Christians Practice Equality. Amen!

Introduction
The Bible is the Word of God and contains everything necessary and sufficient for our salvation.  I started this series with that statement about the Bible because everything Christians believe and do is based off what the Bible teaches.  Thus, we also say amen when the Bible teaches:
Jesus Saves us from sin when we have faith.
That faith without good deeds is dead.
That Christians to practice spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, and study.
That Christians are witnesses for Jesus.
Today, we learn that the Bible teaches Christians should practice equality.  

Galatians 3:26-29
²⁶ For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. ²⁸ There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Explanation
If we’re not careful, we will miss the revolutionary nature of what the Bible is teaching us here.
The first century world into which Jesus was born was a defined by many categories.  In Israel especially, the Jews defined people by whether they were Jews or Gentiles.   A Gentile is anyone who is not a Jew.  The Jews believed they were special—that God favored them more than all other people in the world.  Their belief goes all the way back to Genesis 12 where God blessed Abraham for trusting God and said, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you."  The Jews were descendants of "father Abraham" and believe God favored them above all other people.  Of course, ever nation at the time believed they were the greatest people.  The Greeks thought their culture was superior to everyone else's.  The Romans believed they were the greatest because they conquered everyone else and made them pay tribute.  So all people sought to define one another by whether their cultural and religious background.  But Paul writes that that these categories don't matter anymore because of Christ.

People of the first century were also divided as male or female.  Males dominated and females were subjugated.  In the Jewish culture, a woman got her identity from her closest male relative.  When se was young, she got her identity from her father.  As a woman, she got it from her husband.  If her husband died, she got her identity from her son.  If a Jewish woman had no father, husband, or son, she had no identity and was destitute.  It was the worst condition to be in for a Jew.  It was right, but it's the way the Jewish world worked (as well as most other ancient cultures).  But all that changed because of Jesus.  So Paul writes, there is no longer male or female.  He wasn't saying that people aren't biologically male or female.  He was saying you are not defined by your sexual organs.  Both male and female ore equal before God through Jesus Christ.

What Paul was saying, because of Jesus, was a revolution has occurred.  Everything has changed!  There is no longer even slave or free.  The slaves that you formerly "owned" and could make do whatever you want are no your equals.  We are now all on a level playing ground because of Jesus.

God’s Word to us through Paul in Galatians 3:28 is, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Thus, we cannot define one another by the categories the world uses to identify who is important and who is not.  All are created equal.

Jesus breaks down all the human categories by which people try to define themselves.  The Bible teaches there is only one thing that defines you—is Jesus your Lord?  This is a clear teaching of God’s Holy Word, but (because people are broken and live in a fallen world) we have always struggled to practice this truth. We still try to put people into categories.  But I believe Jesus is speaking to the world today, telling us to stop dividing ourselves by the world's categories.

Moderns Divisions
We have come a long way since ancient times when women were treated as property in a male dominated society (at least in the US).  Women may vote and work any job or hold any office (at least in principle).  Yet, we have not completely discarding sexism from our society yet.  Can we please just defining people according to male or female?

My wife works as a nurse--a job that traditionally staffed by mostly women.  There are much fewer male nurses.  Why?  Can we finally throw out the erroneous notion that a man is not qualified to be a good nurse!  And why have we not yet had a woman as president?  Let Christians be leaders in practicing equality; let us no longer judge a person ability for any job based on whether they are male or female.  Let us judge only by a person experience and ability.

 

Because Christ is Lord, let us forever be finished with judging people based on their race--whether they are black or white (or Hispanic or Asian or Native American...).  We can be proud of our heritage, but it is not our main identity.  Do not judge a person but the color of their skin or even by what side town they are from.  We are not defined by our race or social background.  Let us forever stand against any policy or teaching that favors one race against another or seeks to discriminate among people based on their race.  And do not let such racial bigotry--whether against back people or white people or any people--be part of your thinking or speech.

People are not defined by their sexual attraction or whether they feel like a man or a woman.  In the past, people were mistreated or reviled because they were attracted to someone of the same sex or their feelings about their sexual identity did not conform to the norms of society.  Their mistreatment was not right.  Today, the social pendulum has swung in the exact opposite way; people now claim a person can define their own identity based upon who they are sexually attracted to--whether they are gay or straight or something else.  Or they claim they can make up their own identity based on the gender they feel fits them best (or have no gender at all).  However, our sexual attractions do not define who we are--nor do our feelings about gender.  In Christ Jesus, there is no gay or straight or trans or anything else.  You are a child of God if you trust in Jesus.  That is what defines you.  These other categories should not.

