All men are created in God’s image, even if that image has been marred. We are here because God has determined that we would be. This is not of our design. We as Christians must differentiate between things civilly and religiously. We have to begin at Psalm 24:1, "The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." God has original jurisdiction over all the earth and its inhabitants because He is the reason for its and their existence. No God, no earth, no humans. God establishes the rules by which things are to governed. He is the law-giver. This is what Isaiah 33:22 declares to us, "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us." He is the judge, lawgiver, and king. We are the judged, the law-keepers, and the ruled.
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
Even though man may rebel against God, God stills extends His grace to all men while they are living on the earth because they are His creation. An example of this principle is found in Matthew 5:45, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." God still provides physically for rebellious man. Of course, this will make incorrigible man’s condition in the lake of fire all the more painful because of God’s goodness and kindness extended toward him, despite his wanting to be his own god.
In Exodus 22:21, we read, "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." The Israelites were not to wrong or persecute those outside of covenant because they themselves were in the same in position in Egypt. They are not to treat outsiders as they were treated. They were to extend the same civil privileges of Israel to all and not to discriminate against these strangers. In other words, all had an equal footing when it came to justice.
Exodus 12:49 says, "One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you." The law is one law, not one for a particular people and another for the others. This one law is because there is only one God as Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD." Civil justice is not to show favoritism to one group above another. All are to be treated the same before the law. Justice is to be meted out equally among all groups of people.
Paul writing in Romans 2:1-11 states this principle best, "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11For there is no respect of persons with God." Some of God’s attributes are His goodness, mercy, and patience. He even extends these to the wicked for a period of time, allowing them the opportunity to repent. God judges each man according to what he has done. There is no partiality in God’s judgment because He does not show respect to persons. If you have done wrong, you will suffer the consequences of those actions. If you do right, you will be rewarded accordingly.
Conclusion
The First Commandment of Exodus 20:3 is prevalent in the Exodus 22:21. If we are not to have no other gods before him, then we are to have one God and He will have only one law. Ephesians 4:4-6 reads, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." One means unity. One God means one law for the plurality, even the stranger. Also, the golden rule of Matthew 7:12 applies to the law stated in Exodus 22:21 that is we are to treat others as we would want to be treated, not as we were treated.
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