We Are One In Christ

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:27-28

In Christ, there are no classifications or factions; your past doesn’t determine your standing or the group that you are associated with… It never ceases to amaze me that the most segregated time in our societies and communities is the time in which we go into the church to praise & worship…. Paul wants you to remember that the world classifies you on your abilities; however, in Christ you are classified through your acceptance of the offering that Christ extended from the cross… There is no difference between you or I in the body of Christ; yes we all have different gifts but your importance in the body of Christ is no less significant than anyone else… This is why Paul says,“There is neither Jew nor Greek…” The biggest stumble block found in churches is the people who attend them… You have people who think they are better than others, people who think they have the right to look down or despise others and Paul is trying to set the record straight… The bible records that “all have fallen short of the glory of God…” We all have a path we have traveled, we all have done things that we aren’t proud of and we should be thankful just to have the opportunity to enter His courts with praise… Jesus went to the cross for all mankind (even if you say He did for you than that just shows that you were in need of saving)…

 Paul’s letter to the church of Galatia shines a powerful light that needs to be seen by the men of yesterday and today… There is no color barrier between races in God’s kingdom; there is no hierarchy between males and females within the divine will of God as it pertains to His saving power and extension of grace. Traditions in the church have caused us to push God out of the church, we have said that you can’t do this (women can’t preach), or you have to come to church like this (no jeans and women can’t wear pants), Paul asked a question within this passage of scripture that is prevalent to today! Where does it say in the scriptures that this is how church is to be conducted? Where do we gain the authority to dictate how someone is accepted in the kingdom of God…? Jesus posed a question about a shepherd losing one sheep out of a hundred, in this passage Jesus asked “Will he not leave the ninety nine to go after the one…” In one lost soul tears are shed, in one soul being saved tears are shed… The desires of God are that “no man should perish…” Today we need to revaluate our lives; we need to stop following tradition and start following the will of God… Paul is charging the church that there is no racial profiling, no sexism within Gods house! He created man and created woman, there is no difference in nationality or ethnicity. 

We are bound together by the blood of Jesus. We have to be careful the way we govern ourselves within the church, things have shifted from Gods will to our opinion. We have gone so far as to leave churches based on the WRONG perception we have as to how churches are to be lead. The other piece that Paul is addressing here is that we have to look past the outside of people! How often have you walked into a church and get the feeling that people don’t think you belong? How often have you looked at someone funny when they enter the church you go to because their skin may be lighter or darker than yours? Sadly, we have become so anti this and anti that, that there is no way that God dwells within the sanctuary that we claim to worship him in. The church is a place for sickness to be healed, confusion to be resolved and tears to be wiped away… There are many people who attend church with many different issues on there heart and it is in the body of Jesus Christ that healing, deliverance and direction is found… You are no better than me and I am no better than you, we need to join together in being grateful that God thought it not robbery to leave His home in glory…  It is because of politics and tradition that I believe churches are going astray, it’s because of these things that  people have lost faith in the church, and why the devil is actively taking over our church. Believe it or not, segregation is still alive in the entire world, (it is most obvious on Sunday mornings). We are to be about fellowship, we are to be about exaltation, we are to be about GOD, and in order to be about Christ, we must be able to look beyond self!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!