IS RACIAL PREJUDICE BIBLICAL?
- Kasule Jacob
- Aug 17, 2020
- 4 min read
I see people of late throwing tantrum in every corner about which life matter and which one does not. About who is deserving of justice and who does not. People are getting into heated arguments about which tribe or race is better than the other, or which race is more deserving than the other. The unfortunate part is that Christians are equally a great part of this racial Superiority saga. Am not saying Christians should not talk about or be part of issues affecting our societies. On the contrary, I encourage believers to speak out on such things. We should in all boldness stand on the side of truth.
But, if in our endeavors and attempts to do so we are willing to compromise the truth because we want to either be accepted socially or maintain our comfort then its high time we re-evaluated our Gospel conviction. Many people today are taking one simple plain truth, mixing it up with series of lies, causing fights, spreading hatred and at times taking lives while hiding behind the one truth there was at the beginning, which is no longer truth at all.
Any gospel that says it is okay to hate my Neighbor because his skin color is different from mine is not the biblical gospel we have been called to preach. Any gospel that says anyone who does not speak my language or follows my way of life is not worth is not a gospel build on the atoning work of Christ Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
The Bible tells us in Genesis, the book of beginnings that God made man in his own image, after his own likeness. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Has it occurred to you that that person you’re hating so much is a image bearer of God just like you ? Do you know that the tribal group you don’t like was also created by God ? If this is true, which it is because the Bible tell us so, what gives us the right and impudence to hate, despise, and destroy what God created, and in a special way for that matter - giving His own image to us?
I believe the greatest problem that is manifesting itself in hatred, prejudice and many other such vices is SIN in the hearts of men. We won’t solve the sin problem by hating one another, we will not for certain solve it by preferring this tribe over that tribe, or this color over that color, or this people over those people. There’s only one solution to the SIN problem, His Name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. John the Baptist rightly introduced Him. He said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
“As long as sin is not dealt with, it’s always going to rear it’s ugly head.”
John said Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, not the sin of a tribe or ethnic group. Jesus came to save all mankind irrespective of their tribe, possession, political affiliation or skin color. Do you know that if God was to choose a race to save it would not have been your race or mine? It would have been the Jews, those were and are the chosen nation of God. Yet, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Notice the Bible says God demonstrated his love for us, everyone, not for the Jews only, or Ugandans only, or Americans only, or your people group. He proved his love for humanity in general, the same people He made in His own image.
Colossians 3:11 says, “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” This verse is as clear as clear can get. This is the truth we should be preaching, it’s the gospel we should not just be speaking but living out. “Christ is all, and in all.” Let that sink in for a moment.
Until we are able to see each others as sinners saved by the grace of God, we will continue fighting a battle that we won’t win. Until the sins in the hearts of men has been met by the blood of the Lamb, we will only be making noise.
“If you bite and devour one another, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” (Gal. 5:15).
We need to realize that no man is an island. God did not make man to be independent, we were created as dependent beings; we need one another because we are relational beings. Let us stop seeing each other as threats and enemies and join hands to build our World and make it a better place.
Here is an African proverb, If you want to go fast walk alone, but if you want to go far, walk together.” Let us learn from this and embrace each other. Remember, God does not see skin color or tribal belonging, he does not see the wealth we have or the legacy we have built. God sees the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, and because of that each of us who believes in Him have been adopted in to His family, therefore, we are brothers and sisters.
Stop destroying the people for whom Christ died. You have no right.
If you want to preach, if you want to stand for something noble, I give you one, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Preach this, and stand for this; let us spread love not hate.
Kasule Jacob (MTS) is the founder of Galactic Foundation Ministries in Uganda. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA. He is a Bible teacher with East African Outreach Pastor Training Center and an Adjunct lecturer of New Testament Greek, Church History, Hermeneutics, Bible & Family and Quasi Christian Religions at Uganda Baptist Seminary.
Thank you Pastor Kasule