No Respect of Persons with God

“For there is no respect of persons with God.” Romans 2:11

In this verse, “respect of persons” means that God doesn’t favor one person over another. He doesn’t give certain people exemptions from the word of God. God the Father doesn’t care if someone is rich or poor. He doesn’t care if someone wears a suit and tie on Sunday, or if someone wears a 25 cent t-shirt and jeans. What matters is what is inside a person’s heart and if they are doing the word of God and loving their neighbor.

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 

Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” James 2:1-4

The word “partial” means to be “inclined to favor one party more than the other.” For example, a young child may have many, many toy cars, but he might have one or two that he values and plays with more than any of the others. They are his favorite, and because of that he plays with them more than the others.

Or maybe someone has a bunch of friends, but they have one that they like more than the others. Maybe if they like music concerts and obtain a couple tickets, they will contact their best friend and offer the other ticket to them before any of their other friends. While that is not wrong, that is an example of someone who is partial to something.

In the Christian church, we do not want to treat others different because of the way they look, the way they dress, or because they are rich or poor. We should treat everyone the same. 

The church is supposed to be a place filled with love towards each other, regardless of a person’s social status. Take a person’s wealth and possessions away, whether great or small, and what are you left with? A plain person. If you took everyone in the church and they all dressed up exactly the same, there would be no difference between them; they would all be the same.

If a company is looking for a new employee, they usually pick out the person best suited for the job. They look at a persons resume’ and find the best person that they can to fill the position. Well God uses the things that the world would overlook and think to be unimportant to do great things for Him. The world looks at the outside appearance of a person, whether they look or talk nice, while God judges the heart, and uses those who the world despises and raises them up.

“And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:” 1 Corinthians 1:28

Jesus picked fisherman and a tax collector to be among His disciples. He used those who the world would not to do great things for God. Jesus didn’t go out and find all of the rich and nicely dressed men to be His apostles, because He doesn’t judge by the outward appearance, and treat others better than another.

“But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” James 2:9

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:” Acts 10:34

“I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.” 1 Timothy 5:21

God doesn’t show respect of persons, and neither should we. Always remember the words of Christ, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24

In Christ, 

Andrew