By Dennis R. Smith

In the Lord’s church those of us who really love the Lord refer to the Holy Bible as the voice of authority in all things. This is how it should be as the bible is our guide book from God. We use it in talking about things which are “scriptural” and “call bible things by bible names” and we say we “speak where the bible speaks and remain silent where the bible is silent.” However, I just wonder if we always practice what we preach. How about this subject “...with respect of persons.” Take a look at James 2 and read seriously verses 1-10. These verses tell us what God thinks when we show respect to the “Man with a gold ring and goodly apparel” while we often ignore “the poor man in vile raiment” (James 2:2). Moving down to verse 4 our Lord’s Brother warns us by saying, “Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” James really speaks out strongly as can be seen in verse 9: “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”   I suppose all of us find some who are more on our level and of whom we are more willing to help in the time of their need, but when Paul wrote that we are to “prefer one another” (Romans 12:10), he made no distinction to the size of their bank account or the popularity of their person. He also commanded, “...let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). It is the mark of humility!