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No Respect Of Persons
- INTRODUCTION:
- SCRIPTURE READING:
Romans
2:1-11 = "Therefore thou art inexcusable,
O man, whosoever thou art that judgest:
for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest
thyself; for thou that judgest doest the
same things. But we are sure that the judgment of
God is according to truth against them
which commit such things. And thinkest thou this,
O man, that judgest them which do such
things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape
the judgment of God? Or despisest thou
the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the
goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But
after thy hardness and impenitent heart
treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day
of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God; Who will render to every man according
to his deeds: To them who by
patient continuance in well doing seek for glory
and honour and immortality, eternal life:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey
the truth, but obey unrighteousness,
indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish,
upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of
the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory,
honour, and peace, to every man that
worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the
Gentile: For there is no respect of persons
with God."
Comment:
The phrase "respect of persons", is from
one Greek word prosopolepsia, pronounced
(pros-o-pol-ape-see'-ah); meaning partiality, favoritism.
It is translated "respect of persons"; and
in
this passage has the word "no" in connection
with it. This Greek word used in Romans
2:11, comes
from prosopoleptes, pronounced (pros-o-pol-ape'-tace);
one exhibiting partiality; or in connection
with the "no", one that does not exhibit
partiality.
- IMPARTIALITY:
- This is a trait of character
to be admired in anyone: Parent; Teacher; Business
Executive; Judge;
or anyone with whom you might have to do.
- Impartial means: "Not favoring
one more than another".
- No amount of ability or knowledge
can substitute for impartiality.
- This is a rare quality that
is seldom found.
- THE TEXT:
- Speaks of God as being impartial.
- God is the creator of all men
and therefore must manifest no difference in judgment
upon them.
- Consider with me some instances
where God has manifested His impartiality.
- DISCUSSION:
- HE HAS DECLARED ALL TO BE
SINFUL.
Romans
3:23 = "For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God;"
- The Bible is filled with the
sinful acts of mankind.
- The sins of God’s most
faithful servants are not concealed: Abraham,
Moses, and David.
Comment:
Even though David was a man "after God’s own
heart," [I
Samuel 13:14; Acts
13:22] his
sins are recorded.
- A COMMON SAVIOR IS PROVIDED
FOR ALL MANKIND.
- Christ is not the Savior of
a particular class or race of people.
- Christ died for the sins
of everyone.
John
3:16 = "For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life."
- Christ brought a gospel
from God that is universal, the scope of it is
world wide.
Matthew
28:19-20 = "Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world. Amen."
Romans
1:16 = "For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
- Christ, the sower, scatters
the gospel seed upon every kind of soil.
Matthew
13:3-9 = "And he spake many things
unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower
went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds
fell by the way side, and the fowls came
and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places,
where they had not much earth: and
forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness
of earth: And when the sun was up,
they were scorched; and because they had no root,
they withered away. And some fell among
thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked
them: But other fell into good ground, and
brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold,
some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to
hear, let him hear."
- THE SAME INVITATION IS EXTENDED
TO EVERYONE:
- To the weary and heavy
laden.
Matthew
11:28 = "Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest."
- To those thirty for salvation.
John
7:37 = "In the last day, that
great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying,
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and
drink."
- To everyone that will
come.
Revelation
22:17 = "And the Spirit and the
bride say, Come. And let him that heareth
say, Come. And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, let him take the
water of life freely."
- The Lord will reject no one
that will respond to His invitation.
John
6:37 = "All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I
will in no wise cast out."
- EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO FOLLOW
THE SAME CONDITONS OF PARDON.
Acts
2:38 = "Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost."
Acts
17:30 = "And the times of this ignorance
God winked at; but now commandeth all men
every where to repent:"
Romans
10:12-13 = "For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek: 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."
Comment:
God expects man to follow the conditions of pardon
He has given. And yet:
- Man made religions set
forth their own conditions of salvation that vary
from one religion to
another and yet there is one God.
Ephesians
4:6 = "One God and Father of all,
who is above all, and through all, and in
you all."
- The denominational world is
filled with different conditions which are changed
to suit man.
Galatians
1:6-7 = "I marvel that ye are so soon
removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not
another; but there be some that trouble
you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."
2
Timothy 4:3-4 = "For the time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall
be turned unto fables."
- GOD HAS GIVEN ONE STANDARD
OF CONDUCT FOR EVERYONE:
- God did not build a church
for every different culture, class or race of
people.
- The word church, in the
universal sense, is always found to be singular
in number.
Matthew
16:18 = "And I say also unto thee,
That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I
will build my church; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it."
Colossians
1:18 = "And he is the head of
the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all things
he might have the preeminence."
Ephesians
4:4 = "There is one body, and
one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope
of
your calling;"
- In Christ all distinctions
are removed.
Galatians
3:26-28 = "For ye are all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many
of you as have been baptized into Christ have put
on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus."
- GOD HAS BUT ONE MANNER OF
JUDGING MANKIND:
- God will not judge people
as to their nation, class, or social status; but
according to their
individual work.
1
Peter 1:17 = "And if ye call on
the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth
according to every man's work, pass the time
of your sojourning here in fear:"
Romans
14:12 = "So then every one of
us shall give account of himself to God."
- God will not judge man according
to his wealth or influence, but according to deeds.
2
Corinthians 5:10 = "For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may
receive the things done in his body, according to that
he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
Revelation
20:12 = "And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book
of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according
to their works."
- CONCLUSION:
- WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT
"NO RESPECTER OR PERSONS"?
- We have gained a great insight
into the character of God.
- We have gained the knowledge
that all man stand equal before God.
- We have gained the understanding
that while God does not respect persons, He is
a respecter
of each individual’s character.
1
Peter 3:21 = "The like figure whereunto
even baptism doth also now save us (not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ:"
Acts
10:34-35 = "Then Peter opened his
mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God
is no
respecter of persons: But in every nation he that
feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is
accepted with him."
- WE THEREFORE MUST GIVE THE MORE
EARNEST HEED TO OUR INDIVIDUAL
OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S CONDITIONS OF PARDON.
2
Corinthians 5:10 = "For we must all
appear before the
judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive
the
things done in his body, according to that he hath
done,
whether it be good or bad."
Revelation
20:12 = "And I saw the dead, small
and great,
stand before God; and the books were opened: and
another book was opened, which is the book of life:
and
the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works."
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