Jew & Gentile-Black & White; One In Christ!

For the last month and a half I have been meditating on Galatians during my quiet time. It has been very rich for me. God is showing me how to care for the church by standing for righteousness. He is reopening my eyes to the beauty of the doctrine of justification by faith alone; a doctrine in which Steve Lawson says is the hinge in which the gospel swings on. Paul has shown me that as a believer, I have the authority and right to confront the church boldly when error is allowed to reign in the pulpit. One error in particular is racism.

I struggle with many aspects of the American church; one in particular is racial harmony. Far too long have we allowed men in our pulpits to preach a doctrine of segregation among the elect. It has been one of Satan’s greatest schemes in dividing the holy church. He has taken the pride that cost him eternal joy in heaven, and given it as an inheritance to all humanity; an inheritance that many in the church have refused let go. Some of our church fathers had to be confronted with their racial prejudice towards gentile believers. One of them in particular is Peter.

Paul had to call Peter out for his behavior towards the gentile Christians in Antioch. Peter was enjoying the fellowship of gentile believers when James and a few of the Jewish brothers came in to dine with them. When Peter saw them he drew back and separated himself (Galatians 2:11-14). Why? Why was one of the patriarchs of the church afraid to be seen with Gentile believers? The same reason why a solid brother in the Lord who is black, would have a hard time being a senior pastor in most of our Baptist churches.

Paul condemns this behavior in Peter and confronts him publicly to his face (Galatians 2:11). Peters behavior was putting the validity and truth of the gospel in jeopardy. That truth being that the barrier that once separated the Jews and the Gentiles was torn down by the blood of Christ. No longer was the law ruling as a master over the sinner. No longer was the Jew the only one to access the good grace of the Father. Both Jew and Gentile were made clean together in Christ.

Unfortunately, the church in America has seemed to miss the mark on this all together. In my short time in the ministry, I have seen few examples of genuine racial unity in the church. More times than not, I often see congregations meeting comfortably in their homogeneous fellowship with little effort reach out to brothers and sisters who are different in color. I have heard people defend their racial prejudice with their "old time religion." I have seen people sing "Jesus Loves the Little Children" in one hand, and deny the love of Christ to African Americans, Hmong Americans, and Hispanic Americans. This is absurd.

When one race in the church refuses to except the faith of other brothers and sisters who are a different race; they refuse the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ. They deny the fact that the blood of Christ covers the sin of all men red, yellow, black, and white. This is what makes rasicism so deadly. It is a attack on the gospel itself. It's aim is to destroy the work of Christ in all people groups. No one people is superior. No one people is inferior. But all people who love Christ are His bride.

The church must come to grips with this reality, or we will be nothing more to the world than a religious Klu Klux Klan; or Black Panther for that matter. This issue goes both ways.
Paul said something remarkable in Galatians 3:28. He said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Do see that? Paul says we are all one in Christ. Can you imagine the glory that would be given to God if His bride would stop looking in the carnival mirror of pride and started gazing at the beauty of God’s redeeming work among the nations?

How extraordinary would Sunday’s become? The church filled with Godly men and women singing to our King in Spanish, Somali, or Haitian, blended with English or Russian. What majesty would be revealed to the world through the preaching of black men, brown men, red men, white men, and yellow men; rainbow of prophesy if you will. How I long for such a day. I just hope I don’t have to wait until heaven to taste it and see its goodness.