There is no partiality with God.

Romans 2:1-24 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Therefore you have no excuse, you foolish person, everyone of you who passes judgment; for in that matter in which you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. ³ But do you suppose this, you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who will repay each person according to his deeds: ⁷ to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life; ⁸ but to those who are self-serving and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation. ⁹ There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of mankind who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.

¹² For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; ¹³ for it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew and rely upon the Law and boast in God, ¹⁸ and know His will and distinguish the things that matter, being instructed from the Law, ¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness, ²⁰ a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, possessing in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth— ²¹ you, therefore, who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one is not to steal, do you steal? ²² You who say that one is not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? ²⁴ For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.

In today’s text it says: Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will repay each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life; but to those who are self-serving and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of mankind who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek, but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.  1 John 4:19 says: We love, because He first loved us. Our love for God is a response to His love for us. Romans 5:8 says: God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. In John 3:16 Jesus says: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

The most important deed that we will be judged by is whether we have believed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and if we believe, then we respond to His love demonstrated in the cross by loving Him. In John 14:15 Jesus says: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” We cannot say that we love God and Jesus His Son if do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness. There is no partiality with God. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” There are many today in the church and in every part of our society who say they love God, but they embrace evil, unrighteousness, immorality and lawlessness. There is no partiality with God.  These who reject the love and kindness of God by continuing to practice lawlessness will know the wrath of God regardless of what they claim to believe. God has not changed His mind about sin to adapt to the whims and lust of our culture. In Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus says: “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished! Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Our righteousness can only surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees if we love Jesus and keep His commandments.

In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  In John 14:6 He says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” There is no partiality with God. So that no one has an advantage based on any other criteria, Jesus is the way to the Father and the kingdom of heaven.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit, that You show no partiality but extend Your love and kindness to all who believe. I choose to respond to Your love for me and to walk and enter by the narrow way of obedience to Your commandments. Amen.