Who Will Be Justified? Series

2:10

“… glory, honor and peace…”

Remember who they are? We just read about them in verse 7 above. They are the ones who

“work what is good…”

And you will recall that we concluded, based on context, that these are not just some ordinary earthlings that tried a little harder than their neighbors; these are the redeemed. These are the born-again.

Many will look to this whole passage when you ask them if they think they are going to heaven, and say, Well, I’m not totally sure, but compared to most people, I’m not really that bad. Church-goers are the ones who may have this problem the most, because they hang around people who do indeed have the Spirit of God in them, and some of it seems to rub off.

But rubbed-off salvation won’t work on that day.

Be very sure, the song said, “be very sure your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.” That rock is Jesus. Are you trusting Him alone to save you?

Has He entered your life and begun the change? I didn’t say “finished” but at least begun? Are you different than you were, simply because of your new birth? That’s the sign of your salvation, that’s the evidence of the filling of the Spirit. Then you are in this new number.

“… to the Jew first and also to the Greek/Gentile…”

Yes, this Good News went to Jews first, on Pentecost and thereafter. Three thousand Jews came into the church on its birthday. And when Paul

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began his rounds, where did he always go first? To the Jewish synagogue. The early church was very Jewish.

But we’re talking about rewards and judgment. I showed you where the Jews will be judged first. The Tribulation, followed by the second coming where Gentiles will be judged. But Israel, whatever that means, will also be rewarded first, or so it seems. The elect 144,000 Israelites, which are largely hidden during the Tribulation, are sealed in Revelation 7, followed immediately by the slow entrance by martyrdom of the Gentile saints. The Dragon tries to hurt Israel and cannot, then it comes after the church. It seems that Israel will precede the largely Gentile flock into the blessings of God.

2:11

“For there is no partiality with God.”

That must sound strange here. We just said Jews are first all the time, whether in receiving the Gospel or receiving judgment or receiving rewards. Jews first. But obviously, first does not mean done deal. Often in Scripture, the second-born or even later-born child gets the blessing: Abel. Isaac. Jacob. Judah. Joseph. David. Solomon…

Israel was blest first, but Israel fell from God, and God went to those other sheep. First isn’t everything. God has no partiality. The basis is not birth order, education, gender. The basis – and we are talking about judgment here – is unforgiven sin. No matter who you are or think you are, if you are an unforgiven sinner, you’re lost forever. When it comes to sin and grace there is no Jew or Gentile.

Our God is just. He treats everyone equally and with justice. Impartiality is just another of His many traits we can count on.

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Partiality. Another fascinating word given us by the Greeks: prosopolemptes. From prosopon which is “face” or “front”. And a form of the verb lambano, “to take or receive.”

So, “to receive face.” What? To look at someone’s face, their outward appearance, and say, “I receive that.” Not to look at their character, their reasoning, their inner life, just the face. That’s partiality, and God doesn’t have that.

Macarthur mentions here “Lady Justice,” the old Roman goddess of justice, Justitia. You’ve seen pictures of her? What is strange about “Lady Justice”? Right, she is blindfolded! She can’t see. She can’t see your face, your outward appearance. Your smile or tears. In some statues her hands are tied also, so she cannot receive a bribe.

A truly just human needs a blindfold and a rope. We are so partial based on the wrong things.

As the judge: Why you poor dear, you’re crying. Oh, you have a gift for me? You must be a loving person, you could never have done such a bad thing. Case dismissed.

Our God needs no blindfold or rope. He cares not how many good things you have piled up through the years to bribe Him into accepting you. If you reject the sacrifice of His Son for your sins, or worse yet, come into His presence all smiles like you never did sin, your judgment will be swift and awful.

God has no partiality. Peter, a Jew, had to learn that firsthand. He preached to Jews on the Day of Pentecost, opened the door to the Kingdom to Israel! 3000 saved! Then God seemed to say to Peter, I gave you more than one key to the Kingdom. You’ve opened the door to the Jews, why not bring a key to the Gentiles, and let them in?