God is Impartial

Matthew 5:45 …He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

            God is fair and impartial (Romans 2:11). He doesn’t show favoritism. What He’ll do for one, He’ll do for another. As I looked at the compassion of God, it lead me to the impartiality of God. In our finite human minds we can’t begin to understand why He is so just. When people commit crimes and do things to us we don’t like, it’s off with their heads. However, God is different. He gives us chance after chance to repent. Even those that don’t repent, God is still gracious to them. He proves that in the above scripture (Matthew 5:45). The only reasons none of us were consumed by God’s anger before we were saved is His mercy and compassion. So why can’t we show that same mercy and compassion towards one another?

            I’m reminded of the Prophet Jonah who ran away from God’s call to preach to the people of Nineveh. This man did not want the people of Nineveh to receive God’s grace and mercy so much that he ran from the call of God. How disturbing is that? When a member of the congregation repents, pastors are happy. But not Jonah. He may have felt that these people disobeyed and disrespected God so much that they didn't deserve a second chance. That’s not how God felt. God wanted Jonah to preach to the people that they may repent, which they did. After Jonah finally gave in, preached to the people, they repented. Still Jonah was not satisfied. The Bible says in Jonah 4:1 that, Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. In verse 2 he prays to God, “I pray You, O Lord, is not this just what I said when I was still in my country? That is why I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and [when sinners turn to You and meet Your conditions] You revoke the [sentence of] evil against them.” What kind of prayer is that? That’s like me praying, “God don’t tell me to witness to him lest he repents and you have mercy and bless him.” Huh? Well at least Jonah was honest, not right but honest.

            The Bible says in Psalm 145:9, the Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. All includes everyone on Earth. Everyone has a chance to repent, everyone has a chance to know God, and everyone has a chance to experience God’s grace & mercy. I’m trying to be more like God. I don’t know about anyone else but I find it hard to let people off the hook. Honestly, I’m learning to be kind and generous to people I don’t really care for. We have to love as God loves. We have to show mercy and compassion on others as we want God to show mercy and compassion on us. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14). Like God, we must learn to be impartial. To show love even when it is undeserved. Jesus said to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF (Mark 12:31). Like God, we have to be fair and give people a chance. Even if they use up all their chance cards, throw them another handful. We can learn a lot from the character of God, including how to treat one another.

Matthew 5:46-48~For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that? You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.