“The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both.”
In the United States Declaration of Independence are the words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..." The Bible is even clearer about how our Creator has made us all equal.
Equally Made in God's Image
All human beings are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). This applies to men, women, and children—no matter their age, gender, ethnicity, abilities, or spiritual state.
We were created with the ability to love, have rational thoughts, and be creative with our intellect and imagination. These are all properties of having a spiritual soul made by God.
Equally Deserving of Justice
“Justice is a joy to the godly, but it terrifies evildoers.”
The Bible says all human beings equally deserve justice. That means all humans should have equal rights to be protected from harm by a trustworthy governing authority—no matter their circumstances.
How much money we have doesn't matter (Leviticus 19:15; Proverbs 22:2). Where we were raised or where we're from doesn't matter either (Leviticus 24:22; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 16:18-20). The laws that apply to each individual person may be different, but if those laws are equitable, God expects those laws to be enforced justly.
Equally Cared For by the Church
When the first Christian churches were established, they were to be "pillars" to hold up and support believers and nurture the connection between Christ and all human beings living in the fallen world (1 Timothy 3:15).
Pastors and church leaders should uphold church discipline to all, offer sound teaching to all, encourage all, and help with physical needs using discernment but without discrimination or bias (1 Timothy 5:21).
Equally Guilty & Equally Offered Salvation
“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
All human beings are equal regarding salvation. We're all sinful and deserve death (Romans 3:23; 6:23). We're all unable to earn God's forgiveness (Ephesians 2:8-9). And we're all saved the same way: by God's grace through our faith in Jesus (Acts 10:34-35; Romans 2:11-16; Galatians 2:1-4).
For those who love God, they should be considered truly equal (Galatians 3:28). In the end, the people who choose to glorify Jesus will not be divided into gender, nationality, or social status (Revelation 5:9-10).
The One Dividing Line of Inequality
“I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.”
The only true dividing line in humanity is of a spiritual nature. People who are unsaved are driven by their sin nature (Romans 6:6). People who have accepted Christ have the nature of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Sometimes people think that those who hold positions of authority, power, or celebrity, or who have more money are better than everyone else. Looking at the outside, it does often feel like things are unequal or that wicked people seem to get good things (Job 21:7-9). But God doesn't see it that way.
Christians should never judge others based on worldly values (James 2:1-4). From the seasoned senior pastor to the newest Christian, we're all brothers and sisters in Christ (Matthew 23:8). From the believer to the unbeliever, we're all equally loved by God (John 3:16-17; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8).
In a way, God's call for Christians is to work in the world to make all human beings more equal. He calls us to promote justice for everyone (Micah 6:8). And He calls us to invite unbelievers to receive a new nature in Jesus.