No Difference

I have watched a number of movies over the last few months and one of the themes that seems to have come up more and more is that of a double standard. What do I mean by that? One character is treated unfairly. When they finally get called out on it and find out who they were mistreating, their answer is always the same... If I knew who it was, I would not have done anything. The reality is that it shouldn’t matter who it is, for we should treat everyone equally. God tells us that for those who have faith in Christ there is no difference. Galatians 3 states, “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.” The body of Christ is made up of all kinds of people from different races, economic backgrounds, and education levels. The church is likely living in sin if they are ok with any division of true believers other than that of non-Christian faith. As a matter of fact, Hebrews tells us that as we faithfully serve God, we may actually be encountering angels. We see that in Hebrews 13, “Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” I think that many American believers have become too selective when it comes to who we evangelize and who sits with us in church. I remember the story of a poor man entering a well-to-do church one Easter. The church was full as the man searched for a place to sit. The congregation was feeling uncomfortable and wishing the ushers would remove that man. The congregation was horrified when that young man sat on the floor near the front. An older, well-respected usher walked toward this poor gentleman. The congregation gave a sigh of relief believing the problem would be dealt with. This is when the usher did the unexpected. He paused by this young man and then sat down beside him. This should be a picture of the church. All are welcome here! Father, we sure mess things up. Help us to be less concerned about who comes and more concerned that all come. Amen