How many times in your life have you answered the question, “Who’s your favorite music group?” Or, “What is your favorite restaurant?” We all have favorites.

On occasion, typically after an outrageously good meal, I’ll ask my wife Carol, “If you had to eat only one food item for the rest of your life, what would it be?” Carol and I will then spend the next several minutes debating and considering different types of food we could supposedly eat every day, for every meal, for the rest of our life!

My food ultimatum question is a bit silly but what isn’t silly is the sin-ister side to favorites.

In the second chapter of James’ epistle, he brings to the forefront the issue of playing favorites stating, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1).

The point James is making is that one cannot hold to the gospel and simultaneously show partiality; the two are totally contradictory. For the believer to demonstrate partiality, or play favorites, is to effectively deny the gospel.

Believers cannot rightly claim gospel-centered thinking if they’re picking favorites, “For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:2-4).

Yikes!

You might be thinking; I've never acted differently toward a person simply because they are rich or poor. James is using rich and poor to illustrate the principle of not demonstrating prejudice. We are not to show favoritism in any form nor for any reason: wealth, power, race, disabilities, personalities, etc.

The minute we do, we are revealing ourselves to be man-pleasers, not God-pleasers. Christians can and should demonstrate the distinction between and among individuals, but the reasons for such distinction are Christ-centered not man-centered.

We can honor someone in authority because God has placed them in authority, not to curry favor. We need to remember who we were and who we now are in Christ, “By nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (cf. Ephesians 2:3-4). We now conduct ourselves in light of the gospel.

Don’t be discouraged! I didn’t write this article to admonish anyone. However, it is good to consider the subtle dangers posed by demonstrating partiality. Playing favorites relies on one’s self-righteousness.

We’re in the business of manifesting Christ’s righteousness, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty” (James 2:12).

What is the law of liberty? Dr. Ligon Duncan gives us the answer, "The fact that when you stand before the throne, you won't be judged according to your works because if you're judged according to your works, you’ll be condemned. But you’re judged according to Christ’s works, and you’re accepted according to Christ’s works, and you’re declared righteous according to Christ’s works. And you’re invited into the kingdom of heaven because of Christ’s works. That’s the law of liberty.”

So, rejoice in the crosswork of Christ and pray for eyes to see and treat others through the lens of the gospel.