Galatians 3:26-4:7
"sons of God"
Paul begins the passage highlighting the fact that, under God, there is no racial, social or sexual divide. we are all children of God whether we're Dalit, white, asian, female, rich, etc. we are all equal in God's eyes and, as such, if we follow christ, we are counted as Abraham's seed and, therefore, heirs of the promise God made to Abraham.
Paul then draws a comparison between children of a rich man a slave. while the rich child is a child, he is like a slave - he has supervisors, does not own any land or money of his own, etc. When he has reached being of age, however, he receives his inheritance. In the same way paul says that we were slaves under the world, but God sent Christ to be born to redeem, that is pay the slave-debt, for us and allow us to receive the full right of heirs. note that paul describes Jesus' birth - he was born of a woman - i.e. fully human - and born under the law - i.e. subject to jewish law. So, through Christ, we are made sons of God and because we are sons, we are also heirs...
So, all are equal in Christ. but if all are equal, why do we see christians discriminating against other christians, or even non-christians. Gandhi was turned out of a church because he wasn't white. during segregation & apartheid blacks and whites couldn't be in the same church - and this was in the middle of the body of christ! here we have explicit direction saying that no one race, gender or social status is better than another. so, this week in church, don't look disdainfully at the single mother of three coming in late in old, faded clothes, the black man who comes to join your church which (for some reason) is predominantly white, or even the beggar who just walked in off the street. The church is meant to be a place where there is no boundary set by external appearance or status; a place of freedom and worship and fellowship.
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