God is fair to all people

10-31-19
Today’s devotion is based on Romans 2:6-11. “God will repay each person according to what they have done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.”

Often there is dissatisfaction with judgments given by those in authority. What about God’s judgments? St Paul assures us that God judges everyone by the same standard. That sounds like good news because we want fairness. But the problem for us is that the standard by which God judges us is a perfect standard. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You must be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”  By this standard of perfection, every human being stands condemned. The list of bad things we do is endless.

There would be no hope for any of us if it weren’t for the really good news that God puts us right with himself through Jesus Christ. That’s what the letter to the Romans is all about. It shows us that when God judges people who have faith in Jesus, he sees Jesus, and he judges them as if they were Jesus.
​
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Heavenly Father, creator, and sustainer of all things, cleanse and cover me with Jesus’ righteous so that when I stand before God on Judgment Day, I will be declared innocent. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.