God No Respecter Of Persons
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
In
Romans 2:11 we read that “there is no respect of persons with God,” and
these very words, with slight variations, are found many times in the
Bible. How wonderful! No “big wheels” with Him! Rather, all stand on the
same footing before His bar of justice.
Do
you know why the kings in Israel’s history were — and were meant to be —
so rich? This was so that they might rule with true justice, beholden
only to God. The rich could not bribe the king, nor could the powerful
intimidate him, for he was far richer and more powerful than they. There
was only one person over the king, spiritually: the prophet, who kept
reminding him of the Word and the claims of God.
Well,
God is infinitely richer than all the wealthy rulers, barons and money
magnates of this world put together, thus there is “no respect of
persons with Him.” Also, justice is one of His divine attributes, hence
it is unthinkable that He should show favoritism.
But
now a question: If God is no respecter of persons, why did He favor one
nation, Israel, above all the rest and, for many centuries, bless them
above all others? The answer: God made a difference to show that “there
is no difference” (Rom. 3:22,23). He made an artificial difference, a
dispensational difference, to show that there was no essential
difference, no moral difference. He erected a “middle wall of partition”
between us to show that that wall must be broken down (Eph. 2:14-16).
And thus it is that the same God who once said to Israel:
“Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant … Unto you first…” (Acts 3:25,26)
— this same God now says:
“There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek [Gentile], for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:12,13).
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