Fellow GCxiles: Get a Look at This!
We are studying James in our weekly bible study group at church. The exposition of this verse and others relating to it blew me away. OH MY GOSH! My jaw dropped at the similarity of these verses to what I witnessed in the “authority” and “cooperation” of those in GCx. The stench of assigning class status (or as in the case of GCx - “spiritual worth”) to men for social status (or gain) in combination with faith in Jesus Christ, James says is audacious. ‘Who do we think we are?’ he might mean. Here it is:
“Do not try to combine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our Glory, with the worship of men’s social status”
(The New International Commentary of the New Testament translation of James 2:1)
James 2:3’s literal translation of the Greek:
“while you say to the poor man: ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit here under my footstool’
Excerpt from The New International Commentary of the New Testament:
“The Lord Jesus Christ is the divine glory… Jesus is the very embodiment of the divine glory made present in the world. Like the Shekinah to the people of God in the Old Testament and the Immanuel who is Jesus, the very glory of God is
embodied in the person of Christ. An interchangeability between Christ and glory is observable here”
In GCx there seems to be interchangeability between
men and glory. The general inclination of GCx, from my personal experience (and seems to continue according to many on this site), was to show favoritism to those who they thought would profit them – or give them a good showing to increase their “glory”, not necessarily God’s. James 2:8,9 says
“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” What I learned this past Sunday that was so startling was that
the word favoritism in the verse above is similar to the favor a king or ruler would grant with his audience when subjects would prostrate themselves before him. They would
lie there for the king to ‘lift up their face’ or be left there all day long. Isn’t that
hauntingly similar to how many of us felt inside about the acceptance by “rulers” of GCx? The grossly impudent speech and conduct toward those supposed to be in their care. What did we have to do to win their approval – to be in the inner circle – where the “glory” was? (Or where we
thought the glory was.)
What kind of lasting influence has that had on the VALUE we assign ourselves? Are we not the favored of the Lord? Why is it we did not receive treatment by those in “authority” as deserving of mutual respect as God’s wonderful creation and as those who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit’s gift/s within us? The Glory of God in all of us who believe is part of His glory we share in reliance upon him as failed creatures. GCx leaders and followers mix favoritism with faith,
which results in false and unbiblical value of ourselves and others.
Just had to share this 'lightbulb' moment with you.
