True Equality
Opening Prayer
Consider what “our inheritance in Christ” is, and give God thanks for it. Pray for a deeper appreciation of it.
Read Galatians 3:26-4:7
[26] So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, [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. [29] If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. [1] What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. [2] The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. [3] So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. [4] But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. [6] Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” [7] So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
How has Christ’s coming changed our status before God?This passage fits well with what we have been reading in Acts. Galatians was written specifically to counter Jewish Christians who wanted the new Gentile converts to adopt many Jewish practices. In this section Paul asserts that it is God’s work and purpose to bring all believers into sonship—a concept of rights and privileges that at the time was only for sons. In Christ, we are equal members of God’s family, independent of spiritual background, race, position in society, or gender (28). That was and is a radical concept. It implies that we cannot consider ourselves superior to any other Christian, nor can we foist on new Christians any practices that are cultural rather than scriptural. Before we criticize these Jews for their narrow-mindedness, we need to ask the Lord if such attitudes exist among us and our church. In ch. 4 Paul equates life under the law, before the coming of Christ, with being restrictive, similar to being a minor or even a slave (1-3). God’s Son came into the world to set them and us free. We have been given his Spirit and brought into a new relationship with God (4-7).
Apply
Is there anyone in your church whom you struggle to accept? Ask the Lord to help you see them as he does.
Closing prayer
Lord, I’m grateful to be on equal footing with other believers before You. May I never deny that same equality to others.
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