(Part 2)
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." - Galatians 3:26-29
When we are born again and sealed with the same Spirit, we are given a “spiritual ethnicity” (Abraham’s spiritual seed) through faith that supersedes our "natural ethnicity". But, sadly, I find that my profession of my faith is most often not sufficient for acceptance by Christians of another hue. I am white – not by choice – but by natural birth – at the same time I am an heir according to God’s promise to Abraham and therefore a brother to anyone who has been born again by faith in Jesus. That is a Biblical fact. I doubt that I could find any Christian anywhere who would disagree, in principle at least. When I would preach in a Haitian church for the first time I would start by saying "Mwen pa blan, mewn fre nou" Translated I am not white, I am your Brother. I knew it would be hard for the people sitting in the pews to embrace that idea - all they saw was a white guy and all that suggested about white people.
“Greet one another with a kiss of love (or Holy kiss).” – 1 Peter 5:14
Exchanging a kiss on the cheek when meeting people is something that many cultures practice – but generally not ours. I am not saying we should greet each other with a kiss, but want to point to the reason Paul and Peter encouraged the Saints to do it at all. It is an acknowledgment of the other person being part of the family. So why are you or I not always embraced as family. Yup – because of profiling. When we meet any Christian all they see is the outside of the other person and that fact can be the trigger for profiling. Even if we are the same color, then that might not be good enough still and the profiling simply shifts to my accent or lack of it or where I live.
I once had a fishing buddy who was from Georgia who told me, “Charley, you are the only Yankee I ever liked.” I think that was as close to a holy kiss I was ever going to get from that guy! There is profiling that takes place within races as well as between. I was talking to an Hispanic friend the other day and he mentioned someone, who is Hispanic, was from Cuba and how Cuban’s “are”. When I was with Promise Keepers, I would speak to men’s groups in small churches in Alabama and they would want to know where I was from – because I did not and still do not have a Southern accent. They couldn’t see my heart and didn’t wait to see it before passing judgement. Yet, have you ever been bitten by a dog? It makes you careful about reaching out to pet other dogs in the future. See my point?
It doesn’t matter which race is on which side of that discussion – it is common. But when it comes to the one person being in the majority – being part of their brotherhood of Believers can be a hard sell to those who are in the minority. Recently I met a pastor – of another race – as we got to know each other, I called him my Brother but he seemed always careful to not respond in kind. I could see the expression on his face. He called me "buddy". As if he was holding back because, although he did not question my salvation, he did question my familial relationship with him. I had the distinct impression and regret that he could not see past my epidermis and into my heart. That the word "Brother" was identified with his race and not with the Body of Christ. I would never be like him on the outside – that is until we are in heaven and then who knows and, more, I suspect no one will care.
As a person of the majority in this American culture, I admit that many of the churches with pews packed with Christians from the majority have done poorly in regard to unity in the Body. There is warranted skepticism by those in the minority because carnally minded Christians have justified their practice of profiling using ethnicity and culture and the corresponding sin by hiding behind the Cross.
The division caused by this sin weakens the testimony of the Church in a sin-sick world that desperately needs the light of the Gospel lived out in the lives of all Christians. Jesus, referring to an accusation that what He did was by the power of Satan (Luke 11:15), said “A house divided cannot stand.” That is a principle. The body of Christ is divided. We have all been given the ministry of reconciliation but have failed by requiring other Christians to first embrace the natural man – the flesh and then the Spirit. Exactly backwards. This is a spiritual problem that must be resolved with a spiritual solution. Be careful how you treat other Christians – how you receive them – how you love them.
“A new commandment I [Jesus] give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35
That makes it pretty clear – really simple. Loving one another is the second greatest commandment and the Church has fallen flat on its face. Why? Because we have failed with the commandment upon which successful obedience to the Second depends – that is, to love God with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. The first commandment. Loving one another is a testimony to the world.
Love for others springs from an undivided heart – profiling springs from a divided heart. And there it is my friends. You can reject it – I can’t help that – but my hope is that you will see the truth in my words and then, perhaps, see other Christians in a different light.
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” - Ephesians 1:17-20
Does that describe you? I want to encourage you to let your light Shine Bright my friend and give God the place and glory He is due. And embrace your family!
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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