No respecter of persons

Acts 10:34

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

In the book of Acts, we find the wonderful account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ being spread to the Gentiles. God hath so ordained that they should be partakers in the gospel. It all begin with a man named Cornelius. He was a faithful and devout man, whose heart God knew, and he was seeking after the Lord and the truth of God. Since the gospel had not yet been given to the Gentiles, he did not know how to be saved or how to find the truth for which he so desperately longed. But God in His grace and mercy revealed to him in a dream that He must send for Peter, for Peter would tell him how he and his house could be saved. He and his house! They could be saved! Had this ever been heard by the Gentiles before—that they could be fellow-partakers and equal partners in the gospel. This was a foreign concept to many, and not yet understood. But the Lord revealed it to Peter while he was in his own trance, when he saw the sheet filled with all creatures of the earth, and was commanded to eat them. This was repulsive to Peter at first, but as he was made malleable to this message from the Lord, he begin to understand that all are to be accepted by the Lord and by us. There is nothing common or unclean. This was not to speak of clean or unclean animals, but was an allegory that he may understand that no man or woman is common or unclean in the sight of God. He will accept any that by repentance and faith come to him. He is no respecter of persons!

The Lord is no respecter of persons! This is of eternal value and worldwide implications. He wants all to be saved! He is not willing that any should perish! Was it not this same apostle who wrote that? The Lord wants all to come to repentance! Every person is seen in the eyes of the Lord as a soul in need of His salvation. And this gospel must be preached in all the world and among all nations. All must hear! All need to be saved! All are precious in the sight of God! There is no difference, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him! For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! No difference! No Jew or Gentile! No male or female! No Barbarian, Scythian, bond or free! Christ is all and in all! We are all one in Christ who know Him! He is no respecter of persons!

How, beloved, will you be willing to take a self-examination? Have we allowed this trait to be developed in our own lives? Have we learned to leave off all bias, prejudice, and discriminatory feelings and propensities? Are we willing to see the souls of the lost men and women of this world as God sees them? Are we willing to love all Jews, all Gentiles, and all of every other race, station, and creed? Are we willing to see the ones we look up to and the ones we tend to look down on as those who are in dire and desperate need of a great and glorious gospel? We must be no respecters of persons! We must not be accepters of some and rejecters of others. We must see all alike. Peter had to learn this and so must we. If the Lord Himself does not respect persons, neither should we, who claim to be His own.

“Father, thank you that you see all alike. You saw me as you saw my mother, my brother, and my neighbor. I was not less valuable than any other soul in your sight. Now, help us all to see this truth and to love others and care for souls without respect of persons. This is how you will judge. Help us therefore to be molded and made to be like Thy glorious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray these things, Amen.”