Why our favoritism (politics) is an affront to God - Romans 2:11, Colossians 3:25

It has become all too apparent that much of the Church in America (in particular) has become infected with the disease of favoritism.  One group of people (who are like us) are viewed with a positive lens, excusing any misdeeds and assuming pure motives, while another group (who are not like us) is viewed with a negative lens, shouting about any misdeeds and assuming nefarious motives.  The primary breakdown for this divide is politics, with a secondary, and often related, divide regarding race/nationality.  Those who call themselves Christians who put an (R) after their name, view all those with a (D) through a negative lens and their fellows (R's) through a positive lens, and vice versa.  When "our guy" is the politician, entertainer, business leader, etc. in question, all can be forgiven, when it is "their guy" the spirit of forgiveness is replaced with the iron fist of justice.  Are we really under the impression that this sort of self-serving tribalism is what God intended for His Church?  Can we not see that our willingness to weight the scales when they benefit us personally/politically is warping our presentation of the Gospel and turning people away from Christ??  Whose kingdom have we been called to serve, our own or God's?

God doesn't operate this way, as Paul wrote in Romans 2:11, "For God does not show favoritism", and in Colossians 3:25, "Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism."  If a person sins, they will answer for that sin to God, whoever they are.  If a person sincerely seeks the face of God in repentance, putting faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that person will find forgiveness and new birth, whoever they are.  When we all stand before God at the day of judgment, our politics and our race will matter not at all.  There will be formerly homeless drug addicts who found God's grace in Christ who are welcomed into the kingdom of heaven, and there will be rich, powerful, and famous men (and women) who spoke the name of Christ as a talisman while claiming to be "one of us", who will be left outside the kingdom having heard Jesus say to them, "I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:23)

Each step the Church takes, through individual Christians, through those spokespeople in leadership roles, or through denominations themselves, toward favoritism is a step away from the Gospel.  It doesn't matter if that favoritism is based upon class, race, gender, nationality, or politics.  Each time we judge our fellow man (favorably or harshly) based upon anything except the Gospel's call for salvation by grace through faith, we put ourselves in the place of God, and insult the one who will judge all mankind by claiming to know better than him.  This sickness is a cancer to the Church.  If left unchecked, it will spread until the Gospel is subsumed beneath our us vs. them tribalism, leaving us incapable of speaking the Truth to a world in need.  If you are a Christian, through what lens are you viewing the your fellow man, your country, and the world?  Do you see in shades of Red or Blue, or do you see as Jesus saw, lost sheep in need of a shepherd, lost sinners in need of God's grace?

Undoubtedly, some will react to these words with disdain even anger, claiming that their favoritism is justified because the ends justify the means, for the disease has spread and taken hold in the hearts of many, but some will have an ear and they will hear.  The Church has only one Lord, and he does not show favoritism.  Sin is sin, righteousness is righteousness, regardless of what you think about the person/people committing it.