https://odb.org/2025/06/19/one-in-christ
Galatians 3:26–29 (NIV): 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.
The reality of the Christian world is that there is inequality in the church. The rich and middle class tend to congregate together. In the US, there are black, white, latin American, and Asian churches the same way there are English speaking and Chinese speaking churches in Malaysia and Iban, Kadazan and Chinese churches in Sabah and Sarawak. Most churches are formed by the language spoken in terms of the songs, the hosting, and the message. When we were in Bangkok a few years back, we joined a Cantonese speaking church for worship, made up of mostly immigrants from Hong Kong or Canton. In Cardiff this year, we joined an Anglican church with a mixed congregation but set up in a unique contemporary setting amidst a church building of at least a few hundred years old.
What’s important for us as believers is that in Christ, we are all equal before God, although in the natural, we may come from different backgrounds and social statuses. God didn’t promise that once we accept Christ, our social standing will be alleviated even though in practice and over generations, people in the faith do become better off socio-economically. Thus, even if we are a slave, we are equal with our master in the eyes of God. That’s what matters. God doesn’t see us as Jew, Greek, or Malaysian or Chinese, but He sees us all as children of God redeemed by the blood of His beloved Son.
I think what’s really pertinent for us is that no matter who we are in the world, we are all saved in Christ and have an equal chance to make it in our spiritual walk. We have an equal chance as an ordinary church member, a leader, or a pastor. We are not handicapped by our past, of the evil things we might have done in our previous life before we knew Christ. Even if we had sinned yesterday, if we repent today and seek forgiveness from God, we still have an equal chance to make it to the finish line in our race. Christ is the Great Equaliser of men and women!
Therefore, my friends don’t despise our past. We were who we were. We can’t change what’s happened or what we did before. But look ahead to the things Jesus has prepared for us for our future in Him. Embrace His plans and purposes for our lives. Live out fully His will for us. We will surely make it to the very end! Amen!
Ronnie's Thoughts 