TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. (Romans 2:11-12 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• In North Carolina, all restaurants are required to hang an inspection grade up for patrons to see. I am so thankful for this law. Especially when I walk into a restaurant that has a B rating. I promise I will turn around and walk back out. I refuse to eat in a B-rated establishment. As squeamish as I am about a B rating, I don’t feel warm and fuzzy about dining in a place with a low A either.
Last night, Wayne wanted to go out for dinner so we went to a restaurant for which we had a gift card. Right above the doorway was the sanitation rating of 90. Technically an A, but one point from a B.
I groaned. That’s a little too close for comfort.
As soon as we sat down, I pulled out my phone, went to the Forsyth County Department of Health website, and searched for the restaurant’s sanitation report to learn why their score was so low.
I decided we would stay. The report was from September and since these grades are a big deal to restaurants and I had met the chef before, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they had cleaned things up and the inspector just hadn’t come back yet… But the whole time, I was iffy about everything… from the ice in my glass to the fork to the plate to the food on my plate.
It occurred to me that I’m very glad God doesn’t rank me. Romans 2:11-12 says, “For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.” We are all on a level playing field under the eyes of God. For Him, sin is sin is sin is sin. The weight of a little white lie is equally as offensive to Him as a serial killer’s crime spree.
Gulp.
We’re the ones who grade sin and rank it. We’re the ones who hear of what Sally did last week and put a grade on it. We’re the ones who define others as B’s and therefore, second class citizens who are unworthy…
As hard as it is to think that our smallest sin is at the same level as a mass murderer, aren’t you grateful to God for this? It means that no one is beyond His grace and redemption! If we’re all on a level playing field, there is no negative grade that the world gives that God can’t erase and make clean!
I love that about Him! He’s not playing favorites. God will never say, “John, you just didn’t live up to Mary’s standard, so you’re out… and Mary—hang on. Don’t start feeling all good about yourself because Lucy didn’t cheat on that second-grade math quiz. You’re out too.”
He’s so merciful that He extends mercy to anyone who asks for it.
How does that make you feel? Relieved? Yeah, me too.
Today, as you pray, thank God that He is fair. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see others through the eyes of Jesus. Ask Him to help you remember that no matter what any of us have done, God’s forgiveness is a repentant prayer away.
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