Another worldly division Christians must discard in America is whether a person is a citizen or an immigrant.  Christians must learn to value citizenship in God’s kingdom above all else.  I am proud to be an American and thankful for the blessings it affords me.  However, my American citizenship is secondary to my calling in Christ.  And the way I value or treat others is not defined by whether or not they are an American citizen.  We should look for their true identity--is Jesus their Lord?  Is Jesus my Lord?  What would my Lord have me do?  How would my Lord want me to treat someone? 

A person is not defined by whther they are rich or poor.  When we look at a depiction of the rich and poor (like the one to the left), we have interesting assumptions about what makes a person rich or poor.  We might assume the man in the suit is rich and the shabby-clothed man is poor.  Why do we make those assumptions?  Perhaps we need to redefine the way we look at things.  God does not define rich and poor the way we do.  James 2:5 says, "Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?"  We should pray that God would heal the broken way we see and define people.  God sees people differently.

We are not defined but our political affiliation.  I will say up front that I tend to vote republican and I consider myself conservative.  However, I need to be very clear: Jesus does not care if you are a democrat or a republican.  Jesus does not favor one over the other.  In fact, if Jesus appeared today, I think He would rebuke both parties equally.  And I believe Jesus would also rebuke anyone who is elevating a political party or a certain candidate as God’s favorite.  Jesus was very clear and we need to hear Him today.  He said, "My Kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36).  Jesus did not support a certain party in his own day (Pharisees or Sadducees) and doesn't support on today (Democrat or Republican or whatever party is in your country).

We need to stop defining one another according to our generations.  Don’t discount people in a different generation from you.  Young people have much to learn from older people. Older people have much to learn from younger people.

Closing
Galatians 3:29, “Now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham.”  If Jesus is truly our Lord, God loves us all as His own children.  God loves you as His son or daughter (if you follow Christ).  God loves your neighbor just as much as you.  You are incredibly special and treasured by God, but you are no more special than anyone else.  

We have to discard our broken ideas about favoritism.  None of us deserves God’s love.  That fact that God saves us and accepts us and loves us is a miracle (not anything we can  earn or deserve).  That means we are no better than anyone else.

Let us define ourselves the way God defines us and not by the evil, broken categories of the world.  Christians practice equality, because we are all made in the sacred image of God and we are all equal in God’s eyes.  In the Kingdom of God, there is no Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female, black or white, gay or straight, American or foreign, rich or poor, republican or democrat, young or old.  We are all one in Jesus.  If you believe that, say Amen!  Now let’s practice it.

Christian Response to Racism

Romans 12:2

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Introduction
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A Christian is a person for whom Jesus Christ is Lord of all.  In the Methodist Church, we begin our Christian life with a profession of faith, where we promise to follow Jesus Christ as Lord—to obey Him, follow Him, and live after His example.  If you are already a Christian, I want to remind you of the promises you've made.  If you have never made a promise to follow Jesus Christ, I invite you to make that promise right now.  Here is our profession of faith:

The Christian Profession of Faith
Pastor: On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you:
Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,
reject the evil powers of this world,
and repent of your sin?

People: I do.

Pastor: Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you
to resist evil, injustice, and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves?

People: I do.

Pastor: Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,
put your whole trust in his grace,
and promise to serve him as your Lord,
in union with the Church which Christ has opened
to people of all ages, nations, and races?

People:  I do.

If you made these promises for the first time today and if they are the true desire of your heart, then I

congratulate you.  You have become a Christian today!  Jesus Christ is your Lord and He saves you from your sin.  If you truly follow Him as your Lord, you will inherit eternal life; you will be with Jesus in paradise for all eternity.  Your sins are forgiven and will not be counted against you!  Hallelujah!

Romans 12:2 explains how Christians are to live.  We are not to copy the behaviors and customs of this world.  Instead, we are to let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think.  Will you do that as a follower of Christ?  Will you stop copying the behaviors and customs of this world and let God transform you into a new person by changing the way we think?

Over the past several weeks, I've been answering questions people submitted to me.  I have one final question to address in this series.

What is the Christian response to racism? 

According to the Anti-defamation League (ADL.org), "Racism is the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races should remain segregated and apart from one another."

According to Christianity, racism is a consequence of sin in a fallen world.  The consequences are terrible.  They hurt people and our communities.  Christian minister and civil rights champion, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., taught that racism is just as damaging to the racist person as it is to the people they oppress.  King fought to liberate—not only blacks who suffered discrimination, but also—white supremists who were trapped in a wrong way of thinking.

The short answer to the question today is this, it’s what we promise to do in our Christian profession of faith: We must renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin.  We must resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.

