1 PETER 1:17
"Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has NO FAVORITES. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as foreigners in this land."
Did you come from a family with more than one child? Did your parents have a favorite child? What did you think about your brother or sister being the favorite? As humans we do have a tendency to gravitate toward one of our children at the expense of another for a variety of reasons. We are acting in the flesh and we even know that it is wrong. Our heavenly Father on the other hand has NO FAVORITES. We are all equal in the sight of God and He respects us all as individuals. It is pleasing to know that we will all be judged and rewarded according to just what we do. It does not involve any other child of God. We are individuals and are seen by the Father exactly that way.
Each person must live in reverent fear of the Lord. Remember the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. It also involves knowing and loving Him. Our relationship with the Father is based on one of being His child. We are to be obedient and faithful and righteous in His sight. We will be judged on our belief and behavior. We show respect for the Lord when we walk in His path and do His will. Those who do not love and respect the Lord and do not believe in Him will also receive their just reward and will be judged accordingly. He will say depart from me for I never knew you. The way we live and the choices we make determine our eternal future.
Finally we need to always remember that we are foreigners in this land. We are pilgrims just passing through. We are going to be here for only a little while and then our eternal future will be decided on what we do here and now. We alone are responsible for our choices. We can choose to believe in Jesus Christ the Lord God, or we can reject and disrespect Him. Not making any decision is the same as rejecting God. Either you have a reverent fear of the Lord and His Saving power, or you do not. Remember you made the choice that leads to your judgement and what rewards you will receive. As for the Lord, He has NO FAVORITES!
