Many Nations, One Body in Christ

A pastor once shared with me how people around the world have different preferences when it comes to food. Some eat more grains while others prefer more meat. In other places vegetables or foods rich in starch are a greater part of daily meals. What feels familiar to one person may be completely unfamiliar to another. Even through something as ordinary as food we can see how differently people have grown up.

Yet food is only one part of the differences between us. Each nation has its own customs and ways of understanding life. When we meet someone from another background we may not immediately understand why they think or act a certain way. It takes time to listen and come to know one another.

However the gospel reveals a precious truth that brings us together. The salvation given through Jesus Christ is not only for one nation or one kind of person. In Romans 10:12 Paul teaches that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile because the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him. He then declares in Romans 10:13 that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

These words give us great hope. Though our backgrounds are different we all need the same grace. No nation can stand before God through its own righteousness. No person is beyond the need for His mercy. We come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ and receive the salvation that we could never earn for ourselves.

Paul also teaches in Ephesians 2:19 that believers are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of His household. Through Christ we have been brought into one family. A person who lives on the other side of the world is our brother or sister in the Lord. We may have never visited their country or learned their language. Yet we belong to the same Father.

This truth should shape how we receive one another. It is natural to feel comfortable with people who share our background. Yet the love of Christ calls us to open our hearts beyond what is familiar. Someone may express themselves differently or have customs we do not understand. Before making a judgment we need to take time to know the person and remember how the Lord has received us with grace.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 Paul explains that the body has many members but remains one body. Through one Spirit believers have been brought into this body despite their different backgrounds. Each member belongs and each member is needed. Our unity does not require everyone to have the same experiences. It calls us to recognize that God has joined us together in Christ.

This also means that we have something to receive from one another. A believer whose circumstances are different from ours may help us understand more deeply what it means to trust God. Someone who has endured hardship may encourage us through the faith they have held onto. When we listen with humility we can recognize the grace of God working in lives that look different from our own.

Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 12:26 by teaching that when one member suffers all the members suffer together. When one member is honored all rejoice together. The suffering of believers in another nation should matter to us because they are part of our body. Their joy also becomes our joy. Though distance may separate us we can remember them in prayer and seek ways to care for them.

This love must also be practiced with the people God has placed near us. There may be someone in our church who is far from home or struggling to feel that they belong. Taking time to speak with them or inviting them to share a meal can help them experience the warmth of God’s family. We do not need to understand everything about their background before beginning to love them.

The gospel is for every nation and everyone who calls upon the Lord. As we share this message may we also live according to the unity we have received. Though we come from different places we have been saved by the same grace and brought into one body through Christ. May we continue to grow in this understanding and faithfully love the family God has given us across the nations.