EXTRA! EXTRA! “God Doesn’t Have Favorites.” – Isaiah 66:2

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Tolerance 8:4 – “God Doesn’t Have Favorites.” – Isaiah 66:2 

Introduction 

In this series we dive into common phrases that we assume are in the Bible, but are not! A closer look will show that sayings like “God wants you to be happy” and “Everything happens for a reason” are not based on Biblical truth. Too often in our lives we try to make the Bible say things that it doesn’t in order to justify our decisions and actions. Instead of changing what the Bible teaches to match the way we live, we should change the way we live to match what the Bible teaches.

EXTRA! EXTRA! What We Add to The Bible

May 21 – Nike 2:3 – “God Won’t Give Me More Than I Can Handle.”

May 28 – Tolerance 8:4 – “God Doesn’t Have Favorites.”

June 4 – Misguidance 1:1 – “God Wants Me to Be Happy.”

June 11 – Confusion 7:6 – “Everything Happens for a Reason.”

June 18 – Abraham 4:2 – “We’re All Children of God.

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Tolerance 8:4 – “God Doesn’t Have Favorites.” 

Isaiah 66:2 (NLT)

2 My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.

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What the Bible says: “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”

Isaiah 66:2b (NIV)

What we add: “God doesn’t have favorites.”

Why we add it: When we think of favoritism, we imagine a place of higher status and less responsibility. But God’s favor often comes with added duties and more difficult challenges.

Key verse: “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”

Isaiah 66:2b (NIV)

1. We are all created in the of God.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

Notes

2. We are all by God.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

Notes

3. God wants a spirit.

Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.

Proverbs 29:23

Notes

4. God wants a spirit.

⁴ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

⁵ But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 

⁶ He will judge everyone according to what they have done.

Romans 2:4-6

Notes

5. God wants a spirit.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

Note

6. God to show you favor.

For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love. Psalm 5:12

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Romans 5:1

Notes

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

James 4:8

Challenge: What do you need to let go of today to draw closer to God tomorrow?

Notes

It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.

Isaiah 59:2a

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

Notes