Blogs

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:28

The Bible speaks of a new unity between Jews and Greeks—two people groups who become one in faith, thereby “making peace” and ending hostility (Eph 2:14-16). Other passages indicate “the one new person” includes everyone. This topic is too large for a 400-word post so I’ll just mention three points of focus.

• Unity is found in Christ. In Him we’re joined together and “rise to become a holy temple” (Eph 2:21-22). Did you catch the action verb? We rise. We step above our differences of opinion, culture, traditions, skin tone, and politics because we have a new identity and a new song. (See the previous two posts.)
• We belong to one another, which means we help and enhance each other, making each other better, more. The parts of my body, though unique, work interdependently and each fills a unique role, working in sync to the benefit of each another (Rom 12:5; see also Eph 4:11-13). The same is true of the body of believers in Jesus Christ. We reflect Him and accomplish His purposes in the world when we bless and honor one another.
• Not only is there no “Jew or Greek, slave nor free, male nor female” but we “are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28, emphasis added). If Christ did not count His heavenly heritage  a thing to be grasped, how can we cling to our heritage as a matter of pride? Our individuality is a reflection of our Creator, each one of us a mini expression of Him. This is not a distinction to cause pride but to foster appreciation for the Jesus in each of us.

We wear our individuality like a badge of honor, touting our nationality, skin tone, political party, and even our church as that which makes us special, important. We end up promoting distinctions that separate and divide us—the furthest thing from God’s heart.

Dear friends, Jesus destroyed our barriers and dividing walls (Eph 2:14). Let us not rebuild them but value the unity He purchased.

Inserted image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.