The teachers’ kids managed to get away with everything. They were all goody-two-shoes, while the rest of us were rabble-rousers. I was sent to the office for sword-fighting with pencils, but they wouldn’t get in trouble even if they fought with real swords! It felt like the elementary school creed was, “Rules for thee, but not for me.” We all noticed the preferential treatment, and how the teachers’ kids received special privileges just because of who their parents were.
The Scripture is clear that we receive no special treatment because of who our Father is. The Lord is an impartial Judge who despises both the sins of His children and the sins of those who are not His children. Indeed, we possess many blessings and privileges that children of the devil do not have (cf. Heb. 12:7-8), but the Lord is unbiased when it comes to our obedience to Him. Peter said in his epistle, “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” (1 Peter 1:17). God the Father judges our deeds without favoritism—without regard to our status or privilege: “And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do” (v. 17a, NLT).
God doesn’t jettison or lower His holy standard of righteousness when it comes to the sins of His offspring. As Paul said, “For God shows no partiality” (Rom. 2:11). God is never biased, partisan, one-sided, prejudiced, or unjust. His weights are equal, His judgment is just, and His assessment is always accurate. We enjoy many privileges as members of the household of God, but preferential treatment of our sin is not one of them.
In fact, God’s standard is actually higher for those who belong to Him. That’s why Peter also said, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy”” (1 Pet. 1:14-16). Because our conduct is a reflection on the Father (whose children we are), we should take care to live as “obedient children.” If we have been saved by the Holy One, we ought to live holy. We must remember the words of king Jehoshaphat: “Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes.” (2 Chron. 19:7).
Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.
Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).
For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:
Brandon's Desk 