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Thursday, August 31, 2006

What about Racism?

Recently it was brought to my attention that the Council of Conservative Citizens website posted my article on a Communist America. Although I am encouraged that people are reading these important articles, I feel the need to make this next point extremely clear.

I am not now, nor have I ever been a member or a contributor to the Council of Conservative Citizens. I support the work of the members of God’s Kingdom where they align with the Word of God. If a person claims to be a Christian, they must be Christ-like and a true follower of Jesus Christ – God with us.

I have not researched the Council of Conservative Citizens enough to determine if they are racist or not. Making a list of racist organizations is not the purpose of this blog. Recently some of the comments I have read leads me to believe now is a good time to present the biblical perspective on race and racism.

To look at the problem of racism clearly we have to start from the beginning.

In the first chapters of Genesis we learn that God made one man and one woman. There was only one “race” because there was only one family.


Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

As time went by, this one family became larger and larger. Some people may ask the question, what race were these first two people? One thing for sure – no matter what race you are, you are one of their descendents.

Genesis 5:4-8 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

Because of sin, mankind moved away from obedience to God’s commands. What race were these people – that depends on how you define race. They were from one family, as are we all.

Families became more numerous and sin became more prevalent until God had enough. As they say in the computer world, God felt it was time to format and reinstall the human population.

Genesis 6:5-8 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

God was saddened, not by the races, creeds, or colors of men. What upset God was that “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” You see, race was not then, and is not now, the issue, sin is.

After the flood, man was given a new start, and again it was through a single family – Noah. What was the race of the family? Godly. They were of the Godly race. This is the race of men and women of many nations, languages, and colors that worship the One True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in spirit and in truth. The Godly race is the only ones to be admitted into heaven. The Godly race is the only race with eternal life. Color had nothing to do with it – faith did. Today, the just shall live by faith. This is not selective of color, race, language, or nation.

Abraham was given the promise:

Gen 22:15-18 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Read carefully that final verse. All the nations of the earth are blessed because of the obedience of Abraham. It is important to remember that Abraham was not a Jew.

Gen 11:27-31 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

By nation Abraham was a Chaldean of the race of men, a son of Adam. We do not all trace our lineage back to Ur, but we do to both Noah and Adam.

Since Noah exited from the ark, man has continued to make the choice to either follow God or turn from Him.

Separation, segregation, climate, diet, genetics, language, and time have all added their modifications to the outside appearance of the one race of man. Today, as in the past, there are only two “races”. Godly and ungodly.

The principle is laid out in the Old Testament.

Exodus 12:48-49 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

Notice, being a Jew was not about birth. It was not about race. It was not about color. It was about being a follower of God. If you obey the law like a Jew you were accepted as a Jew. Red, yellow, black, brown, or white all were welcome into the Godly line. Look at Rahab who was accepted into the blood line of Jesus Christ himself, but she was not a Jew by birth, and she is not the only one. Jesus Christ was a Jew by birth and was proud to be one. That is good enough for me. I am not Jewish but I am related to them by blood from Noah - so are you. I am also related to the King of the Jews, He's my King, Brother, and Advocate too.

Matthew 12:49-50 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and (Jesus) said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Last I checked, John 3:16 says:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Who is a racist but he who would deny salvation to anyone based upon national origin? It is impossible to be a Christian racist when the Bible says God loves the whole world, and that anyone can be your brother by their embracing the same Heavenly Father in salvation.

I am convinced there are racists found in all races. There are Chinese who hate people of other races. There are Africans who hate people of other races. There are Latin Americans who hate people of other races. And, yes, there are Anglo-Saxons who are racist. God is not pleased with any racism. He loves everyone – that is why He provided salvation to all. It grieves Him that anyone refuses His offer of salvation and it should grieve us too.