I have heard from some white Christians over the years that they are tired of hearing about racism. I have also heard of others lately that do not care any longer to deal with it as a social justice issue. And while I can understand how the foregoing might be so from a sinful human perspective, has anyone considered that the Lord Jesus Christ could possibly be at the end of His forbearance to bring more severe judgment upon the guilty who tolerate and practice racism in His Church? After all, besides being sin from arrogant pride and spawning many deeds of transgression and iniquity, racism in the Church defies and disobeys a very direct and specific commandment of Christ as Lord!1
To be clear, the arrogance of racial bigotry and discrimination are nowhere supported in the Bible because they are sin; going as they do against the character of God and Law He gave to Israel as His chosen people charged to act like Him (Deuteronomy 10:12-22)! And though the Lord forbade Israel to intermarry with the surrounding pagan Gentile nations, as He leads me to explain in my book, The Scourge Of Racism, it was not about racism, but spiritual fidelity since all these nations engaged in idolatry among other ungodly practices (Exodus 34:10-17).2 In the New Testament, what had morphed into bigotry and discrimination in Jewish practice was rebuked (Acts 6:1-7, 10:1-11:18)!
Also, irrefutable as biblical evidence Christ and Heaven view racism as sin is His ‘“new commandment’” that the disciples making up His Church ‘“love one another’” as He ‘“loved’” us, (John 13:34, NKJV).3 What? Do you think the Lord is not serious about His commandment stated with the same force of authority as the Ten Commandments which also came from Him (Exodus 24:9-18)? The bigotry and discrimination of racism willfully transgress, sin against and pervert the Lord’s new commandment to His disciples that tolerate and practice it; His disciples who by His stated will are supposed to be identified as such by our ‘“love for one another,’” (John 13:35, NKJV).4
This means every professed Christian white, black and every other hue that practice racism is sinning against the Lord!5 Now, the racism of guilty professed white Christians is typically what is addressed when the subject comes up. This is one of the many not so small consequences for the guilty whites from the nation’s inception and over the centuries that have led out in tolerating and practicing the sin of racism. However, we black and Christians of other hues that are guilty get no pass from judgment as the usual objects of racism’s scourge without repentance since the Lord shows no partiality and judges each man as his deeds deserve (Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11).6
Centuries of tolerating and practicing racism by disobedient real Christians and those as religious impostors have misrepresented Him as well as brought disgrace and shame on Christ and His Church. Only Satan could benefit from the failure of professed Christians to obey the Lord’s command to love each other and has; untold numbers of especially minority men want nothing to do with Christianity because its primary identifying mark, love, has been largely missing. So, is the Lord okay with this as even many evangelicals appear to believe judging by their slowness to address racism internally and how far down the moral issues list it is? After encountering the Lord in a recent time of fasting and prayer, I can assure of His grief; the end of His forbearance and longsuffering!7
1 Read the September 17, 2023 post, Racism A Two-Fold Scourge, under the category, Biblical Worldview. The historic culpability of the guilty majority white members making up the American Church in upholding the tolerance and practice of racism within and without its assemblies is inescapable to all but the most spiritually hardened of hearts in denial.
2 The Scourge Of Racism, Copyright 2023, ODCM Publishing Division, Portland, OR, p. 45. Learn more about the soon to be released book at this link.
3 Every aspiring strong Man and great woman of God in Christ’s image takes to heart His commandment understanding the role assignment He has given us as a servant of humanity. I write about this eternal role in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Get your Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition in the Strong Man Store now, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
4 See the two-part post that begins March 8, 2015, Known By Our Love, under the category, Instruction. As this 2015 post affirms, the love the Lord speaks of is God’s. This reality makes His cause for “all” to be able to identify those who are truly His disciples by our love for one another the more frustrating when they also tolerate and practice racism! Of course, the post also stresses a significant reason racism can exist to the extent it does in His Church. It is because of the many false Christians as impostors practicing a manmade, counterfeit version of the real deal that is also tolerated.
5 Read the December 11, 2016 post, Professing Christian Racism Is Sin Too, under the category, Call To Repent.
6 The racism practiced by blacks and other hues is just as wicked as that of whites in the sight of the Lord! For this cause, no one can justify being a racist by saying some- one else is one too.
