29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
To sum up, then: in Christ (a) we are the sons of God (the reference in 27 about 'putting on Christ' may refer to the 'toga virility' which a Roman boy would put on when he entered into manhood, a sign that he had grown up, 'come of age'); (b) we are all one, and neither race, class or sex make any differentiation between us - all are equal in our need of salvation, in our inability to earn or deserve it, and in the fact that God offers it freely to us in Christ. As John Stott puts it, when we say Christ has abolished these distinctions, we mean not that they do not exist, but that they do not matter. However, in this regard, equality of status and differentiation of function must be carefully distinguished - in the body of Christ we are members in particular, each with different parts to play. Failure to recognize this distinction leads to endless confusion; (c) we are Abraham's seed. Again, as J. Stott says, the gospel relates us to God, to man, and to history. In Christ we are caught up, incorporated into the divine purposes for the world, into meaning (cf 1 Peter 1:18) 'ransomed from futile ways', from futility into meaning and purpose. To be separate from God is to be separate from meaning also, for He is the author of meaning. It is sin that robs life of meaning, and grace, in bringing forgiveness and newness of life, brings meaning and purpose back into life.