There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” vs. 28
Galatians 3:27-29
Those who lived by law were bound to make distinctions. There were rigid categories for every kind of person: circumcised and uncircumcised, male and female, slave and free, sinner and righteous, good and bad. The list went on and on. People were identified by their categories, and it was difficult, if not impossible, to move from one group to another. But when the Spirit took over the Church, all the distinctions fell away. As Paul put it, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all are one in Christ Jesus.” Of course it’s one thing to say this, but it’s enormously difficult to begin living under the gospel. While some distinctions faded away quickly others have hung on for centuries. We’ve clung to slavery for centuries, reluctant to put it aside, mostly for economic reasons. Male and female differences still define what a person can and can’t do in our congregations. And in the last century we’ve even added distinctions! LBGTQ issues have sparked massive firefights in denominations and splits have occurred all over the world. But the Spirit cannot be stifled by our petty cultural distinctions, and unity will prevail. Jesus was for it; how can we be against it?
Thought for the Day: What distinctions are hardest for me to put aside?
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