this is the royal law is that obeying it makes you and I like kings and priests unto God.

Did you ever think of that? Hatred makes a person a slave to sin. But love God's love charity sets us free from selfishness and enables us to reign like kings and priests unto God. There's a freedom in this.

There's a liberty in this. You ever wonder why he calls it the perfect law of liberty? The law of liberty? He does. So God so his love enables us to obey the word and to treat people as God commands us to.

And this you don't hear much of this anymore and it's sad but there is obedience to the commands of Christ and the reason why we obey our Lord and we obey the Father is because we love our God first and foremost.

But we love our neighbor. We care for our neighbor. Because we see our neighbor and we see someone that is down to the pits and taking themselves down you see what sin has done to them and you feel compassion upon them.

This is what sin has done to them. It's made them stupid. It's made them to make bad decisions. But you overlook all these other things and say I must reach out to them and love them as God would because there's the image of God on them.

And that's what God desires for us is to show compassion. We obey God's law not out of fear but out of love. Out of love. Showing respect to a person's favoritism can lead to a person disobeying all of God's law.