Reprinted with permission from Truth & Tidings Magazine
Saint James Square, April 17, 1984, Libyan embassy in London, 10:18 am. Shots were fired at demonstrators protesting the execution of two students who had spoken out against Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi. Among the eleven people hit was police officer Yvonne Fletcher who died as a result of her wounds. The burden of evidence pointed to the embassy as the origin of the shots from a weapon smuggled in a diplomatic bag. Eventually, embassy staffers were allowed to return to their home countries without investigation or prosecution. The killers were actually escorted to their airplane with the murder weapon in one of their bags, all in the name of diplomatic immunity.
This example of partiality and extreme favoritism is repeated all too often. God, however, operates differently. In Old Testament days when the people of Israel were enslaved by the Egyptians, God instituted the Passover. Lambs were killed, blood was applied, and the Lord passed through the land. "And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon." It made no difference who you were. If you did not have the blood applied, your family was affected.
From the greatest in the world down to the very least, God sees all people as the same – "for there is no difference." Romans 3:23 says: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." It does not matter who you are or what you have, we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. We read in Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God." From the least to the greatest, all will stand before God to be judged for their sin – for there is no difference.
The world today judges you by where you live, what you drive, where you go, what you wear, or your material possessions. One of the great wonders of the world brings us back to the land of Egypt and the pyramids, some of which are tombs. These ancient peoples believed that burying treasure with their dead would prepare them for the next life. But as we know, this treasure has done them no good because it still remains. Some of the most valuable jewels known have been found in tombs with the dead. The Lord Jesus asks in Mark 8:36, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Will your possessions do you any good for eternity?
Amazingly, God’s view of all men as sinners works the other way as well. God’s love reaches out to all; forgiveness of sins is free to all who are willing to accept it – for there is no difference. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
God’s Word says that man is condemned to everlasting death because of sin, but everlasting life is freely provided by God through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ. The payment we could never make for our sins was made by God. Won’t you accept the greatest gift ever given? Eternal life is free for the taking because God loves you – for there is no difference.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us here.