Set Yourself Free

“In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us” Col.3:11

What will be the authority in your life? Is it going to be the Word of God or the traditions of men? There was this particular wedding, real life story, the groom I think was Yoruba and the bride was Igbo. And the parents of both the bride and the groom will not have it. So this couple had to go through hell to get the two families to attend the wedding ceremony. Their Pastor knew the story and had been praying with them through the trials. But on the day of the wedding the Pastor said, a Yoruba Christian should not marry an Igbo Christian. And the families immediately shared their support of that statement with side murmurs and glances and body language. Then the Pastor said, an Igbo Christian should not marry a Yoruba Christian. Another uproar swept through the entire church auditorium. And them the Pastor dropped the bombshell; if you are an Igbo Christian then you are not a Christian, if you are a Yoruba Christian then you are not a Christian. A Christian is a Christian! One blood, one body, one baptism, one Spirit; a Christian is a Christian. “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.” 1 Cor.12:13. One of my Pastor friends based in the U.S. was writing a book about Church Diversity because segregation is a major issue in the U.S. and he wanted me to contribute. So I wrote a chapter in the book and I shared this example. A while back we were having like a Minister’s day out where we usually play games and just generally bond. So two guys were having like a boxing match on the Xbox and of course one was winning. And the wife of the other Minister who was not having a very good game blurted out without thinking, do not let this Yoruba man beat you. People still think in tribal colors but you need to set yourself free from that. The only thing that matters is are you washed in the Blood of Lamb? There is no stain the Blood cannot remove. There is no stigma that the Blood of Jesus cannot remove. Paul is saying to us, there is no distinction in Christ; there is no segregation in Christ. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Col.3:1-2. Heaven is not fiction or just imaginary, heaven is real. God is saying set your sight, set your affection, set your vision, not on an imaginary thing but on the realities heaven.

Prayer: Spirit of God, help me to daily set my sight on the realities of heaven as I go about my daily living and even amidst my needs, in Jesus Name.