God Shows No Favoritism

Acts 10:34-35: “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.’

In the earlier part of Acts 10, Peter was praying when he receives a vision. Peter, being a devout Jew, had trouble understanding the vision which dealt with clean and unclean food as it pertained to Jewish dietary laws. Peter is called to meet the Gentile Roman centurion named Cornelius. Cornelius had assembled his relatives. For what reason did he do this? Addressing Peter, Cornelius says in verse 33, “Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” Then in Acts 10:34 Peter says: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

Later, to the astonishment of the Jews, the Gentiles are given the Holy Spirit and are baptized. God poured out His Spirit upon Jew and Gentile alike. God does not show favoritism.

What relevance does this have for us today? We are facing an election where one of the candidates is a black man. Much has been said and heard. Obama was a member of a church which preaches black liberation theology; they don’t like whites. Forty percent of black churches in American preach black liberation theology.

Yesterday I was listening to the radio when a black pastor from Minneapolis called in to remind people that not all black churches are black liberation churches. He said black liberation theology is for blacks as white Aryan supremacy theology is for whites. Each group believes they are God’s favorite and spew forth hatred at the expense of other races.

As we proceed towards election time, race will be an issue whether we like it or not. The racism issue in American culture has a thin veneer. We, as professing Christians, better be witnesses to Jesus Christ and not add fuel to the fire by our ill-informed comments.

God accepts people from every tribe and nation. It will be a racially mixed crowd in Heaven. God has no favorites, notice in Acts 10:35 who God accepts: “but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.

How do we fear God? We only know who to fear or not fear until we have relationship with those people. If we don’t fear God (have awesome reverence and fear) could it be we don’t have relationship with Him? How do we know how to “do what is right”? By getting into God’s Word and develop a deep prayer life--have relationship with God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ.

As we progress towards this election, we as professing Christians must keep our head. Tell the people that God does not show favoritism but accepts people from every nation but under what conditions? Not the ethnicity of their blood or the color of their skin but upon the fact “that they fear God and do what is right and have Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Acts 10:43: “All the prophets testify about him (Jesus) that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Brothers and sisters, we must keep our head. Get rid of black liberation theology and white Aryan supremacy theology; they are both poison. We need to witness to the truth. Read God’s word, pray and give God the glory.