Galatians 3:27-28
(27) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Discrimination is a deep-seated problem in society. It is so deep-rooted that some people give it a biblical justification. It is so deep-rooted that even within places of worship, discrimination is rife. Discrimination divides people into groups. Discrimination is the antithesis of unity that Jesus recommended for His followers.
Discrimination favors women and leaves others disadvantaged. Discrimination is mistreating people based on factors beyond their control. Discrimination is punishing people for circumstances they find themselves in. Discrimination is a painful experience.
Apostle Paul writes to the church of the Galatians and tells them several issues that would help them grow spiritually. In chapter three of this letter, Paul tells them about salvation that is by faith only and not by keeping the law. Paul condemns any attempt to gain salvation by keeping the law. Paul emphasizes that salvation is by faith only.
At the end of chapter three, Paul tells the Galatians that we were all childish believing that keeping the law would earn us salvation. We were children under a guardian waiting to be set free by faith, Galatians 3:23-24. Now that faith has come we are no longer under a guardian, Galatian 3:25. Therefore we are all God’s children by faith, Galatian 3:26. Then at this point, our text comes in and declares the end of discrimination!
Paul declares that by baptism we all became Christians, we all dressed in Christ, Galatians 3:27. Baptism into Christ changed everything. Through baptism, we lost our past and gained a new identity. Our terrible past ended at baptism and a new identity began right there and then. Then he tells us that the new identity we gain in Christ no longer resonates with the old identity that discriminated people.
The new identity in Christ completed deleted the identity of a Jew and Gentile. The new identity in Christ marked the end of what made some slaves and others free. The new identity in Christ has no room for gender identities of who is male and who is female. The new identity in Christ made all of us one and the same thing in Christ. If properly administered and taken, this will cure discrimination!
True conversion will do away with discrimination. When converted people discriminate against each other, it is because they are not converted. True conversion makes us blind to biases built in selfishness and greed. We discriminate against others so that we deny them resources and we have it for ourselves. This cannot happen to people who are converted and loving. Salvation as provided in Jesus marks the end of discrimination. If properly administered and taken, this will cure discrimination!
Do you still notice and treat people according to their tribes and races? You are not converted. Do you strive to ensure that every tribe and race gets a fair share, even at the cost of the quality of the work? You are not converted. Do you show preferences for the influential and affluent over the rest? You are not converted. Are you forcing the Bible through eisegesis to treat men as better than women and preferable in ecclesiastical duties? You are not converted. The day you get converted you will not see the differences, you will see everyone as one in Christ. If properly administered and taken, this will cure discrimination!
A conversion process that leaves people biased and prejudiced is skewed. A conversion process that divides people in matters that are beyond their control is not from God. Our biggest challenge today is that many people claiming to be converted fail this test because they still discriminate. May God save us from discrimination and make us truly one in Christ, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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Amen
Amen!
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Amen!
Amen
Amen..
Amen