James 2:9

"But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." "if you show partiality" -There is not room for partiality in the command to love neighbor as self. It would be. perversion of the command to elevate one neighbor above all others or to fawn over certain neighbors and neglect others. Especially when we judge people as important or not important on the basis of external factors."you are committing sin" -James doesn't mince words. Let us be impressed that James labels as "sin" what the world often considers to be. small or socially acceptable misdeed. This behavior wasn't some trifling fault. The word "committing" means: "lit., 'work sin', the phrase is rather stronger than the more common 'to do sin'. The position of 'sin' is emphatic: 'it is sin that ye are working'" (Vincent p. 742). (See Matthew 7:23) That is, you are actively involved in violating the will of God."are convicted by the law as transgressors" -The very law that some here might have appealed to as justifying their conduct toward the rich man, actually ended up condemning them. It is noteworthy that the first instance of the law to love neighbor as self (Leviticus 19:18), is found near. passage that condemns partiality (Leviticus 19:15).

Points To Note:

1. The way they had treated the poor man was not the way that they would have to be treated if they had been in his shoes. 2. Their fawning over the rich man didn't proceed from love, rather it proceeded from ulterior motives such as greed or the praise of 'important' men. The truth of the matter is that they loved the rich man's rings, fame, status and fortune, more than they loved him as. person.