A L M A C I A S

TREATING PEOPLE ALIKE

The book of James is a very good book to study in order to learn more about practical Christianity. In this book we find many lessons that are so lacking in many places. One such lesson is that of how to treat other people. It is in the area of human relations that many of us need a lot of help. And whether we know it or not, if we do not treat others as God would have us treat them, it could cost us our salvation. In James 2:1-11, the writer tells us of a hypothetical case which could actually become a reality for many of us. The case cited here by James was one involving two people who found themselves in very different predicaments in life. One of these persons was described as one who was very well-to-do and who dressed in goodly apparel, while the other found himself in a situation like poor man in the account of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). How would we treat the two individuals described by James?

James goes on to relate what some of us perhaps might be tempted to do in this situation ­ that is to treat the rich man, dressed in fine clothing in a better way than we would treat the poor man, who was probably dressed in very poor and sad apparel. Here we find a lesson that is so needful in the lives of many of us. How would we answer the following question: "Do we treat people according to the way they look on the outside ­ how they dress or how they wear their hair, or by how much of a secular education they have ­ or do we treat all people pretty much the same?" The next question is, How does God treat people? Does God look at the appearance of man or does He look at the heart? We must remember what God told Samuel when he had been sent to find another king for Israel, one who would replace King Saul on the throne. We find that Samuel did what perhaps many of us would have done ­ he looked at the outside instead of looking at the heart. The whole idea here is that none of us should determine how we are going to treat others based on how much money they seem to have or how they are dressed, or the color of their skin, or their race; for we must all understand that in the eyes of God, we all stand as equals. It is a very sad thing when people who are supposed to be Christians are partial in their treatment of others, based solely on that person's station in life.

James goes on to say some things concerning the rich, as well as the poor. He tells how God has "chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him." (Jas. 2:5. What did James mean by this? Did he mean that all the rich would be lost and all the poor would be saved? No, that is not what James was saying. There are going to be some who are rich who will be saved, such as Abraham and Job and other great servants of God; and there are going to be some who were poor in this life who will be lost. What James was telling the brethren of the first century was that the poor seemed to be, as a whole, more receptive to the Gospel than the rich. Also, James wanted the brethren to understand that we do not have to break all of the law of Christ to be lost, but rather when we are guilty of breaking a part of the law, we are found guilty of all. We might not be guilty of adultery, or covetousness, or drunkenness, or murder; but if we are guilty of treating some better than others because of who they are or how much they have, we are still guilty of having broken all of the law and thereby have forfeited our salvation. Where do we find ourselves?