Racial Unity And The Christian

Issues – July/August 2023 – Grace & Truth Magazine

“Racial Unity And The Christian”

Over the years there have been many nationally publicized cases of racial injustice across the United States and in many other places as well. They have made me ask, “What should my response to these things be since racism of any kind is sin? What does the Bible say about racial injustice, reconciliation and unity?” I want to address my remarks to the Church – those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior – for reconciliation must begin there, with the right attitude and perspective.

Micah 6:8 (NKJV) comes to mind, which I would like to use to provide a working outline for our thoughts. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Here, by way of application, we find the proper perspective to have, the people to love, and the power to change.

The Proper Perspective To Have
God requires His own “to do justly.” This provides the proper perspective. Who determines the value of every life? As the Creator, Giver and Sustainer of life, God determines that value! Therefore, we must not ignore discrimination. We must realize “there is no distinction … for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him” (Rom. 10:12), meaning He blesses them all.

We must also realize that God cares how we treat each other because we are all created in His image (Gen. 1:27). He makes no distinction of any inherent value of one race over another. The Lord cares about people regardless of their ethnicity, nationality and social status (consider Dt. 10:17-19).

Peter was made to understand “that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:34-35). Therefore, as followers of Jesus Christ, “we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13).

James 2:9 declares “if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” This is because, from God’s perspective, in the body of Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

The people in the Church must see each other correctly through God’s eyes. What God sees when He looks at us are those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we have the proper perspective about each other, we can see the unsaved through His eyes as well. This world is lost and heading for a Christless eternity, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (Rom. 3:23, 6:23). This is true for every race, ethnicity and nationality, regardless of social status.

One additional perspective about this subject is found in Psalm 89:14, which reveals, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face.” This reminds us that God’s sovereign rule over everything is characterized by righteousness and justice. When we consider justice, we must begin with God! To satisfy His righteous and just character is why the Lord Jesus came into this world and bled and died upon the cross for our sins.

When we begin with God we learn to appreciate that we are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:24-26).

The People To Love
Returning to Micah 6:8 we find the next phrase to emphasize is “to love mercy.” Mercy is God’s lovingkindness on display, and we are to love it. This has the thought of showing mercy to those who need it, not simply to ones who desire it.

It has often been said that in grace God gives us what we don’t deserve, and in mercy He holds back the judgment we do deserve. Jeremiah reminds us of this: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). Showing mercy is connected to His compassion, and compassion sees hurting hearts. The Lord Jesus taught, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt. 5:7). Later, Paul challenged believers, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).

The Power To Change
The last part of Micah 6:8 describes the power behind all of this. Reading the verse again, we hear “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” The power to overcome our prejudices and partialities does not reside in any of us. It comes from the Holy Spirit and can be supplied to us as we humble ourselves in the presence of God, relying on Him to change our hearts and minds. Applying this to our subject of racial unity, change is only able to come as we confess our collective failures in the areas of racial injustice. When injustices take place, that which is of God in me ought to trigger a righteous response for justice.

Confession is a start, but we also must have confidence in the Word of God. We must believe that the Bible is sufficient for racial reconciliation. We have to realize that in the Church we don’t have to somehow achieve or accomplish racial reconciliation, because it has already been accomplished in and through the Lord Jesus Christ! However, we must walk in the reality of His finished work on Calvary. In this, we often fail.

Since the beginning, Christians have had to face the challenge of racial prejudice and partiality. Despite these challenges, God’s plan for peace is found in a person: the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s turn to Ephesians 2:11-22 and consider three things: Jesus is our peace; the Lord Jesus has made peace; and He preached peace!

In the beginning of the chapter, in verses 1-3, the apostle pointed out that we were dead in our trespasses and sins with no power or ability to show life toward God. Then he wrote about what God has done for us. Paul began this portion by saying, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (vv.4-5).

In verses 11-12 the apostle addressed the Gentiles, reminding them what they were before they came to Christ: “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh – who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands – that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Then he pointed out to them what they were in Christ: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (2:13).

Having established these truths for Jews and Gentiles, Paul then addressed the racial, ethnic and national divide by making the three points we just mentioned.

1. The Lord Jesus “is our peace” (Eph. 2:14). He is our peace in two ways. First, peace is found in the person of Christ. Micah 5:5, referring to the coming of the Lord Jesus, says, “This One shall be peace.” Isaiah 9:6 calls Him the “Prince of Peace.” In John 16:33 the Lord Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Peace is only found in Him – peace with God and peace with one another!

In Psalm 34:11-14 we read: “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? First, keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” This tells us that if we want a good life we must “seek peace and pursue it.” Where is it to be found? In the person of Christ! There is no other means for peace between God and man, and there is no other way for peace between man and man. Peace is only found in the person of Christ!

