It’s no secret that America has been wrapped up in discussions about racism the last few years. It’s a real issue, and it’s not limited to the non-Christian world. Racism is, I’m afraid, still alive even in the church. Here are five reasons, though, that Christianity and racism must not co-exist within the Body of Christ.
- Every person is created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). That means that every person matters to God. Regardless of color. Or nationality. Or background. Including people who are different than we are.
- God loves everyone (John 3:16). I realize that believers sometimes debate this conclusion, but I interpret the biblical teachings to say that God loves every person in the world. If He does, I must love all people, also (and, I trust that fellow believers who differ with me on the extent of God’s love would agree that racism is never acceptable).
- The enemy is a divider (Gen 3:12). Satan has sought to divide relationships since the Garden of Eden, when Adam blamed Eve for the sin of the first couple. Believers who condemn other races or claim superiority for their own, thus creating division – even if only in private conversations – play into the trap of the enemy.
- Reconciliation and cross-cultural love are evidences of the gospel (Eph 2:11-22). The gospel has amazing power to take people from entirely different backgrounds and make them one as the family of God, as brothers and sisters in Christ who are sometimes closer than their families of origin. That result is a witness to a fractured, hating world.
- Heaven will be filled with people from every nation, tribe, tongue, and people (Rev 7:9). This description of heaven reminds us that the redeemed will be spending eternity with people who are different. People who claim to be followers of Jesus today, but who condemn others because they are racially different, will have a tough time in heaven. If they get there, that is.
May God help us to love the world for whom Jesus died.
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