Misconceptions Clarified Episode XXI: Does Race Matter???
With all the controversies surrounding the topic of race, especially in America today, one thing is for certain, race is still very much alive and prevalent. Just consider the aftermath of George Floyd, the controversial presidency of Donald Trump, the overindulging press received on police brutality, the doctrine of Critical Race Theory that promotes the sin of White Nationalism as the root of America’s founding, and the constant redefinition of America’s history that emphasizes racism such as the 1619 Project. It’s no wonder why racism continues to make headlines in the twenty-first century. This is not including the controversial celebrities such as Kanye West and Kyrie Irving along with the documentary Hebrews to Negroes that promoted antisemitic and anti-white propaganda, which motivated certain religious groups and even some Christians to raise their voice in the name of race identity. There are some religious sects that have devoted their entire theological philosophy towards elevating race over faith and have gone to such an extent to identify their denomination based on their ethnicity. Consequently, the question this episode will attempt to clarify, “Does Race Matter” is a highly sensitive topic that Satan has been able to use to his own advantage to widen the divide of God’s people, which he has been quite successful in accomplishing throughout the millennia.
Think about it…, race wars have been occurring way before the “Black” and “White” classifications were even invented and has been endemic towards every nation to ever exist. The genocides committed in the name of racism throughout history against humanity are simply unfathomable. In particular, the atrocities committed during the Holocaust which saw approximately six million Jews die because of their nationality is one notable example. Not to forget, the genocides committed by Stalin’s regime, Mao Zedong, the Cambodian massacre by Pol Pot, the Rwandan Massacre, and many more that killed millions upon millions of people. Too often, certain social justice movements overemphasize America’s struggle with racism while losing sight of the fact that although America had to contend with the dark legacy of slavery, the Civil War, and the civil rights movement, America’s struggle pales in comparison to the genocides mentioned above. Just consider the movie Tears of the Sun depicting the Civil War of Nigeria or Black Hawk Down that took place in Somalia where governments starved their own people to death. Now, this is not to minimize the pain and suffering many had to endure during those dark periods of America’s history, yet the point that is being made is how racism and hatred is the number one weapon used by the devil to accomplish his sole objective against all nations. No nation is exempt from Satan’s overall desire to seek, to kill, and to destroy, for he is the father of lies, the father of hatred, and the father of racism!
So, to answer the question, “Does Race Matter,” obviously, Satan has made race matter for a long time now because he has been effectively using race to keep the people of God divided on a global scale. However, the larger question this episode desires to clarify is this: “Does Race Matter for a Believer?” Does race matter once a person comes to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? Does race matter when it comes to their identity and purpose in Christ? Will race matter at the consummation of all things? Will race matter when every person has to make an account before God for how they lived their life on earth? Will their race factor into God’s decision of who spends eternity with Him or not? These are the overarching questions that this episode truly desires to clarify for anyone who may not know, or for anyone who may be trying to find the truth hidden among the weeds of false doctrine, or for anyone who may have fallen victim to the controversial hype campaigned by certain groups regarding the superiority of certain races over others. For instance, the Hebrew Israelite dogma asserts that people of dark skin color in America are the true descendants of Israel from the tribe of Judah, while the Jews currently living in the land of Israel are imposters. There are other doctrines along similar lines that elevates race and assert their salvific importance over faith in Christ. Some emphasize the necessity of discovering one’s true identity in their nationality in order to obtain a certain level of prominence in society and in the kingdom of God. There are all sorts of groups polarizing their particular viewpoints through the abundance of media channels available in an age of mass disinformation. For those trying to sort out the wheat from the weeds, here are a couple of pointers that can assist one in navigating this particular question, “Does Race Matter?”
