MARGINALIZATION
2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”
James 2:2,3 (NKJV)
READ: James 2:1-10
If believers should read and study the Bible daily and practice things that are written therein, we would not be having a lot of negative things we are having in the body of Christ today.
What Apostle James was addressing in the passage of our text is the issue of partiality. This happens in the body of Christ daily. Believers who are a bit comfortable than their fellow believers want to marginalize those who are not as comfortable as they are.
The poor or needy are being treated differently, even among the believers where love supposed to be expressed or demonstrated. In Apostle James illustration, the man with good apparel and gold rings was given a good place to sit, whilst the poor man with vile clothes was asked to stand or sit at the footstool (James 2:3).
The author, James, asks a question in verse 4: "HAVE YOU NOT
SHOWN PARTIALITY AMONG YOURSELVES, AND BECOME JUDGES
WITH EVIL THOUGHTS?"
What was given as illustration in the passage is a common occurrence in many local churches or the gatherings of believers. It was not so in the early church, the Bible says they had all things in common (Acts 2:44-47). What belongs to Believer-A can be used by Believer-B. Those who had land sold their possessions and goods, and the produce or money was divided among all (Acts 2:45). There was practical love in their midst, love without hypocrisy and dissimulation (Romans 12:9).
There was also unity and oneness among them (Acts 2:44,46). It was the unity, oneness, and love that led to the numerical increase of the church, the fellowship or the gathering of the believers: "PRAISING GOD TO AND HAVING FAVOUR WITH ALL PEOPLE . AND THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED" (Acts 2:47).
These practices: unity, oneness, and love are no longer found in the church today. You would need to see the way some believers who are comfortable will look down on the needy and the poor, such a person might not want to come for another meeting. And some of the people who are doing this are part of the leadership. The whole issue is all about character defects or carnality or manifestation of the flesh in the lives of those who are exhibiting such traits. A well broken believer, walking in the spirit, would not do that—marginalize or look down on other fellow believers.
If you are still having egoism, you still see yourself as someone who is better than others—knowing not that whatever you are is by God's grace—it means you are still far from God (Philippians 2:3,4).
Neither superiority complex nor inferiority complex is of God. A self-conceited person should not be allowed to serve in the leadership of the church. Someone who is partial, who likes to marginalize others, is immature and carnal; such a believer should still be sitting down to be taught the Word of God, the Bible.
If what is shared here is found in your life, repent and let God through the Holy Spirit work on you that you might become a good and useable vessel in His hand.
Peace.