The equality that the world teaches is not really equality at all. In fact it's more of the opposite. The world teaches to treat everyone differently. It tells you to treat people differently depending on the events of the world, whether dealing with famous people, religious actions, or the actions of a race of people. It also teaches to treat others differently depending on what I think to be a massive version of the high school popularity scale. It largely takes into account the amount of money you have, but also the way you look, the things you have, the family you are a part of, how many people know you, the things you have done in your life, etc. The world takes both of these things and teaches people to judge others. To think of them of them better or worse than yourself because of something they did, or what color their skin is, or who their parents are. The world teaches people to judge everyone else. Whether younger, older, richer, poorer, because of any difference at all. It tells you to love someone because they can sing better than someone else, even if they would sooner throw you out of a moving car than say hello to you. Or to favor a person that has a lot of money but a horrible attitude, over a poor man who would be the most kind person you will ever meet in your life. It teaches you to think horribly of those who do things that you don't agree with, to hate those who have different thoughts than you. It also teaches you to tell the other person what you think of them. Even if it is good or bad. Even if it will hurt them.
It teaches to do all of this, and not have a second thought about it. To not even care what it could do. The world teaches us to look at the outside appearance and actions, and judge accordingly. This couldn't be further from what the Bible teaches.
Now what the Bible teaches can not be summed up so easily as what the world teaches. It teaches how people are not equal in some ways, but equal in the most important of ways; how to treat them; and how to place yourself among them. We'll start with how the Bible tells us how we are not equal, but also equal. Confusing sounding yes, but confusing it is not.
We are not equal because it is obvious how we all have different qualities and gifts. And it tells us to recognize these these differences. Romans 12:4-8 says:
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
We all have different gifts to use to help others, and to praise God with. We are all different from one another, and the Bible does tell us to recognize these differences. However, the Bible also tells us that we are all equal in a very important way. We have all sinned, and brought death on ourselves. James 2:8-11 and Romans 6:23 say:
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No one can say that they have kept the entire law. The only man to ever claim that was Jesus Christ himself. But all of us have committed sin in our lives, no matter who we are. However, we are all equal in another aspect. We can all equally receive the gift of Christ Jesus our savior.
John 3:16 says:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
"...that whoever believes in him..." Anyone can believe in Christ, for that is the free will within a person to control what they believe.
So everyone may differ in their gifts and qualities; but we are all equal when it comes to being dead sinners, and people saved in Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Bible tells us how to treat everyone equally. It tells us what we should not do, and what we should do. The Bible mentions not to do one thing that would solve most of the bad we do to each other, and that is to not judge each other. James 4:11-12 and James 2:12-13 say:
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you-who are you to judge your neighbor?
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
God is the Lawgiver and Judge. So it is not our place to judge others for their actions, or for anything in fact. If we are not suppose to judge someone on their actions, which is the number one thing people judge others on in my experience, why then should we judge others on minor things like the way they look or the money they have. If we are not to judge others, how then should we treat them? With mercy. But do not just stop at being merciful and not judging them for their actions. Go farther than that and love them, no matter who they are. James 2:1-4, Leviticus 19:18, and Luke 6:27-36 say:
My brother, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing the fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
" 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.' "
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
Love is like a higher form of mercy. And instead of showing favoritism and judging others, we must treat them all equally with a merciful Love like that of our Father in heaven. If we do this, it is impossible to judge others or treat them badly. However this is not it. We must also see where our place is in this. Luke 14:7-11 says:
When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
So the Bible tells us to humble ourselves and take the lowest place. And to give our honor and best to others. So we must not love and treat everyone equally Less than ourselves, but treat them all equally Better than ourselves with sacrificing Love and Mercy.
Now the question is, which one do we follow in our lives at school, work, home, and church? The equality that the world teaches? Or the equality that the Bible teaches? The answer for most people today is that we follow the teachings of the world. I see the judging of others in public, at schools, in my home, and I am sorry to say, at my church. We allow ourselves to be swayed to judge others so easily now that it disturbs me. I even found myself doing it today while working on what to say in this post! It is a major problem, but it has such an easy solution. Just Loving one another! That is the ultimate solution.
I must say that judging others is one of the most common of sins in the world. No matter how poor or rich or important or unheard of you are, you have judged and most likely still judge others. If you read this post, I urge you now, do what I'm going to do and do everything you can to keep from judging others. And instead, love them and pray for them, whether they are an enemy or close friend or complete stranger. Reach out and love them and say what you can to bring them up instead of knocking them down. Because in this way, you are doing what God wants you to do. And also, maybe bringing them closer to Jesus Christ, so that they can experience the same Love that you are sharing with them.
Thank You For Reading
Long Live Jesus Christ
Amen
