God shows no partiality

God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is

acceptable to Him.  Acts 10: 34 – 35

This was the confession of Peter the Apostle, who until God’s revelation to him, believed that God was the exclusive ’property’ of Israel. He was shown in a vision how that the God of Israel was also the God of non-Israel, collectively called Gentiles in the Bible (Acts 10: 9 – 35).

This nature of God opens Him up to all nations. People do not have to feel rejected or discriminated against by God. He accepts all upon the two conditions stated in our Scripture quoted above.

First, people must fear God. Fear of God means

to have a healthy reverence for God and for all that bears the name of God, for example, the Church, Church Ministers and members, worship centres, etc. The fear of God will make a person treat all that have to do with God with respect. Take the example of Cornelius who is our reference point here. He was a Roman and a soldier. The Romans were in power in the days of Jesus on earth. Israel as a nation was under Roman rule. The Romans oppressed Israel politically. They made them pay tax into Roman coffers that they were not to pay. Jesus even had an encounter with the tax collectors, and told Peter to go, fish and get the coin from the mouth of the first fish he caught, and with that, pay for both of them (Matt. 17: 24 – 27). From all human consideration, Israel had reasons to hate the Romans. On the religious front, rather curiously, both Israel and the Romans united to condemn and crucify Jesus (Acts 4: 27). Despite this social hostility, there were Romans, including their soldiers who feared the God of Israel. Cornelius was one such.

Second, God wants people to do what is right. Though some argue that right and wrong are subjective principles, the Bible states that they are objective issues. Matters of right and wrong are written in human conscience (Rom. 1: 18 – 32;  2: 14 – 16). We all know injustice, for example, is wrong. We know stealing, adultery and murder are wrong. We know helping another person is right. We know respect for God is right. We know honestly is to be chosen instead of dishonesty. No rational mind argues over these things. We all know what is right and wrong.

God is not so much looking for correctness in people as He wants them to acknowledge and reverence His person. It does not matter to God where a person comes from. What God is looking for is their attitude of heart from where actions flow. If the heart attitude is right, right actions will follow. Despite his nation’s wrong attitude toward Israel and their God, Cornelius chose to be different for the better. He feared JEHOVAH and obeyed Him. He kept to the time of Jewish prayer. He supported the poor with alms. He did whatever he knew would please God. And that is all that matter. The rest is up to God.

Do you desire God? Do you think you need Him? Then do these two things. Fear God and obey Him. “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone” (Eccl. 12: 13). That is the right attitude. Let this affect how you treat people and things related to God. Let it guide your entire life. If it does, God will reveal Himself to you, as He did to Cornelius. The bottom line is that you find God and experience the salvation He has given through His Son Jesus Christ. With this you can have peace in this life and in the hereafter.

May you find God as you seek to do His will in Jesus’ Name, Amen.