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!
BE BLESSED!!!
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