NO RESPECTOR OF PERSON’S
Romans 2:11 – For there is no respect of persons with God
1. PART OF GOD’S CHARACTER
a) We serve a God that changes not – Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8.
b) This doesn’t mean that he does not change what he is doing – 2Tim 2:15…. But now - Rom 3:21, Eph 2:13, Col 1:26.
c) God is true, loving, merciful, gracious, and just, the latter is our topic today – Isa 45:21, Jer 23:5, Rom 3:26
2. THIS IS NOT THE MYSTERY
a) That God has no respect of persons is not the mystery – Rom 2:11, Eph 6:9. 1Pet 1:17
b) It’s in the law – Deut 1:17, 16:19, James 2:9.
c) It is wise to not have respect of persons – Prov 24:23, 28:21.
d) Act’s 10:34 is not God revealing the mystery to Peter, but a simple truth and lesson that we learn from all scripture about God’s character and justice.
3. CLEARING UP CONFUSION
a) The mystery is not Gentile salvation or Jews OT and Gentiles NT – Isaiah 49:6, Ruth, Ninevah?
b) The key is understanding Romans 2:25-29
c) People make the mistake of making this passage talk about the church, but Paul is not revealing the mystery here. He is teaching a truth from scripture.
d) The key here is found in the phrases “if though keep the law” and “If it fulfil the law” – Vs 25, 27.
i. Ruth:
1) Ruth 1:4 – See Deut 7:3, 23:3 – Marriage of a gentile.
2) Ruth 1:14-16 – 2:2-3 – Lev 19:9-10.
3) Ruth 2:11-12 – Her work, keeping the law.
ii. Nineveh:
1) Jonah 1:3 – Jonah disobedient to God
2) Jonah 3 – Nineveh repents and God sees their works – vs 10.
iii. Cornelius:
1) Acts 10:1-4 – His prayers and alms have gone up before the Lord.
2) Acts 10:10-17 – Peters vision, realizes the meaning later – Acts 10:28
3) Acts 10:34-35 – He the worketh righteousness.
e) All of the above examples are Gentiles keeping the righteousness of the law, but today – Rom 6:14
f) All of the above examples have Gentiles being blessed by a Jew, but today, Israel is fallen and there is no difference because we are all counted as sinners, so God is offering grace to all – Rom 11::15,25, Rom 3:9,19-23, Acts 15:9.
g) He has created a new creature, a new man – Eph 2:13-17, Gal 6:15
h) We can conclude that God does not have respect of persons throughout all of scripture, but what he is doing has changed.