ART 21 GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS

ART 21 - GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS

BILL PARKER

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

Consider two ways in which we can see that God is no respecter of persons –

(1) God's law is no respecter of persons – God's law pronounces a curse upon every person who does not have a righteousness that equals its demands (Rom. 3:19; Gal. 3:10). All, no matter who they are, no matter what their reputation, no matter how they appear, no matter what they have done, are doing, or will do, and no matter how sincere they are in doing it, they are all equally in need of a righteousness they cannot produce. Therefore, they are all equally in need of salvation by God's free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus. This is just as true for the most moral, sincere, dedicated religionist as it is for the most immoral and insincere. There are many differences between these two, but there is one area in which there is no difference – If judged on the basis of their very best efforts, God’s law will pronounce them both guilty, defiled and condemned because God's law is no respecter of persons – "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).

(2) God's Gospel is no respecter of persons – God's Gospel is the good news of how He saves sinners, no matter who they are, no matter what their reputation, no matter how they appear, no matter what they have done, are doing, or will do, and no matter how sincere they are in doing it. God declares that He saves all sinners who come to Him pleading the righteousness of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God's Gospel declares that sinners are saved and given the whole inheritance of eternal life based solely on the righteousness of Christ. All who believe this and repent of dead works, all who submit to Christ and His righteousness as the only ground of salvation, are equally saved, equally justified, equally sanctified, equally fit and qualified for Heaven, equally certain for final glory, all based on the righteousness of Christ freely imputed to them. And this is revealed to them by God-given faith. There may be differences amongst believers in different areas, but when it comes to their salvation and its ground, all who are in Christ are equally complete in Him because God's Gospel is no respecter of persons.