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Read Introduction to Romans

 

11 For there is no partiality with God.  

 

This verse harks back to verse six, where God judges everyone according to the same standard. It is also a transition to the verses that follow.

For there is no partiality with God.

“Partiality” comes from two words: to receive and face. The word carries the idea of giving preference to someone because of his appearance. The New Testament always uses this word in the bad sense of giving deference to someone without good reason.

God justly judges all people, whether they are moral or immoral, Jew or Gentile. God does not acquit people on some standard other than His eternal standards. No one has special connections with God.

In context, the impartiality of God has to do with His not showing partiality about how people respond to revelation. If they go negative in volition toward God’s truth, then God will judge them. If they go positive in volition toward God, then He will receive them.

PRINCIPLE:

God plays no favorites in His judgments.

APPLICATION:

God always deals with us in an even-handed way. He has no pets. He always interacts with us on the basis of facts, not some subjective opinion. He will never operate on race, place, or face. God will give no heed to the self-righteous.

The goddess of justice in the Greek pantheon had a blindfold over her eyes so that she would not regard face or appearance. Therefore, her scales that balanced truth were accurate without bias. Her sword judged all equally. There is, in fact, no absolute justice with man. However, God knows every motive, every aspect, of justice. God offers His salvation to all without respect to their persons. God only has one way of salvation, and He will judge people according to the standards of that salvation.

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