ARE WE ALL EQUAL BEFORE GOD?

Pastor Bankie ARE WE ALL EQUAL BEFORE GOD?


The answer to this question is right there in the scriptures. Follow me closely and you will see what I discovered!

You see, potentially we are all equal before Him; after all, we are all made in His image, after His likeness. You know that the scripture says that God is no respecter of persons. But, you see, in practice, we are as different as the Amaranthus and the Iroko tree are different, like the cat and the lion, like a motorbike and an S –class Benz.

This is why.

Once, God said “even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people” (Jer.15). This shows to me that Moses and Samuel were not average people, that was why He said “even though …” It is like you saying, “even though you offer me one million Naira, I am not coming with you”. That shows the listener that there are different amounts of money, and that differing amounts will have differing persuasive powers. That is how men are with God!

Again in another place when God was threatening fire and brimstone on some bad sons of His, He remarked that “even if these men-Noah, Daniel and Job- were in it, they could only save themselves.” I think this shows that these men were not on the same level as everyone else. That is why God dealt with them in a different fashion. Let us look at the case of Moses a bit. There was a time that Miriam and Aaron criticized him for something he had done that was wrong in their opinion. Without going into details about what he did, let us see God’s response. Num 12,6.

“If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make myself known to him in a vision… in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses… with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses.”

Notice that God was saying that “even among my prophets, among my many servants Moses stands out different! You should therefore treat him as different”. Remember that Miriam was a prophetess, and Aaron a priest, yet they were supposed to treat Moses as special.

So you see, in practice, we definitely are not equal before God.

I mentioned earlier that potentially we are equal and that God is not a respecter of persons. If this be so, how did we arrive at being so different?

The truth is that each person determines by himself his stature before God and anybody can attain any size. Yes, though all fingers may not be equal, in your relationship with God, you determine the size that you attain. God does not just pick people like Daniel, Moses, Samuel, Job, and make them favourably unequal to other men. No! They pick the kind of live they want to lead and that determines their stature with God.

In this light all can be equal before God. He said, “there is no difference… for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him”. Rom. 1012

It is how you walk with God that determines your level with Him. It was said of Enoch that he walked with God. Note that God did not walk with Enoch; it was Enoch that walked with God. This means that the degree of intimacy between God and Enoch was essentially determined by Enoch, not God.

God is available for all. Are you taking hold of Him?

Look at Daniel, he was big before God, God put a mark on him, he was different. Why was that? It was his lifestyle, the decisions he made for God. We read:

“Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself…” 18

“(his enemies) could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.” 64

“I was found innocent before Him and also toward you O king, I have committed no crime.” 622
”… because he had trusted in His God”

No wonder the angel testified to Daniel that before God “you are highly esteemed!”

Do you want God to highly esteem you? Then follow the example of Daniel.

Look at Job. God bragged about Him. He was big before God. God testified concerning him that “...there is no one like him on the earth...”

Why was that? It was because Job was “blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil” (Job 1).

We can therefore say concerning Daniel that he walked with God, or that Job walked with God. God was not the one who walked with these men.

This is the lesson: You also can walk with God. You also can get to a high place with God such that He will favour you so much that it will appear as if He is partial in your favour.

That is how to escape marginalisation before God.

You know it was said concerning Jotham that he became great because he ordered his steps before the Lord his God. 2Chr.276

That is the equality God has given every man – to walk with Him and so ride into high places, so that when calamity wants to come, He will first say to the angel “ mark this one, he must not die with the rest” (Ez 9:4,8); so that He will, like Job, surround you with a hedge and prosper you abundantly. It is up to you.

You are asking, “How can I walk with God?”

He has said “Two cannot walk together except they are agreed. Since God cannot change, then it is up to you to agree with Him.

You want to walk with God? Then agree with Him!

“He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

It is as simple as that. Agree with Him and know for sure that you can never loose out by following Him.

Yes it is that simple, yet it will have serious consequences; for example when you start agreeing with God, you will start disagreeing with men. Oh! That has been the major problem with many people. They want to agree with men. Jesus said, “how can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God.” Some Pharisees who would have believed in Jesus couldn’t because they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. Jn 1243

Do you want to be great before God? You will have to hold on to God’s opinion and disregard what men will think of you.

They may call you foolish, they will think you crazy. These things are necessary to prove to God that you really want to walk with him.

Faith is holding unto God’s word because it is the truth and your life depends on it.

Enoch walked with God and the record is that in doing so he pleased God. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 116).

You walk with God by faith in His word. That is what marks you out.

Know of a truth that His word can never fail; it will never fail you.

Men will say, “you’re dead without money”. You will say “Beware of covetousness, a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses”.

Men will say “there is no future for young people is this country.”

You will say “I shall be like a tree firmly planted by the waters, I bring forth fruit in my season.”

Men will say “You must be ‘sharp’ to make it.”

You will say “Do not fret because of evildoers, trust in the Lord, do good, cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Men will say “enjoy yourself, party, have fun, have sex, you are a young man!”

You will say “know of a truth, that God will bring you to judgement for all these things”.

Friend, do you know what you are doing? You are agreeing with God.

That is how to walk with God.

“The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil”

Never call an evil thing O.K even if you don’t practice it. “Woe to him that calls evil good”

Agree with God in your speech, in your ways and in your expectation.

Note one thing. For sure when God might have approved of you, men will see it! It will not just be a religious satisfaction and peace inside you.

It will in reality be something that the eye can see. That is why it is written that, “He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgement (or reward) as the noonday.”

Men will see it and testify that of a truth you did the wise thing. You chose the wise way.

When everyone was running to Egypt and Isaac stayed in the land of famine because he agreed with God (Gen.28), the result was that he reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him and he became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy (vs 12,13).

When Hannah agreed with God she became a joyful mother of a total of six children. She had been barren.

When God highly esteems you, He does not leave you on the ground, He lifts you up to show that righteousness pays. That is what David observed when he said “I have been young, now I am old. I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children beg for food.”

He raises the poor from the dust; He lifts the needy from the ash heap. He makes them sit with nobles.

He keeps the feet of His godly ones.

The wicked ones are silenced in darkness.

The Lord will lift you up; He will not allow your feet to be moved.

He will keep your going out and your coming in.

Declaration:
If you are ready to be outstanding with God, pray:
“Lord, I am ready to agree with you, help me by your Spirit. Open my ears and my heart to hear and to receive your word. In Jesus’ name.”

If you are not personally related to God through His Son Jesus Christ, let me let you know that the promises of God are only confirmed in Jesus. He is the one that God has given the power to forgive you and to renew your life. He was dead, was raised and is alive today.

Talk to Him in prayer today, asking Him to become your master who you will obey and to wash away your sins.