Fall Creek Friends
11345 Karnes Rd.
Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
11345 Karnes Rd.
Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
Pastor's Pen |
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For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus. – Galatians 3:27-28
We live in a time where there is a lot of division in the country. It is no longer OK to
have a different view on anything. If someone on social media does not like your
publicly expressed views and you have attached your name to your view you can
become exposed to what is now known as ‘cancel culture’. I do believe that here are
things that are morally wrong; there is no gray area. One is either right or wrong. Also
I think that in terms of the legal system again the law clearly defines what is right or
wrong, there is no ambiguity. Everything else is a preference, an opinion or a choice.
When you or I choose to hold those views it does not fall into the category of someone
being right or wrong. It is simply an opinion, preference or a choice. I do not have to
like your choices or opinions or even agree with them. That does not make a person
right or wrong for holding a differing view. Unfortunately in the country we live in and
the world at large it has turned into as Shakespeare said “Much ado about nothing.”
Tolerance has reached such an all time low that people are now being shot or killed
because someone does not agree. As believers in Christ how are we to handle this
challenge of differing views being condemned by those who don't agree? We look to
the word of God and find solutions. The bible teaches us that we are all made in the
image of God. We don’t look alike or even speak the same language. We don’t live in
the same neighborhood or even on the same continent. It was designed that way. It is
not because we all look alike or think the same way but the fact that we have three
things that make us like the God who created us. Those things are intellect, will, and
emotions. Paul writes to the church at Galatia and states that the theme of his letter is
that ‘the just shall live by faith' and are declared righteous by our relationship to God’s
son Jesus Christ. The foot of the cross is level ground where we all stand on equal
footing as sinners who need a Savior. The bible constantly points out those things that
make us alike and not different. In chapter three of Galatians Paul is making three
arguments to explain our justification by faith. The first argument is experience; the
second argument is from the life of Abraham, and the third which goes into chapter
four is from the law. Paul states that in our saved relationship with and through Christ
it is not our gender, or our race, or our social standing that makes us different but
those things don’t separate us from being one in Christ. Those things do not define
our relationship with Him. As Paul asked the Romans “What shall separate us from the
love of Christ?" - Nothing!
H. Scott Latimer
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus. – Galatians 3:27-28
We live in a time where there is a lot of division in the country. It is no longer OK to
have a different view on anything. If someone on social media does not like your
publicly expressed views and you have attached your name to your view you can
become exposed to what is now known as ‘cancel culture’. I do believe that here are
things that are morally wrong; there is no gray area. One is either right or wrong. Also
I think that in terms of the legal system again the law clearly defines what is right or
wrong, there is no ambiguity. Everything else is a preference, an opinion or a choice.
When you or I choose to hold those views it does not fall into the category of someone
being right or wrong. It is simply an opinion, preference or a choice. I do not have to
like your choices or opinions or even agree with them. That does not make a person
right or wrong for holding a differing view. Unfortunately in the country we live in and
the world at large it has turned into as Shakespeare said “Much ado about nothing.”
Tolerance has reached such an all time low that people are now being shot or killed
because someone does not agree. As believers in Christ how are we to handle this
challenge of differing views being condemned by those who don't agree? We look to
the word of God and find solutions. The bible teaches us that we are all made in the
image of God. We don’t look alike or even speak the same language. We don’t live in
the same neighborhood or even on the same continent. It was designed that way. It is
not because we all look alike or think the same way but the fact that we have three
things that make us like the God who created us. Those things are intellect, will, and
emotions. Paul writes to the church at Galatia and states that the theme of his letter is
that ‘the just shall live by faith' and are declared righteous by our relationship to God’s
son Jesus Christ. The foot of the cross is level ground where we all stand on equal
footing as sinners who need a Savior. The bible constantly points out those things that
make us alike and not different. In chapter three of Galatians Paul is making three
arguments to explain our justification by faith. The first argument is experience; the
second argument is from the life of Abraham, and the third which goes into chapter
four is from the law. Paul states that in our saved relationship with and through Christ
it is not our gender, or our race, or our social standing that makes us different but
those things don’t separate us from being one in Christ. Those things do not define
our relationship with Him. As Paul asked the Romans “What shall separate us from the
love of Christ?" - Nothing!
H. Scott Latimer