The word used here denotes “the act of showing favor to one on account of rank, family, wealth, or partiality arising from any cause.” It is explained in Jam 2:1-4. A judge is a respecter of persons when he favors one of the parties on account of private friendship, or because he is a man of rank, influence, or power, or because he belongs to the same political party, etc. The Jews supposed that they were especially favored by God, and that salvation was not extended to other nations, and that the fact of being a Jew entitled them to this favor. Peter here says that he had learned the error of this doctrine, and that a man is not to be accepted because he is a Jew, nor to be excluded because he is a Gentile.
The barrier is broken down; the offer is made to all; God will save all on the same principle; not by external privileges or rank, but according to their character.
The same doctrine is elsewhere explicitly stated in the New Testament, Rom 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25. It may be observed here that this does not refer to the doctrine of divine sovereignty or election. It simply affirms that God will not save a man because he is a Jew, or because he is rich, or learned, or of elevated rank, or on account of external privileges; nor will he exclude a man because he is destitute of these privileges. But this does not affirm that he will not make a difference in their character, and then treat them according to their character, nor that he will not pardon whom he pleases. That is a different question. The interpretation of this passage should be limited strictly to the case in hand - to mean that God will not accept and save a man on account of external national rank and privileges. That he will not make a difference on other grounds is not affirmed here, nor anywhere in the Bible. Compare 1Co 4:7; Rom 12:6. It is worthy of remark further, that the most strenuous advocate for the doctrines of sovereignty and election - the apostle Paul - is also the one that labored most to establish the doctrine that God is no respecter of persons - that is, that there is no difference between the Jews and Gentiles in regard to the way of salvation; that God would not save a man because he was a Jew, nor destroy a man because he was a Gentile. Yet in regard to “the whole race viewed as lying on a level,” he maintained that God has a right to exercise the prerogatives of a sovereign, and to have mercy on whom he will have mercy. The doctrine may be thus stated:
(1) The barrier between the Jews and Gentiles was broken down.
(2) All people thus were placed on a level none to be saved by external privileges, none to be lost by the lack of them.
(3) All were guilty Rom. 1–3, and none had a claim on God.
(4) If any were saved, it would be by God showing mercy on such of this common mass as he chose. See Rom 3:22; Rom 10:12; Rom 2:11; Gal 2:6; compare with Rom. 9; and Eph. 1
So, to fear God indeed, is the beginning of knowledge, but if you despise wisdom and discipline, you will surely make a fool of yourself, (Pro 1:7).
But at the other hand, we can have knowledge that limits our growth just like the Jews who thought they are special on God's calendar. In the same vein, It is also the desire of God that we grow and bear fruit. In Genesis chapter 3, God did not allow rain on earth because, there was no man to work the ground. As much as God wants things to grow and develop, God need man to be at the center of events for effective resources deployment. Any man who positioned himself well will found favor before God and experience the blessings of the Almighty since the Almighty is no respecter of persons, but every-man as feared him is accepted by him.
Throughout history, positioning oneself to receive the favor of God have been a matter of great debate with the Jews as we discussed briefly earlier. The Jews believed that, circumcision is the key to find favor with God. But Paul, in His Pauline revelation enlightened us that, a Jew is not one who is circumcised in the flesh but in the heart, pointing out that, the circumcision was not what God was expecting from their father Abraham when God made a covenant with Him. Rather, God was expecting obedience from him and his faith in, and obedience to God was what earned him his reputation as a righteous man before God as it is written that Abraham believed God and it was counted for him for righteousness. The tokens and signs are what God used to test and prove him for righteousness. Therefore, as many as are righteous before God will see the favor of the Most High.
Even though God is no respecter of persons, there are factors that can limit us in receiving the blessings of God. This are;
No1. The foundation on which you built
When the Europeans visit the landscape of Africa in the 15th century, they came with the mind of exploration of Africa. Not only that but they also have the gospel in their green wallet. Amidst their dubious activities, their counterpart carried a refreshing wind in their wings as the church in Europe sent more and more missionaries into the sub-region. When they were sending missionaries into our territories and they were dying like flies, our fathers sold our brothers and sisters to their explorers into slavery and the rest they did not sell, they sacrificed to their dump idols. Do you see the foundation on which the black race is building their lives. We can even trace it back to the curse of Ham imposed by the patriarch Noah. It occurs in the context of Noah's drunkenness and is provoked by a shameful act perpetrated by Noah's son Ham, who "saw the nakedness of his father".The exact nature of Ham's transgression and the reason Noah cursed Canaan when Ham (of which the black race resents) had sinned have been debated for over 2,000 years.
We are building our lives on the foundation of the blood of our brothers which fathers sold into slavery and of those that they sacrificed to their dump idols. Do you think you can progress building on such a foundation and succeed? I don't think so. It is not a foundation on which to build for God to bless the work of our hands. No wonder our fathers worked hard! but have little to show for it. If you and I we are going to prevail, we must look for a better foundation to build upon.