First, whenever one encounters a person or religious group espousing a doctrine that appears to be focused on nationality, or the superiority of certain races over others and even over faith in Christ, ask this one question: “Is their movement or religious ideas rooted in ancient history?” Are their beliefs corroborated by ancient sources that can affirm their historical weight? Notice, that if a person does a little research regarding many of the movements that exist today such as the Hebrew Israelites, nationalistic societies, Moorish Science, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormonism, etc., they are modern organizations that were born not even 200 years ago. In other words, these modern religious movements are “ahistorical,” meaning, they are not rooted in ancient history. Now, why is this important? Well, in order to find the truth underneath the overgrown weeds of false doctrine, one way to navigate through the countless number of false doctrines is to ask the question, “Are their beliefs derivative from ancient belief or did someone just make them up?” The only way to discern if those ideas were made up or not is by asking that one simple question, “Is their movement or religious ideas rooted in ancient history?” If their ideas weren’t rooted in ancient history, as is the case with the groups mentioned above, they can’t be verified as true because no one believed their ideas in the approximately 5,000 years humanity has existed on planet earth. For example, in regard to the doctrine of the Hebrew Israelites that Black people are the true Israelites, the original descendants from the tribe of Judah, did anyone espouse this belief say…, before the time of America? Was this a relevant belief 500 years ago, 1000 years, 2,000 years ago, etc.? If not, what are the chances that a modern religious ideology about race could be true over conventional wisdom rooted in ancient history? Not likely at all. Yet, this is exactly what it is happening in the twenty-first century; modern doctrines are becoming superior to those rooted in antiquity. This is not to say that any movement grounded in antiquity is true since there are also many false doctrines that have been refuted throughout the ages and this is not to say that every modern idea is false since some of them have proven to be consistent with ancient belief. However, in reference to these modern movements espousing religious precedence or racial identity, they can be easily debunked by their lack of historical evidence.
Second, consider the primary source that has stood the test of immeasurable scrutiny regarding the question about race…, the Holy Scriptures. Now, it’s important to remember that many religious groups also like to quote Scripture to prove their perspective, but often times they misquote the Bible by quoting it out of context, by isolating the verse devoid of its context, and by misapplying it to themselves. Those who fail to apply the proper hermeneutical principles of biblical interpretation will be susceptible to adding or taking away from the Word of God. Here are 6 verses of Scripture that speak for itself regarding the question, “Does Race Matter for a Believer?”
1). In Acts 17:26 Paul says, “From one man he made all nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth, and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.” In the context, Paul is speaking to both Jews and Greeks in Athens and teaches them that God is not contingent upon his creation for anything and that he created all of humanity from one person, Adam, in the very beginning. The name Adam in the Hebrew language means mankind, the whole of the human race. Essentially, Paul is reminding his diverse audience in the text that God created only one race, the human race. And, this human race matters so much to God that He sent His One and only Son into the world that whosoever would believe in Him would never perish but have everlasting life. To rephrase the original question in this episode, “Does the Human Race Matter to God?” Absolutely! And should the human race matter to their fellow human brothers and sisters? Absolutely, for we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
2). In Colossians 3:11 Paul says to the Gentile church, “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” In the context, Paul is debunking man-made classifications and reminding the church that such classifications are irrelevant in the body of Christ because faith in Him is all that truly matters when it comes to the salvation He provides for His people, not race. God made one race, the human race, but Satan made classifications to keep humanity divided into categories. In America, there are a multitude of classifications of skin color, classes of wealth, religion, political affiliations, age groups, sexuality, education, etc., and guess what, according to Scripture, none of these classifications will matter at the end of the age.
3). Notice what Paul says to the church at Philippi regarding his ethnicity and background. In Philippians 3:4-9 it says, “If someone thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eight day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Not only does Paul in this passage affirm that race does not matter when it comes to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but his circumcision does not matter, the tribe he comes from does not matter, his religious standing as a pharisee does not matter, nor his zeal for the law and for persecuting the church does not matter. In fact, he considers all of those classifications that he gained not only a loss, but he considers them rubbish in light of the saving knowledge he discovered in Christ Jesus. None of what he was before he found Christ matters, and likewise, none of what believers were before they found Christ matters either, not even their own race!
