If you were here in the last 6 years you may remember how much time we spent teaching on CRT and the woke movement that exploded in the last 10 years. This movement added new terms and phrases to our daily vocabulary. Words like Woke, Systemic racism, centering, marginalized, standpoint epistemology and so on. Another term that became commonplace is intersectionality. Intersectionality refers to the idea that you have multiple social identities that make you more disadvantaged than someone who has only one. So if you’re black you suffer oppression in our society, but if you’re both black and a woman those two identities “intersect” to make you suffer oppression in compounding ways. The reason is because you suffer a combination of both racism for being black and sexism for being a woman. Those two identities intersect.
Intersectionality became the basis for a new identity-based hierarchy, rather than a merit-based hierarchy. What that means is a person with more “oppressed” social identities was seen as more of a victim, and thus they had more knowledge and should have more authority and be centered more in an organization or society in general. This would help others who don’t see all the oppression in society as clearly as they do learn from them and thus they can better eliminate oppression in society – which is the goal: equity.
This is the basis of all the DEI we’ve seen in our society from the business world, to government to the military to schools and universities and more.
There is a biblical “intersectionality” that I want to propose to you today. As a Christian you have numerous new “identities” that all intersect in you as a believer in Jesus Christ. But they intersect not in a way that disadvantages you. Instead, all these identities that are true about you intersect in such a way that they multiply the blessings that are yours now that you are “in Christ!”
Remember the sermon title from last week: I Am. We are framing these statements as I Am statements Our sermon title today is I Am, Part 2. Last week we saw the first 5 intersecting identities: I am justified, I am set free, I am a child of God, I am baptized into Christ, and I am clothed with Christ. Today I want to press home 4 more identities that converge together in who you are: 1) I am One, 2) I am Christ’s, 3) Abraham’s Seed, 4) I am an Heir
I AM ONE (27)
I am One with all believers. Verse 27 says, “…..”
The main thought Paul is driving home here is that a transcendent unity exists between all believers in Christ no matter what their race, gender or social status is. He says, “you are all ONE in Christ.” Their unity has been his focus in verse 26, “you are ALL children of God…” and in verse 27 “ALL of you were baptized into Christ…”
These are all spiritual blessings that were real for each one of them regardless of their race, their gender and their social standing. They all had the same faith in Christ, and therefore no matter what they were, they were all equal participants in the blessings God gives to those who have faith in Jesus Christ.
This verse is badly abused though by social justice and feminist activists. I’ve seen this verse used to justify DEI, I’ve seen it used to justify women preaching and holding pastor-elder positions in churches. The context of this verse is unity in Christ not function. It’s like the image of God – everyone bears the image of God but that doesn’t mean there aren’t distinctions between Jews & Gentiles, or distinctions between men and women. The purpose Paul is writing for here is to show the equality of everyone who has faith with each other – an equality in standing before God and as a recipient of the promised blessings in Christ. A Christian Jew is not above a Christian Gentile. A Christian freeman is not above a Christian slave. A Christian man is not above a Christian woman.
The equality all have in Christ does not erase earthly distinctions, meaning Paul is not saying that people lose their earthly identity when they become Christians: Jews continue being Jews, Gentiles continue being Gentiles, slaves continue being slaves, free continued being free, men continued as men and women continued as women. As a matter of fact, Paul and other NT writers gave specific teachings and instructions to each of these groups based on these distinctions
- Jewish Christians in the NT often upheld certain Mosaic traditions because of their Jewishness whereas Gentile believers were never obligated to the Mosaic Law.
- 1 Corinthians, Colossians and Ephesians all speak to Christian slaves and Christian masters with instructions unique to their situations
- The NT teaches that men are the heads of the home and in church.
The simple point is that everyone with faith has an equal standing in Christ before God – no one has any unique privilege over another due to race, social status or gender. But in the functioning of the Church God has given order. Just like an Israelite was a member of the chosen nation, there were distinct functions within the Israelite population.
The concept of unity within diversity has its ultimate foundation in the Trinity. God is one God but Three Persons – a Triune God. The Father, the Son and the Spirit – one God. But the Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Spirit. They are distinct Persons, but one God. And even though there is a unity in their God-ness, there is still distinction in their function. Which is why you never read anywhere that Jesus SENT the Father. The Father sent Jesus. Or you never read that the Spirit – the 3rd Person of the Trinity – took on human flesh. That was the Son. Its why you never read that the Spirit spoke through the Father – always its the Father (God) speaking through the Spirit. These are distinctions between the 3 Persons of the Trinity, but there is an absolute unity and oneness they share eternally. This is why Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17, “I am in you and you are in me.” And the same unity with distinctions translates to us as he went on to pray, “May they be one as we are one, Father – just as you are in me and I am in you….may they be one as we are one – I in them and you in me.”
What I’m getting at is that we have a unity with God now and with each other that is patterned after the unity within the Trinity.
APPLICATION: You are ONE, EFC! Say it with me: “I am ONE!”
I AM CHRIST’S (29)
I am Christ’s. I belong to Him. Verse 29 says, “If you belong to Christ…” How do I belong to Christ? By believing in Him for salvation. When you believe then you belong. Romans 8:9 says, “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ they do not belong to Christ.” How does someone get the Spirit? Paul told us in the beginning of Galatians 3, “by believing what you heard.” Those who believe, belong. And those who belong, have the Spirit as a mark of their belonging. This is what Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “When you believed you were marked in Christ with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s POSSESSION” That’s “belonging” language. If you are God’s possession it means you belong to Him.