But the things is, a foundation, when it is laid, it is laid, there is nothing you can do about that. You cannot lay a new one either, what you need is a better foundation to build your life upon.
The Jews are known for the prosperity all over the world. The richest persons in this world are Jews. Thinks of Mark Zuckerberg, think about Bill Gates, what about Warren Buffet and the rest, these are all Jews and their foundation was in Abraham their father. You and I, let's look at our forefathers and see the foundation which they have laid, to be truthful, it is nothing to ride home about. But there is a foundation laid by someone as it is written, "for no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1Co 3:11 BSB); again it is said in another place that, "So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken." (Isa 28:16 BSB). What then is the Lord's entreaty, " It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” (Rom 10:11)and again, in another place he said, "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion, when His wrath ignites in an instant. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." Our refuge is in God. To be safe, you must build on that sure foundation which is Jesus.
No2. And your self-discipline as a person
Self discipline is an important concept. In fact, you will never achieved significance without self discipline.
Howard Robard Hughes Jr was an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, engineer,film director, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most financially successful individuals in the world. He first became prominent as a film producer, and then as an influential figure in the aviation industry. As a film tycoon, Hughes gained fame in Hollywood beginning in the late 1920s, when he produced big-budget and often controversial films such as The Racket (1928), Hell's Angels (1930), and Scarface (1932). Later he controlled the RKO film studio.
Hughes formed the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1932, hiring numerous engineers and designers. He spent the rest of the 1930s and much of the 1940s setting multiple world air speed records and building the Hughes H-1 Racer and H-4 Hercules (the Spruce Goose). He acquired and expanded Trans World Airlines and later acquired Air West, renaming it Hughes Airwest. Hughes was included in Flying Magazine's list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation, ranked at No. 25. Today, his legacy is maintained through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Howard Hughes Corporation.
But Later in life, he became known for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle – oddities that were caused in part by a worsening obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic pain from a near-fatal plane crashes and increasing deafness. His reclusive lifestyle and self indiscipline made him spent the rest of his life in chronic pain which ultimately took his life mid 1976. He was rich and successful at what he does, but his reclusive lifestyle and self indiscipline ends him up in chronic pain as a result of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a thing that took him to his grave.
Brother Paul was a man of self discipline. He made it clear In his first letter to the church in Corinth saying, "No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (1Co 9:27 BSB). Self discipline is a building block in becoming a person of significance because, without it, your legacy will be seriously tempered with. If you knew Bill Clinton, once a US president, one act of indiscipline stained his legacy as someone who was once at the helm of affairs of the United States. Self discipline will buy for you a value that money will never buy. Self indiscipline yourself.
No3. Knowing the times and the seasons
Scripture said in first Chronicle, chapter 12 verse 32 that, "And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment"
The sons of Issachar are men who knew the times and the season and this positioned them to know the things which Israel ought to do. If you know the times and the seasons in which you are, it positions you to know exactly what needs to be done and that gives you the upper hand to prevail in the season. And when it happened, the rest of the people will be at your command. The later part of the verse above showed that, the rest of Israel was at the command of the sons of Issachar just because they new the times and the seasons and knew that which Israel ought to do. What someone ought to do is the very thing which will give the person an upper hand over situations and circumstances.
The world currently is experiencing a global drought, and it is the prophetic agenda of God concerning this time. If you know this and knew that it is God's agenda, you will not waist time praying against it because we don't pray off a divine prophetic agenda, the only thing you can do is to claim an exemption from it.
But how will you know the times and the seasons; 1. By the prophetic. Scripture said in Acts chapter 11 verse 28 that " And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth (famine) throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar." This was a prophetic word by Agabus, a prophet of God signifying that, there will be famine throughout the Roman world. When Agabus was prophesying, great and powerful apostles of the faith were there, even Paul, but they never prayed against the prophetic word because, it is what God determined to do so they organized that, contributions be made and monies sent to the disciples in the provinces of Rome. By the prophetic word, they new what to do and act accordingly. The main source of a prophetic word is not the prophetic, it is the spirit of the Lord, the prophet is just to confirm what the spirit of the lord had being witnessing in your heart. We will go into detail of this issue in another conversation; 2. Another way to know the times and the seasons is to learn history. History reveal the pattern of things and events. As someone said, " if you don't learn from history, you will be forced to repeat its mistakes." The fact is that, you cannot be a better person if you are not full of knowledge, and to be full of knowledge requires that you be a reader. You will never be a better person if you don't read. That's why even the Word of God, you are supposed to read it, and meditate on the Word because, that is what brings illumination for transformation. If you are not seeing transformation, it is because you are not illuminated. Academic certificates don't bring illumination.
It is my prayer that this nuggets will be a great blessings to you in Jesus. Amen.
Lord, equip me to pay the price in the name of Jesus. Amen
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