3:229 – All Means All

#faithbites #faithjourney all

Setting

I was moved today by our Pastor’s sermon today entitled: You Are All One in Christ Jesus. In this message, it doesn’t matter where we came from, who we are, or what we have done, we are all children of the same God. If we look at someone and the first thing we say isn’t “that is a blessed child of God”, we are already dividing us and them. One of my early faithbites was about “the others”. 

The more I think about Jesus and his ministry, everything was about inclusibity. Tearing down the walls between Jews and Gentiles. Reaching out to sinners, thieves, and criminals. No one was beyond his forgiveness and saving grace. 

What I learned for the first time, is that in Isaiah, God talks about the foreigners. Those foreigners are those who aren’t Israelites. And as most of us in America are not an Israelite, then we are a foreigner. But God says to invite them in and love them. 

Are you seeing people as children of God or finding ways they are different from you and using that as a dividing point rather than building on your common ground as a child of God?

Scripture

• Galatians 3:26-29 – 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.

• Isaiah 56:6-8 This is what the Lord says:

  “Be just and fair to all.
      Do what is right and good,
  for I am coming soon to rescue you
      and to display my righteousness among you.

  “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord,
      who serve him and love his name,
  who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest,
      and who hold fast to my covenant.
  ⁷ I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem
      and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.
  I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,
      because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
  ⁸ For the Sovereign Lord,
      who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says:
  I will bring others, too,
      besides my people Israel.”

Reflection

I asked a vague question on Facebook regarding who is destroying the soul of America. I asked it on purpose to see what would happen. The first answer was “the leftists”. If I wait longer, I will probably get “the conservatives, or the “men” or the “progressives” or a hundred of other things. These terms are meant to divide. We may not be saying I’m a Jew and she is a Greek, but we are using the same language that separates. If “they” don’t agree, then “they” are not like us. Some may even say that “they” are Christians or children of God because of their differences with what “I believe”. 

Imagine is we took a minute to welcome each other as children of God. If we built our relationship on God’s law that ALL are children of God regardless if they are from Israel or not, That ALL are welcome, chosen, and blessed, even if they don’t look or believe like me. 

This is one of the hardest lessons as we like to group and divide. Let us discuss, debate, and use God’s work to multiple our works and bring us all together. 

I don’t know how to close this as I’ve probably lost most of you by now. It’s hard to let go of our stereotypes, our groupings, and our divisions. Know that God doesn’t want these divisions and we are all needed parts of the body of Christ.

Challenge

When you see someone who looks, acts, votes, and lives differently than you, do you listen and embrace them as a child of God or do you turn away and label them as an other? Remember that Jesus died for All. Take a moment to reflect and start tearing down walls that divide and help us come together through the word of Christ. 

Prayer

Father God, your people are hurting. Many don’t realize that their thoughts, deeds, and actions are dividing your people. Help us all to understand that we should be one unified people. Alike in purpose and different in our skills as you made us different. You didn’t make one race better than another. You have your chosen people and through Christ have invited everyone to be a member of that family.

Lord, we need to your guidance and your skills to bring us all together as one people with one purpose to worship one God. In your name, Amen.