All One Person in Christ Jesus

Readings:
Psalm 17
Galatians 3:19-29

Focus:
Galatians 3:28: "There is no such thing as Jew and Greek, slave and freeman, male and female, for you are all one person in Christ Jesus."

This is one of the greatest and most liberating statements in Christianity. In Christ all distinctions are gone. We are all the same in his eyes. He does not have favorites.

Although the Jewish people had been God's chosen people, the Greeks--and people of all other nationalities and races--were shown to be equally chosen by God after Christ came. Slaves were given equal love and brotherhood to freemen. (Christians later led the movement for abolition, and today they are in the forefront of the fight against slavery.)

Although society had given a special place to men, it was to women that the risen Christ first revealed himself. And the church gave leadership positions to women.

There is no distinction between people, between the conditions they find themselves in, in God's eyes. All that matters is whether or not they give their allegiance to him.

The Wages of Death or the Gift of Life

Readings:
Ezra 9
Romans 6:20-23

Focus:
Romans 6:22: "But now, freed from the commands of sin and bound to the service of God, you have gains that lead to holiness, and the end is eternal life."

When we are caught up in living life for ourselves, we are actually under bondage. We are under the bondage of sin. It may not feel bad; it may even feel good. We may enjoy it. But nonetheless we are slaves to sin, and this only leads to one end. As Paul says, sin pays a wage: death.

But after we give our lives to God, our bondage to sin is ended. And instead of receiving the wages that sin pays, we receive a free gift from God: eternal life. How much better to get the gift of life instead of the wages of death!

Slaves of Some Master

Readings:
Ezra 8
Romans 6:15-19

Focus:
Romans 6:16: "You know well enough that if you bind yourselves to obey a master, you are slaves of the master you obey; and this is true whether the master is sin and the outcome death, or obedience and the outcome righteousness."

Everyone serves some master, whether they realize it or not. Everyone is a slave to something. Until we give our lives to God, we are slaves to sin.

Maybe we never commit any outrageous sins such as embezzling or cheating or stealing. Nevertheless we are still slaves to sin; we are unkind or selfish or thoughtless. But once we give our lives to God, we are freed from that slavery. Then we get a new master, and that master is goodness.

What a difference! We may still sin, but we will no longer be lost in sin; we will be able to pick ourselves up with God's forgiveness and try again. Goodness is a much better master than sin.