Equally Important

"...and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all." Colossians 3:10-11 NHEB

When we accept our Lord Jesus and enter into His life through faith, we are accepted and placed in a relationship within the heart and family of Jesus that has no favoritism, partiality, prejudice, racial identity, other citizenship, economic status nor status within a social order.  The family (kingdom) is like this because that is the nature of our Creator. Our Father and Lord recognize no such differences in the people. 

We are so accustomed to our different categories of people and our placement within them, that we think He is like that too. Nothing could be further from His nature. In fact, in Deuteronomy 10:17 we are told, "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe." He simply does not count our "status" in our world either a plus nor a minus. It just is not an element in the family. There is one "first-born" and we are all in Him and all have the same rights and privileges as a member of this family. 

So here as in other places as well, we are urged to be like our Father in these ways. The importance of this is often overlooked. We live in a variety of "societies," the neighborhood, the church, the work place, the school, etc.... But our empowering is to be Him in all these society structures and not to be a people of special groups leaving others on the outside. Such things, while maybe making us feel comfortable in our flesh, are a large hindrance to the love of Jesus. All must be received, welcomed and embraced equally. 

This does not mean everyone has the same authority, just that everyone has the same rank in the family. No one is more important that you and you are not more important that someone else. This is true of the God-head. All have the same rank, but all are not equal in authority. The Father gives to the Son, the Son to the Holy Spirit and then the Holy Spirit to us. Likewise when we pray we are urged to pray in the Spirit in the name of Jesus unto the Father. That is just stating the line of authority of all things. The four year old who has Jesus in his heart is as important in this Kingdom-Family as the Pastor over many churches, but he clearly does not have the same authority nor responsibility. So the rank is the same, but not the placement of authority. 

There are many such understandings hidden in this marvelous Word of our Lord's. But for now this is sufficient to encourage us to dig a bit deeper.