7 I was fasting and seeking the Lord on another matter this past September 13th. In the brokenness of my soul in His presence, He blended His grief over the state of His Church in America with my personal concern. I cannot stress enough how urgent it is for every professed Christian to watch our Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord. It is not about garnering views for the sake of boasting. It is about giving the willing the chance to hear the Lord’s heart for His professed people at this critical time in the history of our nation and world!
As the Lord leads, in this post for now, I wrap up talking about His Father’s planned eternal day very near; that day He has prepared for those He has saved from His just wrath against sinners by grace through faith in Christ which launches it.1 Professed Christians have been the first audience for the posts discussing His eternal day as the culmination of those the Lord led me to write July 2-23, 2023. Depending on whether or not the professed Christian reader was truly saved and faithful, the posts I pray were hope inspiring! If not, then, the Lord made clear His call to return lest you miss out on God’s eternal day.2 As always, unsaved sinners were an important second audience for the posts.
For the sake of the unsaved sinner, as the Holy Spirit gives words and power I humbly yet again declare the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ; that out of God’s love He came into the world to die on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. All who repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ’s atoning work announced in the Gospel will be forgiven and saved from eternal condemnation and God’s approaching just wrath against sinners. Too, the believer is brought to spiritual birth and eternal life by the Holy Spirit who also marks him out for God’s eternal day (John 3:16-21, 36; Acts 2:36-40; Romans 10:11-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:3-14).
Beyond superficial intellectual assent to the Gospel announcement as belief in its content, the Lord instructs that the one truly saved came to it and Him with the heart of a humble little child. He said, ‘“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven,’” (Matthew 18:1-4, NKJV). To be converted is to experience a real change of heart first toward one’s sins from calloused acceptance to grief they exist with appeal for rescue granted (Matthew 5:2-6)!3 Second, it is to appreciate from the heart what God has done in Christ to deliver us from our sin guilt through unmerited forgiveness (Romans 3:9-4:8, 5:6-11, 6:23).
The Holy Spirit would have me also review what is at stake for the unsaved sinner as one who never accepts the Gospel or one of the many impostors that proliferate within professing Christianity at this hour. If you never receive the Gospel and become converted before dying, at your death you will be sent to Hades under the earth to await the judgment of your works. And not being found in the “Book of Life,” you will be excluded from God’s eternal day in Hell forever (Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15, NKJV)! Concerning religious folk as impostors in and outside of the churches that even in His ‘“name’” do astounding works, the Lord is clear the same fate is yours (Matthew 7:21-23, NKJV).4
The same fate also awaits ‘“anyone’” who ‘“worships the beast (Antichrist) and his image, and receives his mark…’” or who remains hardened to the Gospel up until God in wrath launches His eternal day (Revelation 14:9-11, 16:1-21, NKJV). If it is all like that for unfaithful Christians, the unsaved and religious impostors, how could it be those that abandon the faith as apostates have a place in God’s eternal day? They don’t (John 15:6; Hebrews 3:7-19, 6:4-8, 10:37-39)!5 The Word of the Lord as it is written could not be plainer: ‘“But he who endures to the end will be saved,’” (Matthew 10:22, 24:13; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:19, NKJV). We then, who are by faith truly saved must faithfully endure in it with all perseverance to the end to enjoy God’s eternal day (Hebrews 10:35-36)!6
(I am taking Labor Day off next Sunday, September 3rd with thanks to God for the privilege to labor in His Kingdom causes! He willing, my next post appears September 10th. Enjoy your Labor Day.)
1 Read the following posts: July 30, 2023, There Is An End!, August 13, 2023, There Is A New Beginning! and August 20, 2023, God’s Eternal Day Firmly Established, all un- der the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 As it is referenced in each of the posts noted in the above footnote and now, this one, the Lord is calling His dull of hearing sheep among others as well to turn back to Him with a whole heart through this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, featured on its dedicated YouTube Channel.
3 Indeed, the transformation of heart in biblical conversion is so thorough, the person saved is described as “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new,” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV). If that is not you in heart, then, you are not saved!
4 Read the September 4, 2016 post, Christianity The Religion American Style and the related two-part post that begins September 11, 2016, American Culture’s Religion, both under the category, Call To Repent to consider the truth that Christianity as a religion of human invention and practice does not impress God nor can it save!
5 Let every professed Christian and any self-anointed “good person” claiming a spot in God’s eternal day and holy city carefully consider who is excluded by Him and Christ (Revelation 21:8, 27, 22:12-17)!
6 This is most certainly the aim of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Pick up your Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
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