God Is No Respecter of Persons'

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. - Acts 10:34-35

    'God is no respecter of persons.’ That means that in the disposition of his saving grace, God is totally sovereign, giving it freely to whom he will (Rom. 9:15-16). Neither earthly condition, hereditary descent, nor outward circumstances secure God's grace, nor even make one person more likely to be saved than another (John 1:11-13). Neither will those earthly considerations prohibit God's saving grace, nor make a person less likely to be saved (1 Cor. 1:26-29). God has no regard for those things that distinguish one man from another. His grace is not attracted by anything good in man. Neither is his grace repelled by anything evil in man.

    1. As God is no respecter of persons, there is no place in the church of God for respect to men's persons

    Our love, generosity, care and fellowship must not be determined by a person's position, wealth, race, or social standing. We are not to court the rich or the poor. We must learn to treat all men alike. We all sprang from one common father, Adam (Acts 17:26). Had it not been for the sin and fall of our father Adam, all mankind would be one happy, loving family. Were it not for sin, we would have no divisions among us. It is sin that has produced pride, racism and social snobbery. Because of the sin of one of Noah's sons, God divided all mankind into three races and divided to each race its providential estate in this world (Gen. 9:18-27). But in Christ, and in the church of Christ, these distinctions of providence have no significance (Col. 3:11; Eph. 2:14-22). The sons and daughters of Shem, Ham and Japheth are one in Christ. In Christ there is no such thing as Jew or Gentile, black or white, Oriental or European, male or female, bond or free, rich or poor, learned or unlearned. God gathers his elect from all races, all classes, all social orders and all ages, and bestows his grace upon people from all walks of life as it pleases him (Rev. 5:9). This is the thing that Peter had to learn and that we all must learn: 'God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.'

    2. What does the Holy Spirit mean when he says by Peter that 'God is no respecter of persons'?

    If interpreted in its context, like all other parts of Holy Scripture, this passage plainly asserts the freeness and sovereignty of God in the exercise of his grace. These words do not mean that God treats all men alike in providence and grace. 'God's grace is his own, and he dispenses it according to his own sovereign will and pleasure,' wrote Charles Simeon. God does distinguish between men (1 Cor. 4:7), in election (2 Thess. 2:13), in redemption (John 10:11,26), in providence (Rom. 8:28) and in effectual calling (Matt. 22:14). God chose Isaac and rejected Ishmael. He loved Jacob and hated Esau. The fact is, God gives light and withholds light, gives grace and withholds grace, entirely according to his sovereign will, without regard to man's person (Matt. 11:20-26; Heb. 2:16).

    These words do not teach that salvation is by works. When Peter speaks of fearing God and working righteousness for acceptance with God, he is not teaching that men may gain divine favour by works of moral goodness. If salvation could be accomplished by human works of righteousness, then Christ died in vain (Gal. 2:21). If works contribute anything to salvation, then grace is altogether eliminated (Rom. 11:6). Grace and works cannot exist together. They are opposed to one another. The one implies that salvation is paid to us as a debt. The other asserts that salvation is freely, gratuitously bestowed upon us as a gift. The Word of God plainly asserts that man's works have nothing to do with God's saving grace (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5).

    This text does not teach that as long as a person is sincere he will be saved, no matter what his religion is. All who are ignorant of Christ and the gospel of his grace are lost, perishing in their ignorance, without excuse (Rom. 1:18-20). Cornelius was saved, accepted by God in Christ because he worshipped as he was supposed to do at the time. Believing the revelation God had given, he trusted Christ, of whom the law and the prophets spoke. There are none today in his peculiar circumstances. This man's character is not to be applied to religious men and women who deny the revelation of God in Holy Scripture.

    The words of our text mean that God does not prefer or despise anyone because of his or her earthly conditions. The Jews thought they were the only people to whom God would ever be gracious. They regarded all Gentiles as dogs, cursed and rejected by God. But Peter assures us here that all are alike before God. All people need God's saving grace (Rom. 3:23). The grace of God comes to all the same way-through Christ, the sinner's substitute (Eph. 1:3-6). All who are saved must come to God the same way—by faith in Christ (Acts 4: 12). And all who come to God by faith in Christ are equally accepted in him. All are one with Christ. And all are one in Christ (Gal. 3:28). As Thomas Manton said, 'Some lie nearer, others more remote from the sun, but they are all alike near to the Sun of Righteousness.'

    3. Who are those that fear God and work righteousness?

    Cornelius is described as a devout man who feared God and worked righteousness. But it is contrary to everything revealed in the Bible to imagine that his fear of God and works of righteousness were the foundation of his acceptance with God (Titus 3:4-5). The only people in the world who fear God and do works of righteousness are those who have been saved by the grace of God, accepted in Christ, washed in his blood and robed in his righteousness. These are the fruits of grace, not the causes of grace. The grace of God that brings salvation causes saved sinners to do works of righteousness (Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-14). But grace does not come as the result of works!

    4. What does it mean to be accepted by God?

    Peter speaks in our text of sinners being 'accepted with' God. The only way sinners can ever be accepted by God is in Christ (Eph. 1:6). God accepts every gift given and every act performed for him by every believer through the merits of Christ (1 Peter 2:5). As he is pleased with Christ, so he is pleased with all who are in Christ by his grace (Matt. 17:5), because all that Christ has is our sin him by divine imputation. Hence, to be 'accepted with God' means that it will be a righteous thing for God to reward every believer with all the blessedness of eternal glory in the Day of Judgement (Rom. 8:17).

    5. What lessons are to be learned from this text and from God's dealings with Cornelius?

    Without question, the Holy Spirit has recorded these things to teach us three very important lessons.

    First, God' s saving grace is absolutely free and sovereign. No earthly distinctions will secure God's favour, and no earthly woes will prevent it.

    Secondly, no one will ever seek the Lord in vain (Isa. 45: 19). Any who walk in the light God gives them will get more light. No one can put God under obligation. We can never merit anything from him but wrath. Yet this is certain—all who truly seek the Lord find him (Jer. 29: 13).

    Thirdly, if God has no regard for anyone's person, neither should we have. We must neither court the rich nor despise the poor. We are to receive all as brothers and sisters in Christ who worship the Lord our God, and treat them as the children of God.