CAN YOU JUDGE A PERSON BY THEIR COVER? (James 2:1-7)

How good are you at judging a person by their outward appearance?

Can you define a person’s character by the way they dress, or how they speak?

As a believer, we know that the world judges us by how we dress, how we act, and the things we say.  Our purpose on this earth is to create a desire in people to want to know more about Jesus Christ by what they see in us.  Paul tells us that even in our deepest trials we are to have our hair fixed and a smile on our face.  The world needs to know that our relationship with Jesus Christ makes a difference in how we handle adversity.

But what does the Bible say about how Christians are to treat others?  

Are we to treat someone who is dressed in nice clothes differently from someone who is dressed shabbily?  

Are we to treat someone who has the outward appearance of success differently than you do the homeless person you see on the street?

Are we to judge the value of a person based on the color of their skin, the quality of their speech, or the length of their hair?

James will tell us that as a Christian we are to treat others without distinction to their outward appearance or their place in society.  Jesus was just as gracious to the woman at the well as He was to the rich young ruler.  He was as kind to Lazarus the beggar as He was the ruler of the synagogue.  

This is the way our churches should be, they are to be hospitals for sinners, all sinners, not some special, select, club, for the sisters of society.  

Listen to this podcast to learn how a Christian is to behave towards others.