Stay on Track! Paul's Letter to the GalatiansSample

Unity despite differences

“You are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

Every human who believes in Jesus Christ becomes a child of God. Ethnic origin, gender, and cultural or economic status all are unimportant regarding standing in Christ. Therefore, there is no need for non-Jewish believers to become Jews (and follow all the rules that God gave the Jews in the Old Testament). There is no basis for feeling inferior due to social status. All human distinctions are meaningless to our identity in Christ and our worth to God. He loves all of His children equally.

This fact is liberating! Because we are all one in Christ Jesus, we need not frantically try to brush away any existing differences. It is not a problem if men and women have different roles within the church or in society. It is not necessarily a problem if some church members have a higher social status than others. This doesn’t touch our deepest identity which is fixed in Jesus.

What forms the core of your identity? Does your position in Christ make you value other distinctions less and be relaxed about them? How does this work out in your daily life and your relationships with other Christians?