Selfless Faith

Throughout the Word of God, it shows over and over that God Himself shows no partiality and is no respecter of person. Here are some examples starting with how the Pharisees approached Jesus. Although they said He was not good, they  actually addressed Him as God  when they said in Matthew 22:16, “And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.” Then in Acts 10:34-35, Peter is speaking to Cornelius’s household, he started by saying, “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works in righteousness is accepted.” Then again, in Galatians 2:6, Paul writes, “But to who seemed to be something – whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to NO man – for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.” Again in Deuteronomy 10:17, it reads “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.” In 1 Peter 1:17, Peter writes “if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in ear.” These are just a few examples of what is mentioned in the scriptures many times. God doesn’t care who you “think” you are. He already knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows we are a bunch of dirty rotten sinners. We don’t have to try to hide that fact from God. If we try, He will surely uncover it to the world. How many athletes, musicians, politicians, and public figures are exposed on a regular basis for their sins. What we try to say is our private life, God makes it our public sin. The thing that God looks at is the heart and He honors those who put their trust and reliance in Him.

Now, if God Himself is a respecter of no person and shows no partiality, will we demand respect from God as well? I would surely hope not. Now, if we would not ask or demand respect from God, what gives us the right to demand it from the world? My friends, Jesus Christ was hated, betrayed, beaten, and nailed to a cross for OUR sins against God. He was killed for our transgressions because HE loved us and He GAVE Himself for us. Paul writes with in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Maybe we should revisit John 15:18-25 to see how the relationship the world has to those who follow Jesus Christ. These are the direct words from God to our hearts.

⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates Me hates My Father also.²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. ²⁵ But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”

Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Not the will of the world or ourselves)

In closing, to summarize it all, respect everyone and don’t expect respect from anyone. That is only possible by the power and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. God is in control of it all.

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Too many times when there is uncertainty, people simply say, “just have faith.” However, exactly what are they saying to have faith in? Faith is often times directed in the wrong places.  People tend to have faith in a person or an object (wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, best friend, car, job, church, etc.) What happens when those people or things let you down or just do not work? Abandonment of  faith is soon to follow.

This is a reminder of Matthew 7:24-27:

²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

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