Want To Stop Racism? Here’s Where To Start. And Finish.

I have chosen to avoid addressing political issues in this blog. It has been challenging to do so. Christians are expected to weigh in today on such topics as violent looters, arsonists, and anarchists, on racial injustice, social justice, and Black Lives Matter. I know that offering provocative, partisan topics will perhaps increase viewership and offer an opportunity to sneak the Gospel in somehow.

It would be foolish for me to do so.

Politics divide. The world that Christians encounter offers a binary choice. The believing-in-Jesus world or the unbelieving world. If there is to be division—and there is and will be—let it exist because of Jesus alone. Making the proclamation of a political position one’s primary emphasis is off target. Only the exaltation of Jesus and His work of salvation and redemption is on track. If I want to be obedient to Jesus’ commands to preach the gospel and make disciples, I will destroy the work that I do if I highlight political issues. 

I’m not going to do that.

But I will tell the biblical truth.

So, let’s begin here: Racism is a sin. It is committed by sinners. To constantly harangue the culture to stop having such beliefs is futile. But it sure satisfies virtue signaling, doesn’t it? We by ourselves cannot do a thing to cure racism, but we can easily demand people to stop it, as if that offered any beneficial progress whatsoever. Here is the only cure for racism: salvation through Jesus. That is not a breaking news story. Few would even give an article with that title a second glance.

But it is true. It is true in the bedrock, eternal sense of that word. Unfortunately, it is the answer that this culture does not want to hear. That is a shame because Christianity—true Christianity—should not have a racist bone its body. Christians know—well, they should know—that salvation in and through Jesus has absolutely nothing to do with one’s skin color, culture, tribe, or nation. The two scripture passages below, plus Peter’s call to preach to Cornelius, a Gentile, and his household—”So Peter opened his mouth and said: Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him’” (Acts 10:34–35)¹—are two strong New Testament passages that indicate Christianity has no truck with racism.

At Pentecost:

“And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God’” (Acts 2:6–11).

In the heavenly kingdom:

“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth’” (Revelation 5:8–10).

This is the position the Christian Church has held since its beginning. It is obvious. We are to love God and neighbor.

Thank You, Lord, for your great love for all people and that You show no partiality among races. Teach us Your ways. Help us not to be compromised by our culture. Help us exalt the name of Jesus alone.

¹All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

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