"23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, "IMPRISONED" until the coming faith would be revealed.
24 So then, the law was our guardian until CHRIST came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
26 for in CHRIST JESUS you are all sons of GOD, through faith.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into CHRIST have put on CHRIST.
28 There is neither JEW nor GREEK, there is neither SLAVE nor FREE, there is no MALE and FEMALE, for you are ALL ONE in CHRIST JESUS.
29 And if you are CHRIST's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
Galatians 4:1-5
"1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,
2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
4 But when the fullness of time had come, GOD sent forth his SON, born of woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, GOD has sent the SPIRIT of his SON into our hearts, crying, "Abba! FATHER!"
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through GOD."
In the mid 1990's Promise Keeper's was going strong and a rally was held in Dallas, Texas. As I recall, one of the speakers one year was Rev. E.V. Hill of California. He was speaking about race relations in the United States. E.V. Hill said something like "We don't have a SKIN problem in America, we have a SIN problem!" That saying stuck with me and has been used to mold my thinking over the years.
The Apostle Paul could have used the same statement when writing his letter to the churches of Galatia. Paul wrote that ALL believers are no longer slaves to sin, but sons of GOD because of the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST on Calvary! Galatians 4:6 says "you are sons, GOD has sent the SPIRIT of his SON into our hearts, crying, "Abba! FATHER!"
In John 4:24 JESUS says "GOD is SPIRIT". Genesis 1:27 says "GOD created man in HIS own image". If GOD is SPIRIT and man is created in HIS image, that must mean that we all are Spirit's? C.S. Lewis says "You don't have a Soul. You ARE a Soul. You HAVE a body!" If I am a Spirit/Soul, then any physical attributes I have are temporal. All of this talk about race relations and equality is an facade to say what JESUS did for us on Calvary was not enough. According to what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:23 we WERE held captive under the law, "IMPRISONED" by the rules and regiment that the law carried with it. But FAITH in JESUS CHRIST releases us from the bonds of the law.
There is NO RACE, NO BOND or FREE, and NO MALE or FEMALE in CHRIST! JESUS frees us ALL from being "IMPRISONED" by by skin color, by social status, by denomination, or by any other man-made classification. Galatians 3:28 says "you are ALL ONE in CHRIST JESUS". If we have been delivered from the bondage of sin by JESUS CHRIST, why would we desire to return to the old bondage? Why would we desire to return to being a slave?
It is true that not all people have been delivered from being "captive under the law". A number of people relish in being a Jew or Greek, a Slave or Free, or a Male or Female! But it cost JESUS CHRIST a heavy price to ransom me from the bondage and schemes of the enemy. Your ransom was paid at the same time mine was. It is as if you are choosing to remain a slave if you let your bonds keep you "IMPRISONED"! Your freedom has already been purchased! All you have to do is accept the free gift!
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