APPLICATION: You have a new belonging now as a Christian. You do not belong anymore to anyone or anything you used to belong to. You do not belong to the devil anymore. “You followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air [Satan].” Not the devil, and not the world. You do not belong to the world, Paul says in Galatians 6:14, “Through the cross the word has been crucified to me and I to the world.” He does not belong to the world anymore. Perhaps most importantly for me to understand is I am not my own. “You are not your own,” 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “you were bought with a price.” Christ purchased us with His blood. We are His possession. We belong to Him. Not the world. Not Satan. Not ourselves. We belong to Christ – who redeemed us, forgave us, washed us, recreated us, and has taken us unto Himself.
Say it EFC: “I AM CHRIST’S!”
I AM ABRAHAM’S SEED (29)
Next we must internalize the truth that we are Abraham’s seed. Verse 29 says, “If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed…”
Abraham’s seed has 2 meanings to it, as Paul covers in this letter. The first meaning of Abraham’s Seed is singular: referring to the one single descendent of Abraham that was to come, Jesus Christ. Follow along again as I read verse 16….
But the other meaning of Abraham’s seed, that is true simultaneously, is everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Look at 3:7, “Understand then that those who have faith are children of Abraham.” If you have faith, and belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed. Abraham is the father of all who have faith. Turn to Romans 4:16, “Therefore the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace [not law], and guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring [seed, sperma, same as Gal 3:29] – not only to those who are of the law [Jews] but also to those who have the faith of Abraham [Gentile believers in Christ].” See there the emphasis of Abraham having descendents, children, SEED, that are many – not
Remember from a few weeks ago that the Seed of Abraham is one – referring to Jesus Christ. But remember also that when we put our faith in Christ our new status is that we are “in Christ.” So we, by our union with Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham, become and form the plurality of the seed of Abraham. And all the blessings that God promised would be channeled through the One Seed, Jesus Christ, are received and experienced by all those who believe in Jesus Christ and are now “in Him.” And while we are justified, set free, baptized, clothed, one, and belong to Christ, we also can say I AM ABRAHAM’S SEED!
APPLICATION: You, oh EFC, are Abraham’s Seed. Say it: “I AM ABRAHAM’S SEED!”
I AM AN HEIR (29)
Lastly today we declare “I am an heir!” Verse 29, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Take note of the connection between being Abraham’s seed and being an heir. If you have faith like Abraham and are therefore his spiritual seed, and he is your spiritual father, then you are an heir.
Verse 18 explains that it is not by law but by faith and grace that the inheritance is received, “For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.” Being Abraham’s seed, having faith like Abraham, we are also therefore co-heirs alongside Abraham of the promises God gave. Verse 9 said, So those who rely on faith are blessed [with the inheritance] along with Abraham, the man of faith.” What is that inheritance? Lets go over it again, because who if they knew what their inheritance was wouldn’t dwell on it?!
- Righteousness (3:6). My inheritance is righteousness – I am righteous!
- Justification (3:8). My inheritance is justification. I am justified!
- Blessings (3:9). My inheritance is blessing. I am blessed!
- Redemption (3:14). My inheritance is redemption. I am redeemed!
- The Holy Spirit (3:14). My inheritance is the Spirit. I have the Holy Spirit!
- Eternal life (3:21). My inheritance is eternal life. I have eternal life!
- The whole world (Rom 4:13). We mentioned this one several weeks ago, but there’s an interesting point on this. Abraham’s physical descendents – Israel – were promised the land of Israel – and they’ll get it in the Millennial Kingdom! But Romans 4:13 says Abraham was promised more than just the land Israel – he was promised to inherit the whole world. The children of Abraham from Israel will take possession of the land and all of Abraham’s children from all nations will take possession of the whole world. Believers, who have faith like Abraham, whether Jew or Gentile, are sons of Abraham and will take possession of the earth when Christ comes and sets up His Millennial Kingdom. Paul rebuked the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 6 when he said, “Do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?” (v2). Jesus said in Revelation 2:26, “I will give authority over the nations to the one who is victorious,” and “To the one who is victorious I will give the right to sit with me on my throne…” (Rev 3:21). There is a worldwide kingdom coming where Jesus will rule over the whole earth, and in that kingdom Abraham and all his children will be raised up to take possession of it, because they are heirs of it. And they will feast in it (Mt 8:11), and they will rule with Christ over it. Colossians 1:13 says, “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom He loves.”
APPLICATION: EFC – you are heirs according to the promise! Say it with me: “I AM AN HEIR!”
CONCLUSION: Intersectionality
EFC I want you to realize the biblical intersectionality taught in the Scriptures. I want you to see all these new truths about you – truths about who Christ has made you to be and how they intersect in you. Paul wanted the Galatians to see each other that way, and I want you to as well. Look in the mirror and say:
- I am justified
- I am set free
- I am a child of God
- I am baptized into Christ
- I am clothed with Christ
- I am one
- I am Christ’s
- I am Abraham’s seed
- I am an heir.