Promises

Thursday, October 06, 2011 Posted by Angie

No Partiality

I've often said that I didn't even begin to understand God's love for me until I became a parent. After my son was born, I knew what unconditional love felt like. However, it wasn't until I had my second son that it dawned on me how I could love BOTH of my children, as different as they are, with the same kind of love. Loving one of them, in no way diminished the love I had for the other. This did wonders for me in realizing how God could love the "whole world" and still make His love for me very personal.

In the past, I struggled with the difference between knowing God had the power to do something, and wondering if He would do it for ME. Since then, I've read the Scriptures with a different perspective. I think that the promises of God are for anyone and everyone...it's just a matter of if we'll believe. Peter realized this same truth when the Lord sent him to meet with Cornelius, a Centurion in Acts 10:34-35 -

"Then Peter opened his mouth and said 'in truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.'"

In Acts 10:44-48 it goes on to say that the Gentiles were filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter and the disciples were astonished that God was sharing His power with the Gentiles. Peter ended up having to defend this, and in Acts 11:17 he says

"If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

This was huge deal for them to realize that God was doing equal work among the Gentiles as He offered to His people, the Jews. The same is true today...the promises that God offered throughout the Bible...the same promises He offered the "heroes of the faith" like Smith Wigglesworth, John Wesley, or Billy Graham, etc., are the same promises available to you and me, if we'll just receive them.

I no longer say "God you're able, but are you willing?" If He did it for someone in the past, I can claim that same promise for myself today!