RACISM

Racism among the people of God is simply unacceptable. In fact, living as a racist and claiming to be a Christian at the same time is impossible. Racism and love for Jesus are mutually exclusive and it is time that you accept that fact if you have not already.

There is no room for “respect of persons” when it comes to people who follow God, who is no respecter of persons. We should fight against oppression and any negative thinking toward people who look different from us. We must realize that our differences are superficial and skin deep. There is no superior race.

God asked through the prophet in Micah 6:8, “And just what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” A sense of right and wrong, and of justice, comes from God (Psalm 33:5). And those who follow God should stand up for those who are oppressed (Isaiah 1:17).

We are to love everyone and treat everyone right. We should see the brotherhood of humanity and that God only has one race in His mind, the human race. We are all descended from Adam and Eve. We are all one blood (Acts 17:26).

Racism would be eliminated completely if we would just do what God says. The constant command of the Bible is to “love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8; Matthew 22:39). And according to Jesus, that applies to everyone who is in any kind of need of your help.

He told a story that highlights both our responsibility to other people and the stupidity of racism (Luke 10:29-37). And those who have been victims of racism should remember that loving your neighbor as yourself includes loving your enemies (Luke 6:27-28).

How can people who are called to live with “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12) be racist in any way? How could we possibly think that one race is better than another in God’s eyes ?

As Christians, we can work together to make the world a better place. Although our focus should never be a “social gospel” or “reforming” a world that is under the control of the devil, we are to help people who are in this world by showing them the love and compassion of Jesus. Which means that we can take a stand against racism, whether it be systemic or individual. And the best way to do that—the way to start, if you will—is to make sure that you are not a racist yourself.

In Christ, we recognize that there are no racial distinctions in God’s eyes (Galatians 3:28). We are all one in Christ Jesus. So by taking our stand against oppression against anyone and refusing to take part in racist ideas and beliefs, we can work toward the unity for which Jesus prayed (John 17:20-23).

We are supposed to be one with everyone who is in Christ, and there are people of all races that are in Christ. So as believers, we see people as individuals created in the image of God for whom Christ died. We do not “see color.”

One of the things that the Gospel is capable of doing is breaking down any kind of divisions that exist among people. Racial divisions are brought down by the true Gospel of Christ. We have the answer to racism. Passing laws and signing bills, as important as those things are, has not ended racism. But the love of Jesus in the body of Christ would end it forever if people would believe and obey Jesus.

Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14 that Christ “has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” That means that people who are oppressed by racial prejudice can run to Jesus for refuge and acceptance and love in the body of Christ. If they don’t find that love and acceptance where you are, then it is not the body of Christ that you represent.

James 2:9 is as plain and direct as could possibly be. If you show respect of persons, if you exercise prejudice against other people, you commit sin and have evil in your heart. You must purge this from your system. You must get rid of this. This is completely unacceptable and you cannot live for Jesus and do it.

The body of Christ, the church, is to represent to the world a unified picture. It is the church that should show people what unity in spite of being different “races” means. It is not the government’s role or the public school system’s role, it is the church’s role to show what true unity looks like. What living together as brothers and sisters with no racism looks like. The diversity of the body of Christ is one of its most important features (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).

The first ones to end segregation should have been the churches. In fact, there should have never been any segregation in the churches. But the churches were not the first ones to end it, the government was. And that is pathetic and sad. And even today segregation in churches is not a thing of the past as it should be. It is rightly said that Sundays are still the most segregated time in America.

“But we worship differently and have different cultures,” someone argues. To hell with our “different cultures” and “worship styles.” Those are not the things that matter. The things that matter are love for and allegiance to Jesus. And worshipping Jesus is not about a particular style of music or bodily movement, it is about focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ and loving Him above anything.

The very basis of racism is exposed and rejected by belief in the Bible, for the Bible teaches that we all descend from the same ancestors. We all come from God, Adam and Eve, and therefore there is in reality no such thing as a “mixing of the races.” We are all from the same father and mother, ultimately going back to the creation of the world.

Genesis 1:27 teaches that everyone has been created in the image of God. That means that the dignity of humanity forces us to recognize the dignity of every individual. We are one in Christ. End of story.

Did the apostles preach against racism? Of course they did. They weren’t dealing with “black versus white” racism, but with Jew versus Gentile racism. But the principles would apply no matter what races we are talking about.

Respect of persons, racism, is a sin and it will cost you your soul. Give it up. Repent. Confess the sin and change. Like any other sin, you can repent and stop living in it.

       Bryan Dewayne Dunaway