Defeating Racism

America is a nation that is made up of almost every nation.  This is one of our greatest blessings, but it is also the foundation of our greatest problems.  We can have the greatest victory or the greatest failure. The spirit of racism must be defeated, or it will defeat us. 

Shouldn’t church resemble or reflect heaven?  Revelation 7:9 says,  After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne.  What a more powerful witness it would be to the unsaved man to see churches all over our cities full of Christians worshipping together of every race!  The spirit of racism seeks to prevent this from becoming the norm.  In Matthew the 24^th chapter, Jesus was asked “what would be the sign if His coming and the end of the age?”  His answer was:

    Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24:7-8.

  The word that is translated “nation” in this text is the Greek word ethnos, from which we derive our English word ethnic or race. Jesus declared that a prominent sign of the end of this age and His return would be ethnic or racial conflict.  If the church does not face this problem, overcoming the racism within our own ranks, so that we can take spiritual authority over it, the world will continue to fall into chaos and confusion.  If the church does not address this issue and admit that problems exist, then we cannot expect that the world will listen to our message.

Unfortunately, many church leaders that I have known don’t desire to see their congregations multi-racial and multi-cultural. They don’t preach on it or write articles about it.  One of the reasons for this lies sometimes in that the “powers that be” would not like such issues addressed. 

 There are mainly two foundations to racism.  The first is pride.  Pride in the flesh.  It is judging others by the externals, which is the ultimate form of pride.  Pride in the flesh is simply the feeling of being better than others.  This creates an obvious barrier between us and others.  The second foundation to racism is fear.  Insecurity is a result of the fall and the separation between God and man.  The insecure are afraid of those who are different.  Racism is a combination of both pride and fear.    

The cross of Christ confronts and overcomes both the pride of man and his insecurity. This destroys our pride by making us dependent on the Savior. When we see that holy God has accepted us, based not on our own merit, then we no longer have anything to be proud of in this flesh. His grace then begins to work tolerance in us for those who are different. Then we begin to look at people from a spiritual perspective, not after the flesh.   2 Cor. 5:16-17 Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. [17] Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (NASB) 

The church is called to not only have an answer to the problem of racism, but to BE a reflection of that answer.  In other words, to demonstrate our answer by our actions, not just give lip service to it! 

Mark 11:17   ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?   The church has not fulfilled her destiny until she truly becomes a house of prayer for all ethnic people.

Over Fifty years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and gave one of the most stirring speeches of all time. His “I have a dream speech” was a defining moment in the American Civil Rights Movement. It called for Civil and economic Rights and an end to racism.  I remember the first time I heard this speech.  I was moved by how anointed this speech was and how it painted a vivid picture of the kingdom of God to come. It describes the world, not as it is, but as it could be. It was prophetic, it was out of sync with the present age but in sync with the age to come. It not only was Dr. King’s dream, but it is God’s dream. 

We want justice!

These are the words that are being shouted today by so many.  The Bible speaks of justice in 157 verses.  Most today understand little of God’s justice.  They are crying out for legal justice.  I’m not saying this is wrong, I’m simply saying there is a higher justice than merely legal justice where crooks get punished. I’m referring to the greater justice of the Kingdom that sets things right and restores that which has been lost.  Legal justice just makes bad guys into convicts, but Kingdom justice turns them into new men. The justice Jesus revealed turns sinners into saints, enemies into friends, and haters into lovers.   

Those who have been raised under Old Covenant Law tend to say, “God, give me mercy, not justice.” But those who have seen the finished work of Jesus on the cross don’t hesitate to cry out for justice for they know that only the justice of heaven can heal the injustices of this world. And this is a world riddled with injustice. For Dr. King, the number one injustice was racial inequality. But what about you? What is the injustice that bothers you?  Is there something that breaks your heart or makes you angry?  Now imagine a world where that injustice no longer exists. Can you see it?

You may be thinking what can I do?  Listen, the Kingdom is within you. When you understand that the gospel is not about getting you to heaven, it’s about bringing heaven down to earth, it is then that real change can come.  It’s about moving in the opposite spirit of this world, opposing violence with peace and speaking out while others remain silent.

    The church is the place where all men will be unified again, regardless of race, culture, language, etc.  I thank God for the progress that has been made in this area, but there is still more needed.  The church will be different,….the church is different. The spirit of racism must be resisted and defeated.  ‘Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in His sight, yes Jesus loves the little children of the world.’  Amen!