God Doesn’t Show Favoritism

Did you know that God does not show favoritism? What exactly is favoritism? It’s the practice of giving unfair, preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another. God can’t be accused of such a thing.

Since the Bible is our foundation for all of faith and life, let’s refer to what it teaches.

“Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to attend to His service and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it, and holds firmly to My covenant; ⁷even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (Isa 56:6-7 NASB)

Notice that God’s house is for ALL PEOPLES—even those termed ‘foreigners.’

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. ³⁵In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. (Ac 10:34-35 NLT)

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Ro 10:12-13 ESV)

It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. (Col 3:11 CEV)

As we can see from these verses in Acts 10, Romans 10 and Colossians 3, it’s an established truth that God does not see distinctions between people groups. What is important to the Lord is the condition of our hearts and whether or not we have received Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. God is a refuge and a rock for all who are born again in Christ. All praises to the Lord!

Self-Control Is Ours: Use It

The dictionary definition of self-control is ‘the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.’ Another explanation of self-control is ‘restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires.’

The Word of God talks about self-control and how important it is in the life of a believer.

Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. (Pro 16:32 NIV) The Bible says that a person with self-control is better that a person who conquers a city! Wow!

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. (Pro 25:28 NIV) The Scriptures compare a person without self-control to an unprotected and broken-down city. This is a small insight into how critical our need is for self-control. We leave our souls unprotected and open to assault and harm without self-control.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23 NKJV) This is a list of the fruit of the Spirit available to all who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Self-control is one of the gifts provided to us by the Holy Spirit.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness . . . (2 Pet 1:5-6 NKJV) This passage of the Bible teaches us how to diligently build upon our faith in Jesus Christ, which is the foundation for our lives. There’s an order and a method to the process which the Lord wants us to know. Each and every part of this process is important and very necessary to our spiritual lives.

One of the greatest points to remember about the gift of self-control is that its ultimate goal is to choose Christ over everything else! Hallelujah!

Rooted in Christ

The Scriptures talk about our being rooted in Christ; rooted in love; and as branches grafted onto a tree which depends upon its roots.

. . . having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. (Col 2:7 NASB, underscoring added)

We are firmly rooted in Christ by establishing a strong faith in and reliance upon Jesus Christ so that we won’t fall or be tossed around by the harsh circumstances of life.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Cor 15:58 NIV)

This passage (above) reminds us to stand firm (unshaken; immovable). We should not allow ourselves to be tossed around by every wind of circumstance which may be bitter, severe, or critical. Rather, we find our strength and hope in our faith in Jesus Christ.

. . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love . . . (Eph 3:17 NKJV)

We are rooted and grounded in love because Jesus Christ is the son of God; and God is love. (1 Joh 4:8) Jesus is God’s love shown to us in human flesh.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. (Rom 11:17-18 NASB)

The root or foundation of the church is Jesus Christ. (Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10; Lk 20:17) He is the root who supports the church and all of its individual members. We rely upon Him for life and for everything that supports life! We are blessed indeed!

No Rock Like Our God

The Bible tells us repeatedly that God is our rock. What does that mean for us and for our lives?

For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. (Deut 32:31)

No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. (1 Sam 2:2)

For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? (Ps 18:31)

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. (Ps 118:22) – Jesus is the “stone” which the builders rejected. A cornerstone is another word for foundation or basis.

“This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ ¹²Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Ac 4:11-12) – Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Not only is Jesus our Rock, but His gospel is, too. And we, His followers, are chosen by God, and we are precious to Him. We are a spiritual house built upon faith in Jesus Christ, our Rock and our Redeemer. (Ps 78:35) There is no Rock like ours who is faithful, loving, and eternal.

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” (1 Pet 2:4-6)

We are God’s holy priesthood called to offer spiritual sacrifices to God. Spiritual sacrifices would include:

Obedience to God and His Word;
Cooperating with His re-shaping our values and lives;
Loving our neighbors;
Acts of kindness and service to others;
Praising and worshipping God; and
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:17)

Remember that Jesus is our Foundation for all of life and faith.

The Word says that all who trust in Jesus will never be put to shame. Praise God!

The Lord, our Rock

The Lord Jesus, is our Rock and our salvation. The Bible refers to the Rock, our Savior, in several passages. Here are just a handful.

