Racism Not the Problem

By David Ettinger

Wrong Focus
Quite frankly, I find it a little shallow for evangelicals to post on Facebook about the evils of racism.

For one thing, this is something every believer should know, because every believer should know that skin color has nothing to do with salvation. Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only thing that has to do with salvation.

And for another thing, for the evangelical to spend too much time lamenting the ills of racism is the wrong focus. Evangelicals should know that racism is not so much a cause as it is a consequence.

Of course, these observations result from the killing of George Floyd and the anarchy it has produced. And though racism played a large role in the tumult, it is not the root of it.

The Right Focus
Rather than posting about the horrors of racism ­­– a fact no evangelical I know would contradict – I’d much rather see believers getting to the root of the problem, that being the rejection of God.

This rejection has led this world – and particularly the United States – to our present state of disarray. This rejection of God has led to all evils. Galatians 6:7 tells us: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

To the question, What does that mean? the apostle Paul, the author of the Book of Galatians, tells us in the next verse: “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

But it didn’t take the New Testament to communicate this truth; it was done centuries earlier in one of the oldest books of the Bible. The Book of Job informs us: “As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it” (4:8).

What we are seeing now is the plowing of evil that comes from Godless, unrepentant hearts. I mean, if you had the opportunity to speak with Derek Chauvin – the police officer who planted his knee into George Floyd’s neck – are you going to tell him of the evils of racism, or tell him how to be saved from his sins.

If you had the opportunity to speak with the most violent of the protestors, are you going to tell them how damaging their actions are, or how they can be saved from their sins?

The Right Message
When it comes to society’s ills, the root of the problem is not actions – in this case racism and rioting – but what causes it: The rejection of God’s plan for salvation. The results are violence, chaos, and bloodshed during this lifetime, and eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire in the next (Revelation 20:14-15).

So, rather than communicating how distraught we are over racism, Christians should be communicating the cure for it – and every other ill plaguing our planet and its inhabitants. If I had an opportunity to speak with the violent protestors, I would begin with this gem from the Book of Hosea:

Sow righteousness for yourselves,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes
and showers his righteousness on you (10:12).

Yes, I get it about racism, but believers need to get past their emotions and tell the world something they really need to know. Even racists know racism is wrong; what many of the them don’t know is that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save them from their sins.

Faith in Christ can cleanse the heart and change wicked behavior in this world, and give individuals the means by which to spend eternity with Him in the next.

That’s the message we need to be posting!

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Tagged: Derek Chauvin, George Floyd, Racism, Rejection God, Riots and Anarchy, Sharing the Gospel, The Way of Salvation

Posted in: Application, Bible study, Bible teaching, Christ's Deity, Christian Behavior, Christian Ethics, Christianity, Commentary, Culture, Current Events, Editorial/Blog, God's Judgment, Justice, New Testament, Obeying God, Old Testament, Practical, Rejecting God, Resting in Jesus, Salvation in Christ, Sharing the Gospel, The Gospel