OUR HEAVENLY FATHER HAS NO FAVORITE CHILDREN

Here is a blessed truth of Holy Scripture which is very hard for us to realize: GOD, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, HAS NO FAVORITE CHILDREN. It is true, God does love some men and hate others (Rom. 9:13). He chose some, called some, and saved some, while leaving others to perish. But among those who are loved, chosen, redeemed, and saved by the grace of God, he has no favorites. God has no favorite sons, no favorite children. All of God's children are equal in his sight. One is not favored above another, or loved above another. Even the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the only begotten Son of God, the eternal Son of the eternal Father, is not more greatly loved than we are, who have become the sons of God by his adoption. Christ told us that God our Father loves us exactly as he loves him (John 17:23). Who could ever have imagined such a thing? God almighty has taken such things as he finds in the dungheap of fallen humanity and makes us in every way equal to his own dear Son! Indeed, he loves us as his own Son is loved, with an everlasting love. Meditate on this blessed fact of Divine Revelation. It will thrill your heart, and fill your soul with praise to God, if by faith you can see it.

ALL GOD'S ELECT ARE SAVED BY THE SAME GRACE. Grace is the great equalizer of men. Some are more outwardly moral than others, but all are saved the same way, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Some have been restrained by God's good providence from many outward forms of vice. Like the rich young ruler, they have always lived in outward morality. If you are such a person, you have much reason to give thanks to God. His restraining hand has kept you from much pain and sorrow. But you have no reason to be proud. You must not think of yourself as being better than others. You are not (I Cor. 4:7). And you must not be so foolish as to think that your "moral goodness" is of any merit before God. Your righteousness, like mine, is just filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). You are a fallen child of Adam. Your heart is evil. By nature you are terribly proud, the most obnoxious of all evils in the sight of God. If ever you are saved, you must renounce your goodness, confess your sin, and come to God trusting Christ alone. You must be saved by grace. Otherwise you will perish in your sins. Others have not been restrained. They have run the wild path of unrestricted lust. Perhaps you are such a person. You might think that the way to be saved is first to reform your life and then trust Christ. You can never be saved that way. You must trust Christ alone and be saved by his almighty grace. For moralistic sinners and immoral sinners there is but one Way of salvation, only one Door to eternal life. All must trust Christ alone and be saved by grace alone.

ALL WHO TRUST CHRIST ARE ETERNALLY SAVED BY HIM. There are no degrees of salvation and acceptance with God. Grace will never take into consideration the good works of men, or the lack of good works in men. Grace fully washes all believers from all sin, and robes all God's elect in the robe of Christ's righteousness, so that all who believe are complete in him, perfect in him, and equal in him. Some of God's saints are more gifted than others; but none are more accepted. Some are more faithful than others; but none are more favored. Some believers enjoy more confidence and assurance than others; but none are more beloved. Grace makes all believers equal, for grace makes all perfect by the imputation of Christ's righteousness and the cleansing of his blood. This is grace, wonderful, amazing, matchless, free grace! God makes no distinctions between one sinner and another in his kingdom. If you can find twelve drunken murderers who today are saved by the grace of God, those twelve men in Christ are in every way equal to the twelve apostles in God's sight. Find me three fallen women, common harlots, who have just trusted Christ, and I will assure them that they are as holy and pure in God's sight, through the merits of Christ, as the three Marys so often mentioned in the four gospels even as the mother of our Lord.

ALL WHO ARE SAVED BY GRACE SHALL BE EQUAL IN HEAVEN'S ETERNAL GLORY. All are "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ". There shall be no second class citizens in that heavenly kingdom. Because all are saved by grace through faith in Christ, all are equal.