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior! (2 Sam 22:47)

The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. (Ps 18:46)

Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle— (Ps 144:1)

. . . and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. (1 Cor 10:4)

And “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. (1 Pet 2:8)

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, the Lord gave them water from a rock to quench their thirst and to meet their needs. (Neh 9:15; Isa 48:21) The Lord proved Himself more than once to His people as their Provider and their Deliverer.

As the Bible passage shown above demonstrate, Christ is called the Rock, our Savior.

In this day and age, many are offended at the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why He is also prophesied to be “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” There are so many religions and ideologies being espoused around the world, that the true path to salvation can be obscured and undermined. Present-day Christianity is under attack.

Jesus was considered a criminal and a blasphemer—so as His followers, we can’t expect much better treatment than what our Lord received. His sentence, unjust though it clearly was, was death. Pilate was so disturbed by it that he washed his hands of all responsibility for it.

However, the Lord lives! Hallelujah! We drink in His glory, holiness, and goodness. We are made righteous by the sacrifices that Jesus made on our behalf. We are reconciled to our Father God, and have a multitude of reasons to exalt and to praise the Lord!

Remember that the Rock is our foundation for faith and for eternal life!

“I Shall Not Die”

Can it ever be the “wrong” thing to say (along with Psalm 118:17), “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.”?

First of all, how could agreeing with the Bible be wrong to do? Some people will say, “Yes, but I knew a brother who confessed that verse but then he passed away, so it was wrong for him to confess that.” I strongly disagree with this thinking.

Doesn’t the Bible TELL us to hide God’s word in our hearts (memorize it)? See Deuteronomy 6:6; 11:18; 30:14; Job 22:22; Psalm 19:14.

Furthermore, doesn’t Romans 10:8 give us specific instructions?

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach) . . . (Rom 10:8) When the word is in our mouths, it means that we are speaking it out loud.

This passage from the Bible specifically says that God’s word should be in our mouths and in our hearts. “Yes,” someone might say, “but maybe NOT certain passages of the Word.”

Again, I cannot agree. Doesn’t the very foundation of our faith state that when we accept Christ as our personal Savior and Lord that we have received ETERNAL LIFE?

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (Joh 17:3)

. . . that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (Joh 3:15)

So for any believer, at ANY time in their lives, to declare that “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord” is completely in keeping with their faith and their lifelong testimony.

It is good to understand and to know that when we graduate into eternity, we shall most certainly be ALIVE, and we shall be “declaring the works of the Lord” forever!

Thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, believers move from victory to victory. So, be BOLD and CERTAIN in your faith, brothers and sisters!

The Righteous

. . . and the desire of the righteous will be granted. (Pro 10:24b)

. . . the righteous has an everlasting foundation. (Pro 10:25b)

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. (Pro 11:4)

Let us understand that when the Bible refers to the righteous it is talking about those who have been justified by Jesus Christ by accepting Him as their Savior. Now I’m going to share some thoughts about each verse shown above, in order.

How often does the Bible say that God will give us the desires of our hearts? It may be stated in different ways, but this theme is mentioned in Ps 37:4-5; Ro 4:21; Jer 1:12; Mt 6:33; 7:7-8; Lk 11:9-10 as well as the first verse shown above. How often do you really believe and trust that the Lord wishes to give you the desires of your heart? Yes, we do need to live obediently to Him and to seek His kingdom, and as we are doing that, we have been encouraged by these Scriptures to ask Him to give us what we desire. So many people think only of monetary things, but what we desire may be the salvation of a loved one or the healing of a relationship or any of a number of other spiritually worthy things. And if you do need physical healing or financial blessings, the Bible gives us many promises to encourage our faith in these areas, as well. So, I encourage you to share your desires with the Lord.
The foundation that the righteous have that is everlasting is Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone. (Mt 21:42; 1 Cor 3:11) In Him, we are secure and anchored, so don’t let go of your foundation of faith.
Humanly speaking, people appreciate having more than enough money because it solves so many challenges and problems in the natural realm. But even more important than wealth (according to the Bible) is righteousness, because righteousness liberates us from spiritual death, and from the fear of physical death.
1. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (Jo 14:6, emphasis added)
2. And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. (Rev 21:6, emphasis added)

Today we may rejoice in the blessings and the promises that God has given to us—His righteous, blessed children.

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