4.20.20 - Gospel for All
“People say that it can’t work, black and white; well, here we make it work, every day.” This quote is from the movieRemember the Titans, a movie based on the true events that took place in a small town in Virginia in 1971. The Titans high school football team was forced to integrate races that year. The players, who may have normally hated each other because of racial prejudices, came together to play football and bonded as brothers to play as a team. They realized that their divisions were phony and hurtful to everyone.
Read Colossians 3:11-13. The church to whom this letter is written faced what every culture in history has faced. Everyone had an ingrained desire to see themselves as better than those around them. So they used their religion, their social status, their education, and their family history to make themselves feel more important and more worthy. When they became followers of Christ, that was a hard habit to break, and Paul noticed how it would be destructive to their community and to the spread of the Gospel. He reminded them that no Christ-follower has an advantage over the other. He said they are one in Christ, and in His eyes all people have dignity and value.
This message remains the same for us today. Our culture likes to put people into groups, whether racially, politically, athletically, educationally, or otherwise. As believers, we must remember that the Gospel is for all people and the church is composed of all kinds of believers. We’re all unworthy people who are loved undeservingly by God. We are all in need of the same grace that God freely gives. We serve and follow a God who shows no discrimination, and we bear his image. People might say that living as one like that can’t work, that there are too many differences, but for the believer in Jesus, we are called to show the world how to live like that. United as one, free from prejudices, and compelled by the love of Christ to love others, no matter who they are.
Questions for Reflection
As you think about your own heart and life, what sort of people do you have prejudices against? Why? Where do you think those came from?
How might Christians inhibit the spread of the Gospel if we hold on to prejudices against other people?
What can you do to ensure that you view everyone you meet as equal in Christ?
Reread Col 3:12-13. What characteristics are we told to ‘clothe ourselves’ with?