Race from God’s Point of View
Lloyd Gardner
April 5, 2021
Racism is on the minds of almost everyone in the country these days. One political party seems to believe that every problem we have in America is linked to what they call “systemic racism.” In other words, they have concluded that racism is rampant and the government must react by implementing programs to cure the problem. This reminds me of Ronald Reagan’s comment: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.’” Conservatives believe that power tends to corrupt so they favor not giving the government more power than the Constitution grants it. When the government comes to help you need to beware.
Big government thinks it has all of life’s answers but they do not have a cure for racism. Racism is a matter of the heart. Government can make some adjustment like the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s but it still cannot change the hearts of people. Only God can do that. Current attempts by the government are making it worse as they pit one race against another. Knowing this, the best way to understand race is to see it through God’s eyes.
When Jesus came to earth as a man He was revealing His Father to us. When Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father He answered “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). He told them earlier “For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise” (John 5:19) Jesus came to reveal God to us so the actions of Jesus show us the nature of God.
The very first place where Jesus revealed His identity as Messiah to the public was in the city of Samaria. Most Samarians and Jews hated one another and avoided one another out of racial animosity. The first person He spoke to in Samaria was the woman at the well. He spoke to her about living water and revealed Himself as the Christ which resulted in the salvation of many in the city. Jesus looked past the woman’s race into her heart and spoke truth.
When Jesus told the parable of the man who was beaten, robbed and left for dead it was a Samaritan who was the hero of the story. In the parable the Samaritan helped the man when a Jewish priest and a Levite walked past him without a care. The words of Jesus reached beyond race to the hearts of His listeners.
It was a Roman Centurion who approached Jesus to heal his servant. Romans were hated more than the Samaritans. Yet Jesus healed the man’s servant from afar and said, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith” (Matt. 8:10). Jesus didn’t refuse the man because he was of another race but gladly healed the man’s servant.
When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem many people of all races were there to be filled with the Spirit. Luke mentions many of the races involved: “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians” (Acts 2:9-11). These were people from many races speaking different languages and God the Holy Spirit looked past their skin color and their culture to their hearts and filled them with Himself.
Philip was sent by an angel to minister God’s word to an “Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians” (Acts 8:27). Ethiopia was certainly not inhabited by white people or Jews and yet God sent Philip to help him understand a passage from Isaiah about the Messiah. God does not care about our ethnicity but seeks to reach our hearts.
That’s why the disciples in Jerusalem opened up to the conversion of Gentiles (non-Jewish ethnicities) in the conference summarized in Acts 15. That may be why race is never mentioned as a requirement to know God. Old Testament Jews could be proselytes (people from another races coming into the faith).
Acts 3:28 may be the most definitive statement in the Bible on this subject: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:28, 29). As God considers us He does not see ethnicities, or genders or economic status. He sees people that He loves and He does not make assumptions about their ethnicity or whether they are a man or woman or what kind of earthly status they have. Notice that He sees Abraham’s offspring as those who belong to Christ, not those who belong to ethnic Judaism.
I could say more on this subject but I believe I have made my point. That point is simple: God’s position on race is completely devoid of any judgment or conclusion based on skin color, culture or ethnic background. He loves us all equally and He wants us to love one another the same way.
Those who are making race such a huge issue in today’s politics are making a colossal mistake. They are making distinctions between people based on skin color, culture or racial background. This is an abomination to God inflicting devastating consequences and it needs to stop! God’s people, on the other hand, must clearly see how God feels about race and love people regardless of external features. Love is the only answer to racism and genuine love can only be found in God. Those of us who say we know God must set the example for others to follow.
Lloyd Gardner
April 5, 2021
Racism is on the minds of almost everyone in the country these days. One political party seems to believe that every problem we have in America is linked to what they call “systemic racism.” In other words, they have concluded that racism is rampant and the government must react by implementing programs to cure the problem. This reminds me of Ronald Reagan’s comment: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.’” Conservatives believe that power tends to corrupt so they favor not giving the government more power than the Constitution grants it. When the government comes to help you need to beware.
Big government thinks it has all of life’s answers but they do not have a cure for racism. Racism is a matter of the heart. Government can make some adjustment like the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s but it still cannot change the hearts of people. Only God can do that. Current attempts by the government are making it worse as they pit one race against another. Knowing this, the best way to understand race is to see it through God’s eyes.
When Jesus came to earth as a man He was revealing His Father to us. When Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father He answered “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). He told them earlier “For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise” (John 5:19) Jesus came to reveal God to us so the actions of Jesus show us the nature of God.
The very first place where Jesus revealed His identity as Messiah to the public was in the city of Samaria. Most Samarians and Jews hated one another and avoided one another out of racial animosity. The first person He spoke to in Samaria was the woman at the well. He spoke to her about living water and revealed Himself as the Christ which resulted in the salvation of many in the city. Jesus looked past the woman’s race into her heart and spoke truth.
When Jesus told the parable of the man who was beaten, robbed and left for dead it was a Samaritan who was the hero of the story. In the parable the Samaritan helped the man when a Jewish priest and a Levite walked past him without a care. The words of Jesus reached beyond race to the hearts of His listeners.
It was a Roman Centurion who approached Jesus to heal his servant. Romans were hated more than the Samaritans. Yet Jesus healed the man’s servant from afar and said, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith” (Matt. 8:10). Jesus didn’t refuse the man because he was of another race but gladly healed the man’s servant.
When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem many people of all races were there to be filled with the Spirit. Luke mentions many of the races involved: “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians” (Acts 2:9-11). These were people from many races speaking different languages and God the Holy Spirit looked past their skin color and their culture to their hearts and filled them with Himself.
Philip was sent by an angel to minister God’s word to an “Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians” (Acts 8:27). Ethiopia was certainly not inhabited by white people or Jews and yet God sent Philip to help him understand a passage from Isaiah about the Messiah. God does not care about our ethnicity but seeks to reach our hearts.
That’s why the disciples in Jerusalem opened up to the conversion of Gentiles (non-Jewish ethnicities) in the conference summarized in Acts 15. That may be why race is never mentioned as a requirement to know God. Old Testament Jews could be proselytes (people from another races coming into the faith).
Acts 3:28 may be the most definitive statement in the Bible on this subject: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:28, 29). As God considers us He does not see ethnicities, or genders or economic status. He sees people that He loves and He does not make assumptions about their ethnicity or whether they are a man or woman or what kind of earthly status they have. Notice that He sees Abraham’s offspring as those who belong to Christ, not those who belong to ethnic Judaism.
I could say more on this subject but I believe I have made my point. That point is simple: God’s position on race is completely devoid of any judgment or conclusion based on skin color, culture or ethnic background. He loves us all equally and He wants us to love one another the same way.
Those who are making race such a huge issue in today’s politics are making a colossal mistake. They are making distinctions between people based on skin color, culture or racial background. This is an abomination to God inflicting devastating consequences and it needs to stop! God’s people, on the other hand, must clearly see how God feels about race and love people regardless of external features. Love is the only answer to racism and genuine love can only be found in God. Those of us who say we know God must set the example for others to follow.
