All have sinned . . . and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Rom. 3:23–24)

“Divider gets last choice!” was Mom’s mantra, because in a family of six siblings plus Mom and Dad, cutting eight equal pieces of pie was crucial. With this principle in mind, the person who was cutting did so with extreme caution. We were instilled with the value of fairness and learned to appreciate it.

In our society, legislation is implemented to allow for fair trade, fair housing, fair labor standards, fair grading practices, and a myriad of other aspects of equality. We frequently read or hear of these topics being discussed in every sector. Diverse people groups demand that elusive value that we all think we deserve: fairness.

Long before “Divider gets last choice,” and millennia prior to our society’s insistence on equal rights, fairness was God’s idea, and it was always part of His plan. One small word in today’s passage reveals that to us; that word is all. The fact that we were all tainted by sin and have all been far from God’s glory shows us that there are no exceptions and there is no favoritism with God; we all desperately need His grace. The picture of human depravity is not pretty, but we all can anchor our faith on one of the most reassuring truths in Scripture, confirming the fact that God is fair: God freely justifies all who trust in Jesus.

Praise God that He shows no favoritism and His grace is freely offered to all.

Kathern Nemec lived most of her adult life in her husband’s native Argentina. Now residing in Ohio, she works in Spanish customer support and translation.