James 2:9 Devotion

James 2:9 If you show partiality, you commit sin.
A PREJUDICED USHER - In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India.
So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned.
"If Christians have caste differences also," he said, "I might as well remain a Hindu."
That usher's prejudice not only betrayed Jesus but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior.
The "prejudiced usher" described in today's Bible passage welcomed a wealthy visitor but insulted a poor one. Perhaps he felt he was doing his job and only carrying out the wishes of the members in the church. But he displayed bad manners, and he was guilty of a sin as serious as murder and adultery (James 2:9-11).
When people visit your church, do you warmly welcome them regardless of their race of social status? -Haddon W Robinson (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
God's love that drew salvation's plan
Embraces every class of man;
It breaks the toughest racial wall
Because it offers Christ to all.--Dennis De Haan
Prejudice distorts what it sees, deceives when it talks, and destroys when it acts.