MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK SERIES
THE SIN OF RACISM
JAMES 2:1-9
#JAMESatCCC
READ James 2:1-9
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8 If you really keep the royal law found in "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”
BREAKDOWN OF JAMES 2:1-9
In verse 1, James uses the word “favoritism.” The word means “respecter of persons” or to “show partiality.” James is talking about the fault of giving judgment to the outward circumstances of man or woman and thinking them more worthy than others. It is a fault or a sin or an error to treat someone as more worthy because they are rich, a certain skin color, have political power, or are famous. It is a fault or a sin or an error to treat someone as less because they are poor, a certain skin color, have no political power, have a disability, or are in our estimation a ‘nobody.’ That is favoritism. That is sin. James identifies it specifically in verse 4 as “evil thoughts.”
Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23, “For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'" Evil thoughts are sinful and lead us to act in ways that are sinful.
In this passage, in particular, James highlights “love your neighbor as yourself” in verse 8 and shares with us that when we show favoritism towards people around us and judge others as less than us that we are convicted because we sin. As I was thinking about this topic, favoritism, I was trying to think of all the ways I might show favoritism or ways it might be shown to me or ways I might see it in our culture and in our American society.
TYPES OF FAVORITISM I THOUGHT OF
Nepotism: In business, hiring family members regardless of qualifications.
Cryonism: In business, hiring friends regardless of qualifications.
Hero-Worship: Treating a famous person differently than another person without notoriety.
Gender Bias: Believing that one gender is better than the other; treating the other gender poorly.
Age-ism: Treating someone different because of their age… usually the very young or the very old.
Racism: Treating one race different than others; usually preferring one’s own race to others.
It was this last one, Racism, that I’d like to focus on today.
ILLUSTRATION… thegospelcoalition.org/video/churches-can-address-hidden-feelings-prejudice-racism
RACISM
There is much going on in the United States about race and protests and violence. I don’t think there is a week that goes by where I don’t see something on the news that relates to race and violence. I pray that you will stop and pause and allow the following to help us frame what we, as followers of Christ, should believe, think, and do about racism. Racism is a sin that roots itself in many hearts and comes from favoritism. James tells us that favoritism has no place in the Church and therefore no place in the heart of a believer in Christ. James also would tell us that racism has no place in the Church and therefore no place in the heart of a believer in Christ.
RACISM IS JUDGMENT BASED ON RACE
First, racism is the judgment of one person that he or she is better than another based on race. What does the Bible say?
READ Acts 17:24-27
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”
We find in this one passage (and there are others), that God Almighty created all people no matter their color or race and has spread them out over the face of the Earth. He did that on purpose. God is near to each person He created and desires that every person, no matter their color, come to know His Son, Jesus Christ. Notice the words of Holy Scriptures: “all men” and “every nation.”
There are many other passages as well that inform us on this issue.
John 7:24 “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."
Romans 2:11 “For God does not show favoritism.”
All of these passages together (along with others) paint a perspective for us that judgments, divisions, and favor for one race above another are opposite of God’s will and design. We must recognize this type of racial judgment in ourselves and root it out. We must confess such favoritism as sin. We must not lie to ourselves because “If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth” (1 John 1:6).
RACISM IS HATRED BASED ON RACE
Second, racism is rooted in hatred for another person based on race. What does the Bible say about hatred? This is extremely important as we understand racism and its place in our country and in our own lives. Here are a few Scriptures that inform us on this issue:
READ Leviticus 19:17
“Do not hate your brother in your heart.”
READ Deuteronomy 19:11-13
“But if a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, assaults and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, the elders of his town shall send for him, bring him back from the city, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. Show him no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.”
READ Zechariah 8:16-17
“Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD.”
READ Matthew 22:36-40
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (repeated in Mark 12 and Luke 10).
READ Romans 13:9-10
“The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.” (repeated in Galatians 5:14 and James 2:8).
READ 1 John 2:9
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.”
READ 1 John 4:20
“If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”
All of these passages together (along with others) paint a perspective for us that hatred is an emotion, a choice, and/or an action that is opposite of God’s will and design. We must recognize this type of racial hatred in ourselves and root it out. We must confess hatred as sin. We must not lie to ourselves because “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth” (1 John 1:6).
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH CCC?
What does this have to do with Cincinnati Christian Church? Cincinnati Christian Church is an extension of the Kingdom of God. We have people of different economic backgrounds, education levels, political parties, and mental competence. We are, however, primarily a congregation with Caucasian members. We are white as white can get. We should not and cannot put our head in the sand and ignore racial issues as our nation is dealing with them. I would be foolish and do our God a disservice as your pastor were I to skip this topic for us.
Cincinnati Christian Church is a place for all people no matter their race to find Jesus Christ.
What are we supposed to do as believers in Christ in the midst of a country that has dealt with and is still dealing with racial issues? I believe there are three things that you and I can do as believers in Christ that are important as we confront or are confronted with racism.
BELIEVE AND SPEAK CORRECT BELIEFS
#1 Believe and speak correct beliefs. The Bible is not unclear about favoritism and hatred and racism. We must believe and speak what the Bible shares with us about those who are different around us. This starts first within ourselves that we have correct beliefs and attitudes. This continues by us speaking, posting, or writing correct Godly perspectives whenever possible. We should not be afraid to stand up and speak about what is righteous, correct, and Godly.
PRAY
#2 Pray. There is much to pray about on this issue. We must pray that racial attitudes and beliefs are not a part of our heart. We must pray that racial attitudes and beliefs are not a part of our church family. We must pray that others who deal with racial beliefs would wake up and understand the Truth of God’s Word. We must pray that the Bible and Christianity is not twisted wrongly to help support sin. We must pray for wisdom and healing. We must be a people who pray for our nation and race relations.
LOVE WELL
#3 Love well. Love the people in your pew. Love the people you worship with each Sunday. Love the people in your neighborhood, at work, or at school. Love the people you encounter each day. We must love well no matter if they are red, yellow, black, or white because they are each precious in His sight. We need to love like Christ because we are living in a world that is aching for it. We need to love like we have the answer to the hurts of racism.
SUMMARY
So believe and write correct beliefs. Pray. And love well. Perhaps you are here today and you don’t consider the racial feelings you have as sinful. Maybe that’s the way you have always thought and it’s not a big issue for you. I’ll conclude with the Apostle Paul’s words from Philippians 3:15, “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.”
INVITATION
The topic we have talked about today is one that is a sensitive matter of the heart. Christianity is both inclusive and exclusive at the same time. The Christian faith is inclusive in that anyone can accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Anyone no matter their background or sin or color of their skin or economics or their political persuasion or any characteristic. Jesus saves anyone who comes to Him. The Christian faith is also exclusive in that anyone can accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior… but He is it. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way for forgiveness from God the Father. Jesus is the perfect plan, the only plan, for forgiveness and salvation.
Philippians 2:8-11 says, “[Jesus] being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
PRAYER
