God Is Impartial

GOD IS IMPARTIAL – ARE YOU?

Matthew 22:16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.

1 Timothy 5:21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing according to partiality.

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

The meaning of partiality could be simply put as “leaning toward in favor”, “lifting up of the face”; impartiality is “not making distinctions”. There is an idea of “fairness” here, and we must understand just how far we fall from this definition. This is not the attitude or disposition of God, as we will see.

Many Early Christians Were Guilty Of Partiality

Economic prejudice - Wealthy vs. Poor. James 2:1-9; 1 Cor. 11:20-21

James 2:1-9 – Income is never to be a dividing line for God’s people!

1 Corinthians 11:20-21 Therefore when you assemble in the same place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. (21) For when you eat, each one takes first his own supper, and one goes hungry and another is drunk!

Cultural/Racial prejudice – Jew vs. Gentile. Acts 10:28; 11:17; Gal. 3:26-29

A big problem at the time – God had shown his people that nothing God makes is unclean, and many had a problem with that thought.

Acts 10:28 and he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to associate with or to approach a Gentile; and yet God has shown to me that I should call no man common or unclean;

Acts 11:17 If God gave to them the same gift as to us, they having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to prevent God?

Peter came to terms with this, but others didn’t. Apparently Paul had to deal with this issue very much.

Galatians 3:26-29 – We are all ONE! Culture, race, etc. means absolutely nothing.

Social prejudice – Master vs. Slave. Ephesians 6:5-9; 1 Corinthians 7:20-24; Colossians 3:11

Slavery was very common in the ancient world. Not just black people, but slaves were from all walks of life.

Obvious that God intended those who became Christians to remain in their secular positions in life. Ephesians 6:5-9; 1 Corinthians 7:20-24

Colossians 3:11 …there is not Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Even relationships like these are governed by Scripture! (Easy application to today is Employer-Employee relationship).

The solution for all of these was the same. Eph. 1:17-18

No one was more important than the other.

No one was coddled.

No one was given a “special situation” that no one else had.

All were given the same “hope of His calling” that we are given.

Ephesians 1:15-22 “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,”

There is a greater thing going on here than our petty disagreements and our selfish clinging-on to immorality. We don’t get to have things “our way” by railroading it over the brethren.

Because of God’s Impartiality, it behooves us to follow His example.

The Effects of Partiality

It Encourages Unrighteous Judgment. Lev. 19:15; Prov. 24:23-25

Leviticus 19:15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

Proverbs 24:23–25 These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment. He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him. But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.

It Provokes Fear of the works of Man. Deut. 1:17

Deuteronomy 1:17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’

It Perverts Justice. Deut. 16:19

Deuteronomy 16:19 You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

It causes us to kill those who shouldn’t die, and keep alive those who should not live. Ezek. 13:19; 1 John 3:15

Ezekiel 13:19 And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”

1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

It creates a bad name for God’s people. 2 Chronicles 19:7; Romans 2:17-24

2 Chronicles 19:7 Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

Romans 2:17-24 - We cannot justify our sin and condemn others for theirs.

If I did something wrong in a noteworthy way, one of the first things the media would not is that I’m the evangelist here. This applies to EVERYONE here, however. What kind of reputation do we have, and what does that say about our work together? Our partiality affects this!

God Wants Us To Be Impartial

We are all added to One Body. Acts 2:47; Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 12:13

Acts 2:47b …And the Lord was adding to the church daily those who were being saved.

Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence,

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and we were all given to drink into one Spirit.

We are all in one service to Him - Ephesians 4:4-16; 1 Cor. 1:10

Ephesians 4:4-6 - Our unity is priceless.

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same opinion.

We are all given one standard to follow - 1 John 2:3–6

1 John 2:3–6 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Since God is Impartial, He Treats Everyone Alike...

…with our Sin. Romans 3:9-11, 22-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22

Romans 3:9-11,22-23 – There is no situation in our life that excuses us of sin, and we should NEVER try to excuse the sin of others!

1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Even what LOOKS evil is to be stopped among us.

We have enough trouble from the world for our faith; why do we add to it by standing by and condoning any immoral situation among us?

…with our Savior. 1 Timothy 2:1-6

1 Timothy 2:1-6 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,”

If God is impartial, and Jesus is God, then Jesus is impartial as well!

He gave himself a “ransom for ALL”, not just for a particular group!

…with the Gospel. Romans 1:16; Matthew 28:19;Mark 16:15

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, both to the Jew first and to the Greek.

The Great Commission – “ALL THE NATIONS” and “ALL THE WORLD” (Matthew 28:19;Mark 16:15)

…with the Invitation. Matthew 11:28; Revelation 22:17

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. The one who desires, let him take the water of life freely.

…with our Condition of Pardon. Luke 24:46-47

Luke 24:46-47 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, (47) and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

…with the Judgment. 2 Corinthians 5:10; John 5:28-29

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, in accordance with the things which he did, whether good or bad.

All are to be resurrected: John 5:28-29

All will receive judgment according to their works.