All men are equal in the sight of God. This isn’t just an ideology. This is fundamental truth and this truth is very fundamental in the message of Christ and of Christianity. This is one of the underlying truths of the gospel. God is no respecter of persons. God has no favorites. Once we get hold of this fundamental truth about the love of God, our whole concept of God, Love, Life, Faith and Hope will change completely. One of the foundational characters of God is that He is just. God is Just. God is justice! God is fair! The whole of life and living tries to prove to you daily that God isn’t just. That God isn’t fair. But that is a lie. God is always Just!

In the garden of Eden, the first message the serpent conveyed to Eve can be summarised thus:

"God is not fair" or "God is not just". Read Gen 3:1-7

As soon as Eve listened to and assimilated that message, she began to doubt. She began to contemplate and visualise God as unjust, unfair, unrighteous! Most Christians today will echo "All the time" in response to the slogan/chant, "God is good". But to most, it is just a slogan. A cliche. At best, they can relate it to money and profit. But even at that level, most still cannot comprehend the concept of God's justice and fairness.

For example, it is important for us to understand that the concept of fairness cannot be applied to a single entity or one party. Fairness is relative. Being fair to one implies an action in relation to others around. Justice is relative. You cannot have justice or fairness in isolation. Justice is always established between two or more entities (the two entities here can even be God and you).

Justice is a fundamental concept of life and forms the whole bedrock of God's interaction with mankind. One of the key components of God's justice is the fundamental truth that ALL MEN ARE EQUAL in His sight.

ALL MEN ARE EQUAL! ALL MEN ARE EQUAL! ALL MEN ARE EQUAL!

Let this sink in for a moment.

In Matthew 20:24, we read the story of how two disciples (John and James) came to Jesus, accompanied by their mother. When they met Jesus, their mother made a strange request. She said to Jesus, “please when you establish your kingdom, let my two sons sit at your right and left hands”. She sought and campaigned for choice positions for her kids. Which mother won’t? Sounds like a great ambition, a worthy goal, doesnt it? Jesus replied with a tough question. "Can you endure what I am about to endure?" They ignorantly said, “yes we can!”. Jesus then told them He couldnt grant such a request as only the father had the authority to grant people that. But he also promised them they would suffer like they have agreed to. This is not the key story here though. The key story is what followed next.

When the other disciples heard it, they were furious. Why wouldn’t they be? Some folk was trying to play the power game right under their nostrils. We see this happen everyday around us, dont we? This is how the world’s system functions. But Jesus called them all aside and laid out for them a most profound message. A fundamental principle for the people of God. A marching order for the Holy Kingdom of God. We see this in the following passage:

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Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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Alarmingly, the whole concept of modern Christian denominationalism is built on the same wordly principle that is opposite of this verse. It is built on the premise that ALL MEN ARE NOT EQUAL. It is built on the premise that there are those who God has created and called higher and greater than others. In modern Christian denominationalism, those who want to be first, dont serve. They RULE! They flaunt their authority over everyone else. They live over and above the rest of us. They go around with glamorous, high sounding titles. They love the approval and adoration of men. They live in wanton exclusivity. But this is a false concept. A false form of Christianity. The direct opposite of what Jesus laid down for us.

The calling of God does not elevate a man above others. The calling of God is RESPONSIBILITY, not position. It is SERVICE, not rulership. COMMUNION, not dominion over other men. Having dominion over other men is a concept of the world. A concept derived from Babylon. It is the system of this world. God told the Israelites they should not have a king. But they refused and God said to Samuel, “they have rejected me”. And this is what God told them a king will do to them.

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1 Samuel 8:11 (The Message) He said, “This is the way the kind of king you’re talking about operates. He’ll take your sons and make soldiers of them—chariotry, cavalry, infantry, regimented in battalions and squadrons. He’ll put some to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and others to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury. He’ll put your daughters to work as beauticians and waitresses and cooks. He’ll conscript your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his special friends. He’ll tax your harvests and vintage to support his extensive bureaucracy. Your prize workers and best animals he’ll take for his own use. He’ll lay a tax on your flocks and you’ll end up no better than slaves. The day will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don’t expect God to answer.”

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This is where we are today. This is exactly how the world’s system works. The governments, coporate organisations, their owners, community leaders, etc. But we can understand why secular entities are this way. They are supposed to work that way. Unfortunately, this is also how the modern Christian denominational system works too. Today’s Christian denominational system functions in direct contrast to what Jesus laid down for us, His Church. It functions in abnormality and injustice, just like the babylon system. This is not how the Church of Christ is supposed to work. The Church is a communion of brethren. None elevating themselves above others. Everyone sacrificing for their neighbour and brethren.
I will end this with Acts 4. Here, we see a profound picture of the church of Christ. The pure, undiluted, uncompromised church of Christ. The true habitation and fellowship of God. The congregation of the mighty!

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Acts 4:32-33 (The Message) The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.
34-35 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.

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Acts 4:32 (NLT) All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

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I pray the spirit of Holiness and the Love of God, move amongst God's remnant to produce the pure fellowship of the ecclesia. For truly, Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus.

Edwin Okugbo