Satan is a liar and the father of lies.  We’ve been lied to.  The Christian website Answers in Genesis says, “Because of our culture’s racist roots, because of the way the world thinks, because of the influence of Darwinian thinking, we have been programmed to look at the exterior rather than the interior of a person, and to make broad judgments based on what we see.” [i]

We see a black man and we judge his character based on the color of his skin.  We see an Asian woman or a Latino person and we make judgments about their personality based solely on the way they look or the language they speak.  And it’s ludicrous.

In the past, some have even tried to use the Bible to justify their own racist behavior.  However, there is no credible way to show that the Bible condones racism or the idea that one race is superior to another.  On the contrary, what the Bible clearly teaches is:

What the Bible Teaches About Racism
The Bible teaches there is only one biological race.

“All humans are descended from Adam and Eve and so all are related and need the salvation offered by the Last Adam, Jesus. From a biblical perspective, there is one biological race. This is confirmed by scientific studies on the human genome. Biblically and scientifically there is no defense [for] racism.”[ii]

The real differences between “races” is cultural, not genetic. Matches for organ transplants are just a likely between whites and blacks as they are between whites and whites. So the differences we see are literally only skin deep. It is sin and evil that causes people to judge other people by the appearance of their skin instead of the content of their character. Racism is a shallow and corrupt way of thinking and the Christian should have nothing to do with it. We must reject this evil and resist it whenever we see it.

The Bible teaches interracial marriage is OK.

Many godly people in the Old Testament were outsiders to the Jewish people. Moses had an interracial marriage. He was Hebrew and his wife, Zipporah, was a Midianite. Rahab and Ruth were foreign gentiles who interracially married into God’s people and were so notable they were included in Jesus’ genealogy. If it was good enough for Jesus’ family tree, how can anyone argue with it? (Ruth had an whole book of the Bible named after her and her husband, Boaz was considered a righteous man!)

The New Testament does not counsel against interracial marriage either. The only kind of marriage Bible counsels against is marriages between believers and nonbelievers.  2 Corinthians 6:14-15 says, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?”

The reason the God's Word counsels against marriage between Christians and non-Christians is because a Christians faith should be the most central part of their identity, the most important core value.  And a person's spouse is to be their most intimate partner in life and someone who shares your most essential core beliefs.  Why would a Christian knowingly choose a life-partner who does not share in their most important core value?  Such a choice would certainly lead to serious conflict and be a hinder a Christians most important mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

However, among many Christians today, we fund unequally yoked marriage is very common.  Christians often choose to marry unbelievers.  Today and in the past, interracial marriage was frowned upon by many while inter-faith marriage was much more acceptable even though the Bible is clear there is no problem with interracial marriage, but inter-faith marriage is strongly discouraged.  And this reveals the racism within our culture.

Which marriage are you more concerned about: Interracial marriage or unequally yoked marriage?

The Bible says in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, make nor female, slave nor free.
Colossians 3:11 says, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.”
I.E. it doesn't matter what country you're from or what ethnicity you are. If you are a Christian, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

How should Christians respond to racism?
Let the Word of God’s change the way you think. 

We need to reject the corrupt ideas of this world--including the wrong ideas we’ve inherited--and assimilate God’s ideas in His Word. We are all brothers and sisters. There is no more “Jew or Gentile, Male or Female”. Our affiliation in Christ far outweighs any differences in skin color, culture, nationality, and even gender.

Live out the Principles of God’s Word. 

James 1:22 says, “Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Christians need to take God’s Word to heart and live by God’s standards, not the world’s lies. We must love our neighbors the way God loves them.

Build real relationships. 

The Christian's response--your personal response--needs to be real and not just words.  People like to watch news stories on TV and get all worked up.  But this has hardly anything to do with real life.  Mostly, it becomes an excuse to confine your personal response to racism to the intellectual/theoretical realm.  Why do people care so much about what protesters are doing in New York City if we don’t even really know someone of a different race right here in our own town?  I say turn off CNN (and turn of Fox News too).  Those channels are just huge money-making corporations interested in selling you a product to earn money.  All they’re peddling is gossip and sensationalism and anger and sentimentalism.  We “buy” their product; they make a lot of money.  And little to nothing productive gets accomplished.  They make us feel like we are informed and know it all.  But in reality, all they do is distract us from real life and fill us with anger and resentment.

If you really wan to make a difference, then build some real relationships with people who look different than you.  Reach out to people in the Hispanic, Black, or Asian community.  Befriend your neighbor who is from a foreign country.  We need to become friends and neighbors.  We need to build real trust and confide in each other.  This is where real reconciliation and healing take place.

God’s Questions for You
Now that I've taken time to answer your question, God has some questions for you.

Do you truly renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?

Are your answers to these questions just ideas and empty words? Or are you ready to really live by them?

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[i] https://answersingenesis.org/racism/one-blood/

[ii] https://answersingenesis.org/racism/