You are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:23-4:31 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. ²⁶ For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. ³ So we too, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. ⁶ Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

⁸ However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? ¹⁰ You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

¹² I beg of you, brothers and sisters, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; ¹³ but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; ¹⁴ and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition, nor express contempt, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. ¹⁵ Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? ¹⁷ They eagerly seek you, not in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them. ¹⁸ But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable way, and not only when I am present with you. ¹⁹ My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you— ²⁰ but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for I am at a loss about you!

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. ²³ But the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. ²⁴ This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from Mount Sinai giving birth to children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written:

“Rejoice, infertile one, you who do not give birth; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
Than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ And you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But as at that time the son who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, so it is even now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say?

“Drive out the slave woman and her son, For the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

³¹ So then, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.

One of the greatest supposed concerns in our culture and society is inequality. Many people protest for equality. Many believe we can bring about equality through legislation. Unfortunately, many of the human solutions require suppressing one group rather than elevating the other. We work toward mediocrity rather than excellence. Our society has even begun to argue for equity rather than equality.  The truth is equality comes through the one thing that many people today resist. In today’s text it says: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. True equality does not mean that we all look alike, or that we all have the same things or the same abilities. True equality is a oneness, a unity that we have in God and through Christ. Hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions and factions, are listed among the deeds of the flesh in Galatians 5:20.  They are the result of sin and they are sin. In Matthew 7:1-2 Jesus says: “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”   Those who judge others as more or less than themselves, will also be judged. As they divide people from each other, they become divided from God by sin.

In Genesis 1:26-27 it says: Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.   Both male and female were created in the image of God. Although there are many differences, they are equally created by God in His image and likeness. We cannot create equality by changing or adding to what God created. There are many ways that we are different, but only if we begin to view every person as having been created in the image of God, will we achieve equality. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Our society teaches that rather than being intentionally created by God in His image, we came about by a series of accidents, and we evolved from animals, then are surprised that people act like animals toward each other. If we would accept, believe and teach that we are all created in the image of God, we would live in a more Godly society.

We were created in the image and likeness of God, whether male or female, regardless of the color of our skin, or our ethnicity, whether we are rich or poor, old or young, all are created equally in God’s sight. Sin causes divisions and divisions are sin. Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from sin, and to restore us to what God intended from the beginning, that we would be like Him and with Him. In John 14:21-24 Jesus says: “The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him… If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. The one who does not love Me does not follow My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”

Let us make the words of the psalmist in Psalm 139:13-16 our declaration and prayer:  You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You When I was made in secret, and skillfully formed in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my formless substance; And in Your book were written All the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit, may I also see this truth and reality in everyone else who You created in Your image. Amen.