No Distinctions Based Upon Clothing - 01/14/2024

The clothes we wear speak volumes. They may point to an organization to which we belong, the type of work we do, or our bank balance. When it comes to the worship service, James says there should be no distinction based upon clothing (James 2:1-4).

James is giving a warning about our “attitude of personal favoritism” because of the clothes a fellow Christian wears to church. This type of judging with partiality demonstrates an unfair preferential treatment of the “poor man.”

Many people use this passage to justify allowing others to wear whatever clothing they choose to a worship service. However, that is not the point James is making with this instruction. James is teaching there should be no distinction in awarding seats of honor in the worship service based upon a person’s wealth.

James explains to the “brethren” that their judgment of a person should not be based upon the price of their clothes. The Christian is to disregard the “gold ring and … fine clothes” as well as the “dirty clothes” when they are deciding the person to sit at a place of honor.

Making a spiritual decision based upon a person’s clothes is not a “fair judgment.” A person’s wealth (or their job) is not to be considered when evaluating the honor they are to have among brethren.

Likewise, this does not give a person the license to wear just anything when they come to worship. They must remember they have come to worship God. They must remember that God will execute righteous judgment upon them when it comes to the attire they wear when they come to worship Him.

People make judgments every day based upon someone’s clothing. A person decides on the appropriateness of the outfit to the occasion. However, when it comes to deciding the honor one will have at a church service, the monetary value of one’s clothing should not be considered, but rather the individual’s spiritual character.

While a person might not be able to afford a “gold ring” to wear to church, they need to consider the attire they are wearing to church making sure it conveys the idea that they have come to worship God. If the best they can do is wear “dirty clothes,” then the other members must honor them because they recognize their heart’s intentions.

Making correct judgments about people is something God expects the Christian to do. When greeting people coming into our church services, let us have a “blind eye” to the clothes they are wearing. Let us honor the poor and the rich equally making no distinction between the two. Our impartiality will demonstrate we are living God’s way. - cgm

Scriptural quotations from the NASB1995.