Foundational Truths – Impartiality

As we veer back on to the road of looking at some of God’s attributes after having chased the rabbit from His immutability into His will and the “problem” of evil, we now have before us His Impartiality i.e. He is impartial.

You know it, Webster (1828) defines impartial as:

1. Not partial; not biased in favor of one party more than another; indifferent; unprejudiced; disinterested; as an impartial judge or arbitrator.

2. Not favoring one party more than another; equitable; just; as an impartial judgment or decision; an impartial opinion.

So that with God impartial means … well … not partial (how’s that – all with one hand behind my back) and speaks of God's attribute whereby He treats all men and women equally, not demonstrating favoritism in terms of merit for salvation.  That is, He does not look with more regard to the Irish than he does the Scotts.  Or those that are left handed as opposed to those who are right handed.  So that God does not show prejudice towards or against any person or party. 

Now at the onset we must acknowledge that God certainly is partial to His elect but what we see here is that His partiality is not based upon anything other than His specific salvic grace having been bestowed upon them and nothing more. 

When we speak of His being impartial as the Scriptures do we mean thus:  

He takes no bribe - Deut 10:17-18

He does not despise any person - Job 36:5

In terms of His general grace and love, He allows both the evil and good live and provides them both with daily needs - Matt 5:44-45

God is partial to neither Jew nor Gentile (nation of origin) but accepts all that come to Him - Acts 10:34-35

All will received a just recompense for their works - Rom 2:6-9

So that biblical Partiality is the idea of looking to see who someone is before deciding how to treat him or her!  In other words, one judges by appearance and on that basis giving special favor and respect (or the converse - refuses to give respect).  This then pertains to judging others purely on a superficial level, without consideration of the person’s true merits, abilities, or character.

Where as biblical Impartiality is just the opposite. That is, God does not judge based upon outward appearance, wealth, culture, social position, family background, education, beauty, intellect, all things that more or less sway the opinions of man, do not count with God.

And indeed He does not need to “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Heb 4:12-13)