4). In the Gospel of John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” In other words, the only way into the kingdom of God is NOT by our race, not by our ethnicity, not by our achievements, not by our works, and not by our worldly status, but only by the grace of God through faith and only by being born again by the Spirit of God that transforms our wicked heart of stone into a heart of flesh! That’s it! The qualification to enter into the kingdom of God is none other than the precious blood of Jesus Christ that reconciles us back into a right relationship with the Father. All that is needed in response to this wonderful salvation provided by God through Christ is a willing heart to be transformed, a willing mind to repent, and a willing mouth to confess our sins to the Lord. The general impulse of the salvation provided to mankind is not based on race but based on pure faith!
5). In the letter to the church of Ephesus, Paul breaks down the wall of any racial tension that existed between the Jews and the Gentiles by reminding them in Ephesians 2:14-18 this: “For he himself is our peace, who has made two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” Did you pay attention to what Paul just said in the passage? God’s desire was to bring together both Jews and Gentiles as one new humanity by the cross of Christ just as God intended from the very beginning when he made mankind as one human race. The whole point of the Father sending His Son was not only to save humanity from their sin but to also break the barriers of hostility, captivity, race, death, and the power of Satan! Hallelujah!
6). The last verse this episode wants to draw attention to that will strike at the heart of this question, “Does Race Matter,” comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans. In Romans 11:17 Paul says, “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches,” Now, Paul is addressing the Gentile church in Rome and encouraging them not to consider themselves more than they ought to since they are grafted into the faith that comes out of the tree of Judaism. The good news this episode wants to highlight is the fact that Gentile believers, those who are not from the nation of Israel are grafted into the kingdom of God by faith in Jesus Christ. All who would confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead shall be saved. No longer do believers have to search in vain for their identity in their ethnicity or attempt to find a place in the kingdom of God by their nationality, or have to figure out if they are a true Israelite or which tribe they belong to. Since God has poured out His Spirit on ALL people, whoever would call on the name of the Lord shall be saved; they will be grafted in! Praise the Lord! That’s the good news! The people of God do not have to exhaust themselves in figuring out their original ancestry or race, or where they are from if they know where they are going!
Besides, when a person is born again by the Spirit of God, they receive a new heart, they are made a new creation, God instills His desires inside them, He gives them a new identity, a new purpose, and clothes them with new spiritual attributes, and assigns them spiritual gifts to fulfill the will of God in their life. The only real question that will matter at the end of all things is this: “Is your name found in the Lamb’s Book of Life?” That’s the real question at stake, in which Satan wants you to lose sight of. And, for those wondering how they can be included into the Lamb’s Book of Life, first, you must understand that it’s not going to be based on race, but based on who you place your faith in. Did you place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior and God, and did you serve, live, and obey everything that He spoke in the gospels? Second, remember that a person’s salvation will not be contingent upon how many people they have led to search for their original ancestry or ethnicity, but based on how they became co-laborers of Christ and how they participated in the Great Commission and made other disciples for His kingdom. Remember folks, the Kingdom of God that’s at hand is not based on worldly pursuits but based on a faithful pursuit of picking up your cross, denying yourself, following Jesus, joining him in bringing others to the kingdom, and preaching the gospel message that is centered on what Christ did for the salvation of the world, not figuring out what race you are, or what tribe you belong to. That’s not what the kingdom of God is about. It’s about reciprocation of what Christ initiated and established under the blood of His New Covenant!
So, to go back to the original question, “Does Race Matter to a Believer?” The overarching answer to that question should be a resounding NO! What matters more is salvation! What matters more is God’s grace upon grace! What matters more is the Lamb’s Book of Life! What matters more is bearing fruit in keeping with repentance! What matters more is that Gentile believers are grafted into the faith! What matters more is being holy as our Father in heaven is holy! What matters more is the new command to love one another! What matters more is our spiritual identity in Christ over our earthly identity! What matters more is how Christ broke the barriers of hostility! What matters more is our heavenly descent over our natural descent! What matters more is that all of humanity are of one race, the human race derived from Adam! And, what matters more is our obedience to testify to the greatest Gospel ever known to mankind! That’s what eternally matters more!!
#Misconceptions #Clarified #Episode #XXI #ByTheGraceOfGOD #FaithOVERrace