Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Colossians 3:11

In our particular society today, many identify as some kind of hyphenated description. You may be an African-American or an Italian-American or a German-American, but if you are a follower of Christ, you are none of the above in terms of how we are seen as followers of Christ.

Paul describes the same idea in his letter to the Galatians –

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3: 26-28

In Paul’s first-century world, all of these groups were represented and I think we can be confident that each “identity” described by Paul was visible in the local church at Colossae.

Evangelist Billy Graham is credited with the quote – “The ground is level at the foot of the cross.” Social standing or ethnicity is of no importance. The famous and the unknown are the same when standing before Christ.

Instead of divisions, there should be a great unity among believers when we recognize the reality of how Christ has saved us, not because of who we are or what role we play in society, but simple because He loves us, imperfect as we are.