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"Our Differences Don't Make A Difference" by John M. Nielson
Galatians 3:15 Brothers, let me make an analogy from everyday life: when someone swears an oath, no one else can set it aside or add to it. 16 Now the promises were made to Avraham and to his seed. It doesn’t say, “and to seeds,” as if to many; on the contrary, it speaks of one — “and to your seed”[Galatians 3:16 Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 17:7; 24:7] — and this “one” is the Messiah. 17 Here is what I am saying: the legal part of the Torah, which came into being 430 years later, does not nullify an oath sworn by God, so as to abolish the promise. 18 For if the inheritance comes from the legal part of the Torah, it no longer comes from a promise. But God gave it to Avraham through a promise.
19 So then, why the legal part of the Torah? It was added in order to create transgressions, until the coming of the seed about whom the promise had been made. Moreover, it was handed down through angels and a mediator. 20 Now a mediator implies more than one, but God is one.
21 Does this mean that the legal part of the Torah stands in opposition to God’s promises? Heaven forbid! For if the legal part of the Torah which God gave had had in itself the power to give life, then righteousness really would have come by legalistically following such a Torah. 22 But instead, the Tanakh shuts up everything under sin; so that what had been promised might be given, on the basis of Yeshua the Messiah’s trusting faithfulness, to those who continue to be trustingly faithful.
23 Now before the time for this trusting faithfulness came, we were imprisoned in subjection to the system which results from perverting the Torah into legalism, kept under guard until this yet-to-come trusting faithfulness would be revealed. 24 Accordingly, the Torah functioned as a custodian until the Messiah came, so that we might be declared righteous on the ground of trusting and being faithful. 25 But now that the time for this trusting faithfulness has come, we are no longer under a custodian.
26 For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; 27 because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom 28 there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one. 29 Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise.
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After Joshua, “Another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). That is a recipe for disaster. However, God did not leave His people helpless. He raised up deliverers, “judges”; at least one of these was a woman. God still uses women to perform His ministry in His kingdom.
We have a natural tendency to divide ourselves into groups, elevating ourselves above others. In Galatians 3, Paul discusses ethnic, social, and gender discrimination, divisions as huge then as now. Paul does not deny the differences between these categories, but he does declare that in God’s kingdom, these differences don’t make a difference. We are all one in Christ.
We can and must relish the richness of multicultural, multigenerational living and worship as the gospel breaks down the barriers that once divided us. When God’s kingdom arrives in its fullness, all nations and tribes and languages will gather around the throne and worship the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10). If we are going to live like that for eternity, it just might be a good idea to practice it now!
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Hymn for Today: "The Bond of Love" by Otis Skilling, copyright 1971 by Lillenas Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
VERSE 1:
We are one in the bond of love
We are one in the bond of love
We have joined our spirit with the Spirit of God
We are one in the bond of love
VERSE 2:
Let us sing now, ev'ry one,
Let us feel His love begun;
Let us join our hand that the world will know
We are one in the bond of love
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Thought of the Day: Acts 10:34 Then Kefa addressed them: “I now understand that God does not play favorites, 35 but that whoever fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him, no matter what people he belongs to.
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Please Pray: That many young people in Costa Rica will be called into Christian ministry.
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Please Pray: That many young people in Costa Rica will be called into Christian ministry.
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