The Impartiality of God At the outset let it be clarified, that God shows no partiality in judging or showing favouritism based on external appearance, motivated by the hope of personal gain, aggrandizement, or otherwise. Romans 2:11-12 states “For God does not show favouritism. 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.” Paul states the principle or the truth about God underlying this train of argument: “For there is no partiality with God.” This is why God will judge the Jews and the Gentiles not according to their appearance, their circumstances, or their cultural or religious advantages, but according to something more intrinsic. This is something fundamental about God. This is impartiality. This is the big truth. In the house of the Lord, there is no discrimination on any basis whatsoever, be it caste, creed, religion, sex, region, language, colour, etc. Everyone in the eyes of the Lord is equal. The book of Romans says ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. The Bible teaches that God is impartial to all and that He shows no favouritism. God is good, he can never show bias or favour to any over another. Jesus stressed that God is good and that he extends his physical blessings to all irrespective of things: Mathew 5:45 confirms “ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Further, Luke 6:35 also says that despite all kinds of aberration, his kindness is for all. “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” The impartiality of God is a frequent theme in both Old and New Testaments. God is described as an impartial judge in the Old Testament, judging the world in righteousness: For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. (Deuteronomy 10:17). Psalms 9:8 “And he shall judge the world in righteousness; he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” In the early church, the apostles taught the believers not to favour one type of person over another. They were to treat rich, poor, male or female, Jew or Gentile equally with the same love and respect. James had much to say about impartiality: James 2:1 “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism.” If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. James 3:17 affirms “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” Paul warned slave owners that everyone is equal before God, and that God doesn’t mistreat anyone, so they should not either. As believers, we are not to treat a rich or influential person differently than a poor person, a person with dark skin differently than a person with light skin, or a good-looking person different from one who is not. We shouldn’t favour someone over another We are not to adopt the biases of the world around us, regardless of the social or political trends. After all, everyone is equal in the eyes of God. When our Great and Mighty God has not discriminated, who are we and how dare we be more loyal than the King. Dr Ashwin Drummond Laddertoheaven.co.in