Sons of God

I often joke that cyclists like wearing disguises. We travel incognito. If you haven't ridden with a group of cyclists you may not know what I mean, but take note the next time you see a cycling club out for a ride. Everyone is wearing their club jersey. They're all wearing black spandex shorts. They all have on helmets and wrap around sunglasses. So unless you actually ride right alongside a person and talk to them, it's hard to tell one rider from another. I've ridden right past cyclists I know well going the other direction on a street or trail, and I didn't even recognize them because of their equipment and kit. It's hard to tell the men from the women, or the younger riders from the older ones until you get up close and personal.

In a sense, Paul says something similar about Christians in Galatians 3. "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" (vv. 26-28). Paul says there's something similar about Christians as well. We are all wearing the same kit, "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Everyone of us who is a Christian has been robed in the righteousness of Christ. We are seen in God's eyes as holy and without sin for Jesus' sake. But it's not only in God's eyes, because when we are born again we begin to clothe ourselves with Christ, that is put on Christ's character so that we become more like him. As we grow in Christ-likeness we begin to look more and more alike since our words and actions are a reflection of the Son of God who lives in us (Gal. 2:20).

There's another sense in which we are alike as well, and that is in our rights and privileges as those who belong to Christ. I've occasionally met a woman who was offended by verse 25: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ." She thought Paul was being chauvanistic, and that he should have said that we are all sons and daughters. On the contrary, Paul was being the exact opposite. In the culture and society where Paul lived women did not posses the same rights and privileges as men. Therefore, by saying that we are all sons of God, whether male or female, Paul was saying that we have the same status, the same privileged standing, and the same inheritance regardless of our sex.

Because in Christ there are no distinctions. All who come to him in faith are declared righteous by God. All who come to him are forgiven and free. All who come to him have the gift of eternal life. All who come to him are being transformed into his image. So we are all one in Christ, thank God!