Second, we have to say peace is found in the work of Christ. Paul said Christ has made us, meaning Jew and Gentile, “both one” (Eph. 2:14). He doesn’t say Christ made the Gentiles into Jews or that Jews became Gentiles. The implications for today’s difficulties are that we have to stop looking at race as a determining factor for our unity. We must realize our oneness has already been determined by God’s grace.

Galatians 3:27-28, a passage we have already touched on, tells us, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” We have a brand-new identity. As Christians we must not identify ourselves by ethnicity, social status or God-given gender, but as one in Christ.

We note, however, that we never lose our personal identity. For example, the Samaritan woman was still a Samaritan after her encounter with Jesus, but she was a saved Samaritan (Jn. 4). The Ethiopian eunuch was still Ethiopian after he accepted Christ (Acts 8), and the Roman centurion Cornelius was still Roman even though he became a follower of Jesus Christ (Acts 10). Although we never lose our personal identity, it is not the primary identity for those who are in Christ.

Not only has He made us one new man, but He also “has broken down the middle wall of separation” (Eph. 2:14) which divided us – the wall of hostility. The barrier that divides between Jew and Gentile is gone in Christ! How did He do this? It was in His flesh, through His blood and by the cross. Therefore, we must not build back up what He has broken down!

It is hard for us to live as one in practice when we are focused on anything else. We must live out the truth of God’s Word. This includes accepting and loving one another because we are one in Christ.

2. Jesus Christ made peace for us (Eph. 2:15). He has accomplished this permanently, “having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” No one can meet God’s holy standard because, as already mentioned, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). But the Lord Jesus Christ met the holy standard of God. In Matthew 5:17 the Lord Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Romans 10:4 tells us, ”Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” His finished work produces peace, not enmity.

He has made peace at the cross, reconciling both Jews and Gentiles to God by His blood. Toward the end of Ephesians 2:15 and through verse 16 it says He has created “in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”

Other verses confirm this point. First Timothy 2:5-6 says, “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Colossians 2:14-15 adds, “[He] wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” These Scriptures prove that the reconciling work of Christ to God is the only means by which we can be reconciled to one another. We have the removal of enmity and the certainty of peace and unity.

He has made us one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. Ephesians 4:4-6 says, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” We are one by His redemptive work.

Sin is the real problem that divides. If we believe the Scriptures, there is never such a thing as an irreconcilable difference among God’s people. This is true in marriage, family, assembly and any relationship with other believers.

3. Jesus Christ “preached peace” (Eph. 2:17). He preached peace to those who were far off, meaning the Gentiles, and those who were near, describing the Jews. This same message is still going out. Consider what Paul said: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).

The ground is level at the foot of the cross – for the Jew and the Gentile. The father in Luke 15:11-32 had two sons. Both needed to be reconciled to the father, even though one was far off in another country and the other was near. Both sons needed to have their hearts reconciled to the father’s heart!

Ephesians 2:18 goes on, “For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” This is the privilege of every believer. Our position is this: “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2). Further, our privilege is that, regardless of our background, we have access into His presence through the Spirit of God. The Gentile is no longer alienated from God (Eph. 2:12), but now “we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him” (3:12).

Dear Christian reader, Christ is our peace, He has made peace, and He is preaching peace today through those who have benefitted by His finished work. Don’t continue the fighting and hostility among those with whom you should be at peace. We must live with one another in the victory that He has won.

The only way race reconciliation will be accomplished in the Church is to recognize that it has already been accomplished in Christ and then to live it out with one another. We should never dismiss issues or brush them off. If a brother or sister raises concerns, they should be considered with compassion, with the Bible open to receive God’s instruction.

A Strategy Going Forward
Looking at early Church history, we might say a racial situation came up in Acts 6:1-7, causing great difficulties at that time. The believing Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected. These Hellenists, as they were called, were looked down upon by many.

It is very instructive to us to observe the strategy applied to achieve racial reconciliation in this situation. First, they recognized the problem and did not ignore it. They refused to pretend it didn’t exist or simply hope it would just go away. They acknowledged it. We must also recognize the racial injustices of our day, especially when they come into the Church.

Second, they addressed the problem with the true, Spirit-filled service that was needed (Acts 6:3). There can be no true unity if there is not true Spirit-filled humility. This is the thrust of the message in Philippians 2:1-8, where we read: “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Third, in Acts 6 they resolved the racial tension growing in the Church by maintaining the spiritual priorities of prayer and the Word of God. It is easy to get bogged down with the particulars of any given situation. Although we must acknowledge them, we must also seek the Lord’s help to maintain a biblical perspective and priorities. Without these there can be no wisdom and guidance, and the power to resolve difficulties will be gone.

None of this is simple, but it is not impossible. We must realize what we have been brought into through the finished work of Christ and build on this foundation. We need to actively listen and care for one another: for those who may look different from us, for those who come from other backgrounds or other cultures.

We are living in difficult days – a time of many obstacles but also of great opportunities “to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” As followers of Christ we must remember His words: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:34-35).

By Timothy P. Hadley