Introduction:
* Recent social issues surrounding race matters.
* With strife and conflicts in the society, it is very easy to invoke racial sentiments.
* Yet, it can take away the emphasis of the gospel.
* Racial issues can lean the Church towards a social gospel, not the right gospel.
* The Reality: Because of sin, the world cannot never be race blind.
* Racism is fundamentally not a problem of intolerance, but of sinful human pride.
* Rather be overly sensitive, we’ve to be forthcoming about the problems of every race.
<Mal 2:10>
10 Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?
* Example of the Gypsies
* Example of the Gurkhas
* Importance of Human Dignity
<1 Pe 2:9-10>
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
<Gal 3:28-29>: 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Why is racism wrong?
1) There is no way to change our race, which is part of our identity.
2) Every human being prides themselves in human dignity, which is what God imprinted upon Man in creation.
3) Racism comes from not recognizing our sinful pride.
True Solution to Racism
1) Not denial but repentance.
2) Gospel of Christ as the only solution.
3) Be quick to nail the spirit of supremacy at its onset.
* <Mat 23:11>: 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
Racial remarks in the Bible?
<Titus 1:10-13>
10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith.
* Paul’s comment of the Cretans’ problem as a people.
1) Preaching of the Gospel were jeopardized, not social justice
2) Wisely quoted Crete prophet’s remarks
3) Not judgmental, but committed to work with this problematic race of people
When our good and righteous God ordained racial differences and inequalities…
