God Shows No Partiality

God Shows No Partiality | Romans 2:11-16 | Ian Goodman
Paul in Romans 2:11-16 seeks to elaborate on one key statement - that “God shows no partiality.” He shows no partiality to Jews or to Gentiles, to those who have received the law, or to those who have not received the law, to those who have a strong spiritual heritage or to those who have no spiritual heritage. On judgment day there will be no partiality. God will look at our lives without partiality and if our lives have not matched our profession, that is if we have persisted in sin and neglected good works, He will not give us a pass no matter how spiritual or religious we may have looked during our lives.
Though it is true that God does show partiality on one level, and very importantly, He shows partiality in election, he shows partiality in grace and mercy. Yet on “that day” when God judges the whole world (including us) there will be no partiality. God will not look at a sinful and presumptuous life, either of a Jew or Gentile, professing believer or professing unbeliever, with any degree of partiality. On that day our works must match our profession or else we will be shown to be unbelievers and under wrath.

Is this you? Are you presuming of the kindness of God, not realizing that kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Does your life match your profession? Or are you a hearer of the law and not a doer? Have you grown cold in our zeal for good works? If so, is there good news? There is a Saviour who is sufficient to save even a person in this pitiful state. In Rev 3:20 Jesus speaks to a lukewarm church who have lost their zeal for good works and says this: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Jesus is the answer to the lukewarm life. We need to open our lives again to the beauty and wonder and grace of the Lord Jesus and be reminded of the great kindness of God through Him. This will lead us again to repentance and to a life of holiness by his power and grace.