In Paul’s day, some of the Saints in Rome were Jews who had converted to Christianity. They had left behind the practices of the Law of Moses, which had been fulfilled by the Savior’s Atonement. Others were Gentiles who had never followed the Law of Moses. Some had worshipped multiple gods, as was common in that part of the world at that time.
So when Paul wrote his letter to Church members in Rome, he was talking to people from a huge variety of backgrounds, with different life experiences and attitudes. The Jews had been called God’s “chosen people” for centuries, so some of the Jewish converts apparently thought this gave them an advantage over the Gentile converts.
Paul said (basically): Think again!
“For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:9-10).
In other words, we’re all flawed mortals who sin sometimes. God is not just focused on on ancestry, but on what He can help us become.
Paul said, “There is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). Now, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t respect us! In modern language, we would say, “God doesn’t love some people more than others.” In the world, people sometimes get special treatment because they are rich, famous, attractive, or powerful, or because they have connections to someone who is. But those things don’t matter to God, who “looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).