Many may wonder why Paul the
apostle is going to such lengths to convince the Galatian church
members about the grace of God given through His promise and its
relationship to the law of God. Since Judaizers had infiltrated and
divided the church with incorrect doctrine which stated that people
must obey the traditions of the law as well as the law itself to be
saved, Paul felt it necessary to be thorough in his explanations.
Paul has just shared the uniqueness of being one in Christ Jesus
through baptism, and he shares the benefit of that oneness in chapter
three and verse twenty-eight where he wrote:
There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor
female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Now that
the Galatians were baptized into Christ, their old lives were done
away, and they were unified under the name of Jesus Christ. There are
no more divisions nationally or ethnically among them, “There is
neither Jew nor Greek,...” for they are all in Christ Jesus.
“There is neither bond nor free...” which declares their
station in life is dissolved by being one in Christ Jesus, and “there
is neither male nor female...” which renders gender inequality
void as well. Nationality, ethnicity, station, and gender no longer
divide those who are baptized into Jesus Christ. What may see natural
in society becomes a bygone era, because those who have a
relationship with Jesus Christ are now all equal.
But why
is this so? Paul says, “for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
When a person receives Jesus Christ as his or her personal
savior, they relinquish all other divisions that were previously in
their lives. It isn't that there are not differences in
nationalities, stations, or gender, but rather that there are none
that are superior to others. We are one in Christ Jesus when we
receive His wonderful promise of grace.
Paul
said in the book of Romans in chapter two and verse eleven:
For there is no respect
of persons with God.
In
other words, there is no preferential treatment from God based upon
one's nationality, station in life or gender. God desires to have a
relationship with every person. Uniqueness of individuals are
celebrated in the unity of a faith in Jesus Christ. We are all one in
Him, and rather than cause divisions as the Judaizers were to the
Galatians, Paul lets us all know that equality is found in one place,
“in Christ Jesus.” When
we rely upon, trust in, and cling to Him, we find ourselves in unity
with people from every tribe, nation, people group, ethnicity, gender
and race. All barriers fall, and we are one. May we evermore be so in
Jesus Christ.
Next time we will
see how we become heirs because of our relationship with Jesus
Christ, so read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation
to Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it
locally
at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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