Equal

Equal

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 
                                                                                                                     Galatians 3:26-28.
All are equal in Christ. Once we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour we are one with Christ. There is no discrimination and there should be no discrimination in the church.
The apostle James writes,
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?...
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”  
                                                                                                               James 2:1-4, 9,10.
Sadly over the years I’ve seen discrimination in churches because someone has a few dollars.
Don’t get me wrong we need wealthy people in the church. They help fund the growth of the church and most that I know do it without fan fair.
In the churches I’ve attended you can’t tell who has large bank accounts and who doesn’t.
Still we do discriminate. Here in Canada racial discrimination within church congregations is as far as I can tell at a minimum. Most churches especially the larger ones are very multi cultural and diverse.
However many make Gay and Lesbians and other members of the LGBT community uncomfortable, even unwelcome. This should not be so.
Our churches need to get rid of any prejudges we have and concentrate on ministering to the souls of individuals.
We need to look around us and see nothing but men and women in need of the love of God.
We need to be calling out to all people within our cities, towns and villages with the words of Jesus who said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
                                      Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus never turned anyone away. He never discriminated between saint or sinner, between believer and none believer. Both He and his disciples reached out to the world around them and in so doing changed the world.
This is what we should be doing.
Think about it.