Jesus is the answer…to racism
Water cooler conversation:
What was your biggest win this week? What was your biggest challenge?
Name two things you consider yourself to be really good at. Name two things you consider yourself to be really bad at.
Unpack the Message:
When we talk about the current racial climate in America, it’s important to remember that there’s nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). History is riddled with examples of individuals and entire cultures persecuted by their oppressors based solely on their ethnicity. Our sinful, fallen nature means there will always be those who put their own interests and self-worth above others; that’s why we must find our identity in Jesus above all else.
Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that God created humanity in His image. This “Imago Dei” is what sets us apart from the rest of creation - we are image-bearers of God Himself, body, soul, and spirit. As image-bearers, we are imbued with an inherent dignity that supersedes any notions of racial superiority.
In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul addresses the ethnic, cultural, and racial hostility dividing Jews and Gentiles. Superseding this is that both were at enmity with God (Romans 8:5-7). Yet, we are reconciled to God through Jesus’ redemptive death on the cross, regardless of our ethnicity, race, or culture, tearing down the wall of hostility that separates us from Him and each other.
Though all of humanity is God’s creation, we are not all God’s children. To become part of the family of God, we must be adopted as sons and daughters. That can only happen through faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26-29). In Him, there is no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave or free, male or female - all are made one in God’s sight through our common relationship in Jesus Christ. Our race, economic status, or gender bias don’t become meaningless, but they no longer define us because Christ Jesus gives us a better identity.
Just as servicemen and women who chose to join the military put on a uniform, so we who “put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27) supersede our humanity. Christ Jesus gives us a better identity. We are one in Christ Jesus because we put on Christ. Jesus is the answer to racism because He gives us a better identity as “Sons” of God.
In the Greek language, there are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Each noun in Greek has a specific gender, and—unlike in English—these genders don’t only apply exclusively to nouns referring to people, but also to nouns that refer to things or animals. Therefore, gender should be viewed as a grammatical attribute of a noun and not necessarily as the sex of a person, animal, or thing. Your Guide to Gender in Greek Grammar
So when Paul refers to believers as “Sons of God,” he is not referring exclusively to males but all humanity. Additionally, only sons inherited land and property in Jewish culture—women were excluded from receiving an inheritance. So by referring to both men and women, Paul elevates women to equal status as joint-heirs with Jesus. That’s why it’s a better identity—we become children of God, eclipsing all other identities.
Because we are “one in Christ Jesus,” we are part of the body of Christ; we are not merely part of an organization, but part of an organism—a living thing. As such, when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. If one part of the body is wounded, the whole body is injured. God made a covenant with Abraham, and we are heirs of the promise through Christ. Abraham lived 2,000 years before Jesus came to earth but was declared righteous by God because he had faith in God’s promise to him. We, who live 2,000 years after Jesus came, are declared righteous when we place our faith in what God has done through Jesus Christ. This makes us heirs of this promise.
That is why we have hope that one day there will be justice. Jesus took the penalty for our sin, reconciling us to God in order for the justice of God to be done. Jesus is the answer to injustice - He will see justice done.
How does being “in Christ” change the discussion of race? How are our identities now new?
What is Imago Dei, and how does it inform your attitude toward racial issues?
Do you find it difficult or uncomfortable to enter into conversations about diversity and racial issues? If so, why or why not?
Why is claiming to be “color-blind” unproductive in the fight to expose and overcome racism?
Do you think the topic of racism has been neglected within the modern church? If so, why or why not?
Could the pursuit of diversity be as simple as branching out in your friendships? How could you begin to include others who are not like you in your life?
How do we reconcile the possibility of KKK members going to heaven while good, decent people who fought for civil rights will go to hell?
What do you think of when you hear the term “diversity”? Do you think Expectation Church is diverse? Why or why not?
In a Vox article on woke culture, Aja Romano said, “Our relationship with our lives is all too often filtered through the prism of social media, and that’s no way to be fully in relationship with one’s self (or with others).” Why is allowing social media to shape your worldview or be the primary source of news and information so dangerous? How can it be counterproductive to expanding your worldview?
How might the pursuit of diversity be reduced to a trend? How do we fight against the temptation to pursue justice and racial equality because they’re trending on Twitter, or we want to appear “woke?”
J. M. Boice says, “When such distinctions no longer matter, when men treat each other as true brothers of Christ regardless of their social standing, then the power of such distinctions is broken, and a basis is laid for social change.”
Where do we go from here? How do we as a ministry and you as an individual begin to implement the changes necessary to change our culture?
Make a Move:
Read—or listen to the audiobook—Tony Evan’s Oneness Embraced: Reconciliation, the Kingdom, and How We are Stronger Together, a kingdom-based approach to matters of history, culture, the church, and social justice.
Prayer Prompt:
Father, help me remember that I struggle not merely against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities who seek to keep us divided and foster the lie that some are better or more loved by You than others. Help me remember that my experience is not representative of others and I can never truly understand another person’s hurt, but You can. Renew my mind so that I may see my brothers and sisters in the faces of those who look different from me. Give me an open heart willing to accept that we all have unconscious bias, and I may be guilty of prejudice hiding in my heart. Help me work toward a society that lifts the fallen and oppressed and loves as You love, unconditionally and with endless compassion for those in need of a relationship with You. Amen
Worship Set:
The Gathering - Expectation Worship