God Hates Racism

GOD HATES RACISM

TEXT: GALATIANS 3:27-29

INTRODUCTION:

A racist is someone who believes that a person’s race is the fundamental determinant of human traits and abilities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of one particular race over another. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul, the author of our text, said of himself that he was: “…circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness, which is in the law, blameless” (Php. 4:5-6), and the Pharisees were among the most prejudiced and bigoted sects of all the Jews.

Before he was saved Saul was, “…breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1), and “…made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:3). He was “consenting” to the death by stoning of Stephen, simply because Stephen was a Christian, and held the coats of those throwing the stones. But on the road to Damascus, on his way to hunt down and arrest every Christian he could find and haul them back to Jerusalem for trial, Jesus appeared to him in a blaze of light so glorious it blinded him, and Saul was converted and made a Christian by Jesus.

Yet, in our text, Paul, this formerly prejudiced, bigoted, and racist Jew, writes that those who are in Christ Jesus are one with one another. Those who belong to Christ no longer define themselves by the color of their skin, by their race, or whether they are white, black, brown, or yellow, but by the blood Jesus shed for us on Calvary that makes us all one in Him.

The Bible says God has “…made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth…” (Acts 17:26a). This is because we all came from one set of parents: Adam and Eve. The Bible does not even speak of “race” or “races,” but of people groups. Science also testifies that all persons living on the earth are classified as “Homo Sapiens,” which translates as “human beings.” In fact, in the Book of Revelation, we are told that in heaven, Christ’s redeemed people who will be around the throne, praising Him are “…from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9), and is repeated in Rev. 7:9.

And how did people from every tribe, language, people-group, and nation end up being all together, loving one another, and loving Christ in heaven? It’s because Christians, compelled by their love for Christ and in obedience to Him, loved those who looked the same, and loved those who looked different from them, told them about the love Christ has for all people, regardless of their skin color or nationality, and loved them into the kingdom of God. That’s why!

God hates sin. Racism is sin, and a Christian must hate what God hates, therefore a Christian cannot be a racist. Next, I am simply going to go through a few scriptures to amplify this truth.

I. THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

A. In Luke 10:25-37, a Jewish lawyer, trying to trap Jesus in a violation of the law, asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him to tell him what the law said. The lawyer correctly quoted the law as saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said, “Do this, and you will live." But desiring to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

B. As an answer, Jesus told this Parable of the Good Samaritan, about a traveler who was stripped of his clothing, beaten, robbed, and left half dead alongside the road. He did this to illustrate that love is more than knowing and quoting scripture. Love is about actions.

C. First, a Jewish priest passed by without helping, then a Levite, representing the Law, came by and also avoided the man. Finally, a Samaritan came along. Although Samaritans and Jews despised each other, the Samaritan treated the man’s wounds, put him on his own donkey, and took him to an inn. He paid the innkeeper to take care of him and said he would pay any extra when he came by again.

D. Jesus then asked the lawyer, "And who is my neighbor?" The lawyer concluded that the neighbor in the parable is the one who showed mercy to his injured fellow man—that is, the Samaritan.

E. From the perspective of a religious Jew, the Samaritan would have been the one least likely to show compassion. And notice, Jesus makes no mention of the injured man’s race, skin color, or religion. All the Samaritan saw was a person in need, and he acted with love and compassion.