Word of Salvation – Vol. 18 No.31 – August 1972

 

Neither Male Nor Female

 

Sermon by Rev. W. Wiersma. Th.Grad. on Gal.3:28

Scripture: John 2

Psalter Hymnal: 162; 55; 197; 284; 493

 

Dear Congregation,

There is a rule that if you want to understand a text you must read the context.  This is particularly true of the Word of God before us at the moment.  Before you make up your mind as to what it means that in Christ there is neither male nor female, it is well to find out what this actually refers to.  What is the apostle writing about in his letter to the Galatians?

In it he warns his readers against those who try to make all believers practice Jewish customs.  There were Jews around, who felt that the Gentiles were getting things far too easy.  To the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ they added the teaching that it is necessary for salvation that Christians observe such Old Testament practices as circumcision.

With this they brought doubt into the minds of the Galatian Christians who were Gentiles.  These false teachers were insisting that Christians in order to enjoy the benefits of the faith had to become Jews.

And it was in the face of this teaching that the apostle Paul wrote this very strong letter to the Galatians reminding them that salvation and peace with God are only by faith in Jesus Christ “Who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”  The Galatians were believers.  They had come to faith in Jesus.  They had received the spirit by the hearing of the faith, not by works of the law.  Why then go back to the works of the law, is the apostle’s question.

You are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  This is the point of our text, brothers and sisters.

All believers are one in Christ Jesus.  In that sense there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female.

All believers are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else.

Since Christ has come, God’s children are made up of all kinds of people.  Not just of the physical descendants of Abraham or anyone else.

The gospel is preached to all men.

Now this is not to say that is does not make any difference what kind of family you are born into.  Because being born into a particular family may give you many privileges and advantages; but it guarantees nothing.  Nor does it exclude anything for that matter.  There is salvation for Greeks, that is Gentiles, as well as for Jews.  For people born in a pagan home as well as for those born in a Christian home.  Because salvation is by faith in God’s promises.  And God’s promises are proclaimed to all kinds of people.

By faith in Christ the rich and the poor meet together, the master and the slave, the employer and the employee, the teacher and the student.

They are brothers and sisters with one heavenly Father by faith in Jesus Christ.

That goes for males and females too.

In Paul’s day the women were generally looked down on, and often treated like dirt.  But the apostle told his readers: Where a rich man and a poor woman believe in Christ they are brother and sister.  They are both children of God, saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, and not because of their national or social position or because of their sex.  All believers, male and female are one in Christ.  So, if we wanted to we could add to this little list of Paul’s.  To Greeks and Jews, rich and poor, male and female, we could add the names of different denominations.  We could also say: In Christ there is neither black or white.

For if you are saved, if you are a child of God, it is not because of the denomination you belong to or the colour of your skin, but because of your complete trust in Jesus the Spirit anointed Saviour…

In Christ all these people,
            Jews and Gentiles,
            rich and poor,
            men and women,
            White and coloured,
            brainy and simple,
            emotional and placid,
            conservative and revolutionary,
             old and young, are ONE.

Together they form the one body of the Lord Jesus Christ.: The Church.

There is unity in diversity.

The oneness of different people in Christ.

For that is one thing we should not overlook.

These people, these believers, who are one in Christ, are different from one another, living in different parts of the world with differing customs and having different positions in life.  Each has his own place in society, the church and the home.

And God has something to say about these differences too.  After all it is He who made men different giving each his place in life.  So God does not say that we should get rid of all differences.  Nowhere are we taught that one should try to become the other; the Greek a Jew, or vice versa.  Nowhere does God tell people to stop being what they are.  Nowhere are we urged that we should level everything.

No, as different people, with different functions and responsibilities, God’s children are one and all to do their God-given task as unto the Lord.

That means we must respect the God-given place and task of others, as well as doing what God expects of us personally.  There is to be no pride or jealousy.  So, for instance, the slave was told to obey his master.  The employee is to do what he is contracted to do as unto the Lord.

So the Christians are told to respect and obey the civil authorities.

Our text is therefore misused if it is quoted to support anarchy in home, church or state.  God himself gives certain people added responsibility and authority which are to be exercised in the area or sphere to which they relate.

The first commandment that deals with our relationship with others is the command to honour your father and mother.

That is where the right attitude to the authority and responsibility of others begins.  In our attitude to our parents.  Honour them – that means far more than being nice to them one day a year.  It means seeing your parents as appointed by God to bring you up in the fear of the Lord, It means treating your father and mother every day as people you must respect for God’s sake, even if, and when, you discover that they have faults.

God has appointed them to be your parents.  It is God who made you their child.  And it is God who commands that in the home children shall obey their parents.

It is God who always says that whilst husband and wife are one in Christ they have different functions and responsibilities.

That does not mean one is less human than the other.

But it does mean that God has given each their own task.  Therefore we should not follow the world in its arguments about equality or inequality.  As men and women we should not compare our respective positions.  Nor may we ever boast or make misuse of our position either.

The one thing we should compare ourselves with is:
            What does the Lord ask of me?

And when God tells us, we must do it, no matter what.

If God tells us in His Word to do something we may never refuse to do it saying that ‘it will not be appreciated’ or ‘it will be misunderstood’ or ‘ I’ll be used’.

When you do God’s will He is responsible for the consequences.  The question is: Do you trust Him enough to do His will and let Him look after the results?

That is how it should be in the home.

The wife submitting to her (God-given) husband as to the Lord.  The children obeying the parents.  The husband exercising his authority in love and obedience to the Lord.

It is by doing the will of your heavenly Father that you, men and women, boys and girls, will find true fulfilment.

Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus – what a privilege!

Servants of the Lord Jesus – what a responsibility!

Amen.