…glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. - Romans 2:10-11 NKJV.

My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? - James 2:1-4 NKJV.

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. - James 2:8-9 NKJV.

In a scene from the modern west, men in a four wheel drive vehicle are hunting down executive chairs. That's right, chairs! There are chairs rolling everywhere. There are small chairs and large chairs. The scene ends with the hunters roping and hauling in one of the larger chairs. The scene is from an executive employment service TV ad which claims they only have listings for 100k+ people, and for companies that only want 100k+ people. In other words, if on your resume your salary history indicates you make less than $100,000 per year do not apply to that executive employment service. They do not want you. Go away little chairs. You are beneath the level that they consider being of importance.

For billions of people in this world their lifetime earnings will not add up to $100,000. Billions more do not earn, and never have earned $100,000 per year. I am definitely in that category. Does that mean that those of us who have never reached the 100k+ level of earnings per year are somehow less valuable, of less worth, than those who earn more? Perhaps in the eyes and value system of one executive employment service and of people whose goal in life is to make more and more money we are worth less. However, in God's value system every human being is of the same worth, whether we are rich or poor: “For there is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11).”

Does the spiritual fact that God is impartial mean that there will never be favoritism in the church? No, if you have attended church for a year or more it is likely that you have observed favoritism. In every church that I have attended or pastored, there have been instances of favoritism. Does this make it right? Of course not! There were instances of favoritism in the early church as seen in Acts chapter six with Jewish widows receiving better treatment than Greek widows. The church moved to correct that mistreatment and favoritism. It is the example that we need to follow. If you are personally involved in favoritism you need to try to change. If you see others involved in favoritism, you need to try to help them see their need to change, and encourage them to do so. 

The elimination of favoritism from the church, and the world, will never be completely accomplished as long as the world is the world as we know it now; and the flesh is still the flesh, and the devil is still roaring seeking whom he may devour. However, each of us can pray; and we can seek to eliminate favoritism in our lives, in the church, and in the world around us. Our goal in regard to impartiality should be the goal expressed by our Lord in the model prayer, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).” 

How much are you worth? You are worth so much that Jesus came down from the glories of Heaven to suffer and die a horrific death on the cross – for you!