Christ Makes Men Brothers

MEMORY VERSE: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither … male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” —Galatians 3:28

GALATIANS 2:11-16

“GOD is no respecter of persons.” (Acts 10:34) Nevertheless it is true that throughout the Jewish Age he recognized the Israelites as being exclusively his people, and through the Prophet Amos he said to them, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth” (Amos 3:2) This is why, when Jesus came, that he conducted his ministry exclusively among the people of Israel, and instructed his disciples not to go to the Gentiles.

But this arrangement was for a purpose, and was not to continue forever. Shortly after Pentecost this ban was lifted, and by means of two special visions—one to Peter and the other to Cornelius—God arranged that the Gospel should thenceforth be preached to the Gentiles. It was when Peter recognized the providences of the Lord in this respect that he made the statement above quoted that God is no respecter of persons.—Acts 10:9-33

It would seem that there were many in the Church at Ephesus who were Gentiles by birth, but they had accepted Jesus and had become his followers. Paul addresses these, “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”—Eph. 2:11,12

Thus Paul informs us that the promises of God and the covenants of God which originally belonged only to the Israelites were now also the property of believing Gentiles: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.”—vss. 13,14

Those who are filled by the Spirit of Christ will naturally feel at one with others who have been thus blessed, regardless of their social or racial background, for they truly have been made brethren in Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Spirit-filled Christian will be kindly disposed toward unbelievers regardless of race or religion, although it is only the dedicated believers in Christ who have been made truly brothers in the full sense of the word. It is these who have been reconciled to “God in one body by the cross.”—vs. 16

In this body of Christ, as seen by the Heavenly Father, all are one, as stated by our memory verse. (Gal. 3:28) These, as the next verse states, are by faith “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise,” and the promise is that this “seed” shall, in God’s due time, bless all the families of the earth.—Gen. 12:3

I JOHN 4:7-12

In a closely knit family a great deal of love is displayed, so also in God’s family—the brethren in Christ—love should motivate and dominate. This is not necessarily emotional love, but the principle of unselfishness. Those who are truly begotten by God’s Holy Spirit will manifest this love, and it will be the proof that they truly know God. But those who do not love their brethren—even their enemies—do not truly know God, for “God is love.”—vss. 7,8

A professed Christian may be a brilliant student of the Scriptures, and know much about the plan of God, but if he finds it possible to love only certain ones among his brethren he has not made real progress in the graces which the doctrines of the Bible should have inculcated in him.

God manifested his love toward us while we were yet sinners by sending “his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (vs. 9) In our imperfect human bodies we cannot manifest fully the true principle of love. That true love, however, is shown by God’s love for us when he “sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”—vs. 10

God’s love should be an example for us, for “we ought also to love one another.” We cannot see God, but we can see his people, and if we love them we are showing our love for God also.—vs. 12

QUESTIONS

Explain how God is not a respecter of persons in selecting those who will reign with Christ.

Can we be truly Christians without loving our brethren?

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