26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.
vs. 26 - “you are all sons of God” - We transition from enemy to child of God. Humans are all creations of God. We are NOT all children of God.
If you have not confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior you cannot count on being a child of God. (See: 1 John 5:12,13)
Being a friend of the world means being an enemy of God. (See: Jam. 4:4) Loving the world means the love of God is not in us. (See: 1 John 2:15, 16) It makes us children of wrath. (See: Eph. 2:2,3)
Jesus tells us we are no longer slaves [of sin], but now are friends of God. (Jn. 15:15)
The concept of being a child of God extends back into the Old Testament (See: Hos. 1:10, Isa. 63:16, 64:8). And, of course, the theme of being a child of God runs through the entire New Testament. (Jn. 1:12, Rom. 8:14, 19; Rom. 9:8; 2 Cor. 6:18; 1 Jn. 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:10; Rev. 21:7).
Being an adopted child of God, means we have all the rights and privileges of a full adult heir. (See: Rom. 8:14-17.)
vs. 27 - “You... were baptized into Christ” - Identification with Christ... (In today’s culture “identification” has taken on a negative or bizarre connotation - males ‘identifying’ as females, etc.) In baptism, I am telling the world that Christ died for my sins. I willingly (gladly) accept His offering of salvation. In doing so, Jesus becomes part of me - He lives in me. I become part of Jesus - my life is in Him. Baptism symbolizes Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism shows that Christ’s death is also the death of my sin nature. It is buried. I am raised to new life - life in Christ. See: 1 Pet. 3:21; 1 Cor. 12:13.
“Clothed yourself with Christ” - The analogy of death and resurrection shows as you are baptized, you have shed the old self and put on a new one, similar to getting out of bed and putting on new clean clothes. See: Rom. 13:14; Eph. 4:20-24; Col. 3:9-10, 12; 1 Cor. 15:54; 2 Cor. 5:3; Rev. 19:14. This idea is not new to the church - Job 29:14; Isa. 61:10.
Let me be clear, it is not just an analogy. The death of your old nature is real! Your new life in Christ is real! The death of your old sin stained body, and the new body received at resurrection is real. You have been born again! Without new life, there is no salvation! Baptism is a physical representation that helps you understand the spiritual truth of new life in Christ. Praise God that this has been done for you!
vs. 28 - “Neither... nor” - (See: Col. 3:11) ALL comes from and through Jesus (salvation, forgiveness of sin, eternal life). Where you are from, where you were born, whatever your station in life, it matters not. Nothing you are, nothing you do is sufficient for presenting yourself perfect, spotless, and blameless to the Lord. (See: Heb. 9:14, Jude 1:24.)
Only Jesus! Not deeds we’ve done, but Christ alone (Tit. 3:5,6)! That makes “all one” in Him. No one has an advantage over another, because Christ did it for us.
vs. 29 - Go back to verse seven in this chapter and see that you are in Abraham’s family. The Jews are very proud to lay claim to Abraham. Jesus points out they don’t actually cling to Abraham, other than the name. (See: John 8:39-47). We are Abraham’s spiritual descendants. God declared Abraham righteous because of his faith in God. God declares us righteous because our faith in Jesus Christ.
*** End of Chapter ***
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