There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
What does it mean to be “one in Christ”? In this passage, it would appear that we are to stop thinking of division by race, ancestry, position, and even gender. But this barely scratches the very tip of what this means. Our entire identity is to be found “in Christ.” This is not the only place in scripture that we see this type of language used.
Here are some scriptures to review before we go on:
There are others but this should suffice. The recurring theme is being “in the Father” and “in Christ.”
Do you not realize that the Most Holy God, who created us, loves us, sent His Son to redeem us so that we can have a relationship with Him, did this not so He could have some long-distance relationship with us, but rather invites us to be WITH HIM NOW? Eternity in the Father and in the Son and in The Spirit began the moment you said “YES!!!!!!” to Christ. We are not only reconciled; we are not only sons and daughters of God; we are asked to come into an even deeper relationship with Almighty God: we have been invited into The Trinity. We are not God; we are to have the same relationship (koinonia in the Greek) with God that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit experience in the Trinity.
Oswald Chambers in “My Utmost for His Highest” says that in resurrection life, we will no longer need to ask questions, because we won’t have any. As we grow in our relationship with God, the eventuality is that our dependence upon and identity with the Living God is so rooted and solidified that we will no longer have any questions.
We, in effect, are one with God, and God will provide every answer, every direction, all knowledge – EVERYTHING – for we are ONE IN HIM. Let go of those things that pain you, trouble you, and cause you to question. Fully embrace your resurrection life, and be wholly and completely dependent on the Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent God as Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, did while He walked the Earth 2,000 years ago.
A short prayer of preparation:
Our Heavenly Father, You have done something that no one could have dreamed of and have invited us into Your Most Holy relationship. We can barely even understand what You are doing, for Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and Your ways are higher than our ways. Teach us through Your Word and Your Spirit these wonderful things. Grant us understanding that as we comprehend, we will draw closer. May our lives reflect this most holy calling, and may we walk so closely with You that our faces would glow like Moses after we leave Your presence. You are beautiful, Oh Lord, and we love you dearly. This we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Want more? Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?
CHRIST ALLIANCE CHURCH 