Daily Devotional for Monday May 5, 2014

Racism from a Biblical Perspective

DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY MAY 5, 2014 (Genesis 1:26,27; Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Galatians 3:28)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, why hasn't God simply wiped satan and sin, out completely?

ANSWER: Great, and frequent question. The fact He has! We know from God's Word that satan and the 1/3 of the angels who followed him out of heaven are destined to eternity in the Lake of Fire. We also know from God's Word that there is coming a day sooner than most think when this world as we know will be gone, and sin with it! I think the problem we have is we currently live in this finite existence of time/space. God does not, nor will we when this life is over. That is why in 2 Peter 3:8 the Bible says, "..a thousand days are like a year.." to God.

In the wake of the national obsession with the whole incident created by the tape recording of the racist comments by Donald Sterling, owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, in NONE of the non-stop coverage have I heard anyone talking about racism from a Biblical perspective.

Let me say this up front, racism is another dividing tactic straight from the pits of hell itself and is found from the early days of human existence and is alive and well in EVERY nation of our world today! My friend, there is no white race, black race, brown race, yellow race, red race, or polka dot race, we are all of one race...the HUMAN RACE!

Of course every time any incident with a racial element occurs, the same people rise up to try and cash in. People like the faux Reverend's Sharpton and Jackson, race-baiters extraordinaire! Sadly, rather than speak on racism from a Biblical standpoint as you would expect men of God to do, they simply exploit the issue for their own personal gain as they have their entire lives.

The Bible teaches that ALL MEN are created in the image of God. God created all men equal. I tell you frequently that satan is the great perverter. It is satan, not God, who seeks to divide men by their skin color, ethnicity, financial means, and any other way you can dream up to divide people. God created men equal to live in harmony with one another. It is satan who introduced division into the human experience.

In God's plan of redemption, there is no division. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world, ALL men. It says that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES. That is a universal call to ALL MEN regardless the color of their skin or where they live. In 1 John 2:2, it talks about how Jesus laid down his life for EVERYONE. Everyone means ALL MEN, the entire human race.

This satanically inspired way we have of dividing ourselves through racism, prejudice, and discrimination all make a mockery of what Christ did on the cross. He faithfully and obediently went to that cross to die for the sins of ALL MANKIND.

You also have the Biblical example of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Again, racism is not a new phenomena to the United States in our brief 237 year history. Forms of racism have been part of the human expedience since the very beginning. Jesus commanded us in John 13:34 to love each other as He loves us. He used people of other ethnic backgrounds often in His parables. One of the most powerful is the story of the Good Samaritan.

If you remember, the Jewish religious leader passed by the man who had been robbed and beaten and laying on the side of the road, leaving him to die. It was the Samaritan, the non-Jew, who honored God by stopping and ministering to the needs of the injured man. Don't forget, it was Jesus who told his followers to make disciples of EVERY NATION, reaffirming the value of all men.

I love you and care about you so much. Dividing men by skin color, ethnicity, are the works of the devil. Those who truly seek to serve and follow the Lord are not looking to divide men but unite them. A true follower of Christ understands that God created all men equal, that we are all part of the human race. Racism, prejudice, and discrimination are NOT of God, since we are hurting someone God created and loves and Jesus died for!

Sadly, 11 am on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week in this nation. That is truly a shame since the one sanctuary from racism should be the church. Yet sadly, most churches don't lead the culture, they allow the culture to lead them. So rather than modeling what God says about this issue, in far too many churches, they perpetuate this ungodly attitude men have for other men who look different than them.

They better wake up since when we die, and stand at the gates of Heaven, there won't be a line for whites, or a line for blacks, or a line for Asians, or a line for Hispanics, or a line for those from the Middle East, just like there won't be a line for Catholics, or Baptists, or Methodists, or Pentecostals. No my friend, when you take your last breath there will only be two lines. One for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and one for those who have rejected Christ.

The Bible proclaims those who reject Christ will be cast into the flames of hell for all eternity, and those who know Jesus will be welcomed into their eternal home with God their Creator in Heaven. At that moment, Galatians 3:38 will be realized, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus!"

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller