Mankind is One

Sunday School Grade XII 2009 - 10

Unit 7
The Whole World is our Concern
Lesson 17: Mankind is One

1. Creation in the image of God: Humanity shares God’s image. Gen 1: 27
God created one human family, one race, one language. The unfallen human race was one and without quarrels. Cain hated his brother when he felt rejected by God. One who is in tune with God will also be in tune with his brother. God found everything he created Good. Unity is an aspect of goodness. Sin caused jealousy, murder of brother by brother and flight from God’s presence.

Current Issues:
a) Class Struggle: The struggle to live in the world between the rich and the poor. Basically, the situation at which rich is getting richer and poor getting poorer.
How can a world of equality, where everyone has food to eat, and cloth to wear, and house to live be possible? How can a sharing mentality be enabled in humans? Can each and every human see each other as the Image of God and share the wealth?
b) Religious Struggle: Each religion claiming to be the right and attempting to destroy the other by various means. Religious rivalries leading to murder of hundreds of innocents has happened many times. In the Christian Church, the different denominations, each claiming to be the TRUE one, attempts to swallow the other by their preaching. Example: Pentecostal Pastors who are interested more in improving the numbers in their churches than spreading real gospel. Also, Roman Catholic Church in the previous centuries attempting to conquer every church by force. Can we Christians see the goodness in the others disregarding he religion and preach the Gospel of Love?
c) Other discrimination you can point out.

2. Redemption by Jesus Christ
“God so loved the world that he gave his only son.”
Christ came for the redemption of the whole world, and gave the message “Go ye into all the world.” The Church should be concerned about the salvation of the whole world. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3: 28). “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 3: 6). “to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” (Eph 1: 10). St. Peter was a Jewish Christian, but his conceptions were changed by God through the special vision (Acts 10: 9 – 16). “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism” (Acts 10: 34). Israel was chosen for the benefit of all nations. Israel was finally rejected and the new Israel is elected with the great commission “Go ye into all the world.” If the Church fails in making all nations one in Christ, the Church is failing in one of its primary responsibilities.

Current Issue:
Are we a closed Church? Are we preaching the Gospel to the world or are we concerned about our own salvation? If we preach, how shall we?
Other issues you see in the Church (not parish).

3. Recapitulation in Christ
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Rev 7: 9, 10) This indicates that till all nations become on in Christ, there is no victory. We should be weapons of the lamp fighting to make the victory possible. Caring for the whole world must be the concern of the Church and Christians. As we care for our parents, brothers, sisters and friends, we should extend our hands in caring the millions of people outside our immediate relationships to bring the word of God in to effect. That is the true expression of humble and selfless love which died on cross for our redemption.

Bible Verse:
“He created every race of men of one stock, to inhabit the whole earth” Acts 17: 26.