Racism is an evil to personally resist

The Racist
Obvious to all except the racist, is the truth that racism is evil. Evil people seem so oblivious to their evil ways. How can evil people be so blind?! (Bible prophecy predicts this will increase more and more in these evil end times.)

Too many are willing to tolerate evil these days. Racism is chock full of it… being hateful, unloving, not biblically tolerant, selfish, self-centered, not at all “looking out for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-5). It contagiously devolves into further evils.

The Bible condemns these things. So should we.

“If you tolerate bad behavior,
you in effect
are condoning the bad.”
– Source: Tolerating evil

One Human Race

You do know, right (?)… that we are actually all together one race? Today’s news events of hate-filled cops and hate-filled rioters and hate-filled political movements seem to indicate otherwise. Is anyone reading the Bible – and actually trying to follow Jesus? – Source: One Human Race

Racism and hate can be changed, unlearned, undone, relegated to the past. It only happens… one heart at a time, by confession and repentance.

Little by little each of us can be more and more loving. But we have to be working at it, developing new habits of love… living daily with gentleness and respect. I’m a workin’ more on it. You working on it?

Act in love towards all peoples

Actually act on what you know

People of Faith and What They Did – Based on Hebrews 11 The Triumphs of Faith

Make war in love
Do combat with your love, making racism disappear:

* We can reach out to help those who are “hated upon”.
* We can refuse to hate.
* We can counter racist comments in conversations we are a part of.
* We can make welcome our neighbors.
* We can greet with acceptance those we meet – whoever they may be.
* We can vote into office those officials who will stand for what Jesus stands for

Get extreme. “Make war” against evil.
Love and make war – against racism!

We can go out of our way to be kind to someone of another race – “just because”. Just because Jesus had a love that was so extreme….

– Philippians 2:1-5 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^[a]affection and compassion, ²make my joy complete ^[b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

³Do nothing ^[c]from ^[d]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;

⁴do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵Have this attitude ^[e]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus….” – Philippians 2:1-5

All who can think rationally
All who can think rationally should resist racism in all the forms it takes. We can resist racism by standing up for what Jesus taught. For instance, in What Jesus Taught (quotes from the article):

Deny yourself. Follow Me. Only those who actually follow Him are saved:
He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. – Luke 9:23-25.

Love God and Your neighbor. Love is central to following Christ:
“And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-39.

Don’t love this life. He said if you love this life you’ll lose it:
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. – John 12:25-26.

Do not serve money. He said you cannot serve God and money:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. – Matthew 6:24.

War against sin. He said be extreme in your war against sin:
“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. – Matthew 18:8-9.

– Source: What Jesus Taught

Ways we can combat racism
Applying those principles of Scripture here, we see there are specific ways we can combat racism:

* In your heart determine to make war against racism (Matthew 18:8-9).

* Love your “neighbor” with purpose and visible actions (Matthew 22:37-39).

Don’t let it be said of you:
“he passed by on the other side.“

* Love anyone on your road of life. If you see them, they are your neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).

“And who is my neighbor?”

* Deny yourself (“set aside selfish interests“). Go out of your way for someone else (Luke 9:23-25).

“set aside selfish interests“

* Deny yourself. Don’t love so much your own life – to the detriment of your love for others. (Luke 9:23-25).

* Follow Jesus closely by taking up your cross daily. (Luke 9:23-25).

* Pick your words carefully for the context, knowing words can offend and be racist. (Luke 9:23-25).

* Don’t be stingy with helping a needy person with your money. (Matthew 6:24; Luke 9:23-25).

One of those – racists
It takes an “on purpose” – “out of the ordinary” – conscious effort… to accept another fellow human (and not look like one of “those”, a racist). They can’t read your mind. They can’t see your thought of acceptance. It must be visible somehow or — how do they know?

Create new habits to combat racism. In our war against racism – love for others must be overtly communicated. Show you are not one of “those”: always show that person walking by you that you acknowledge and accept them. If you don’t show it – they won’t know it.

How do they know?

Overtly show it
What do you do to show it? It’s not complicated. Start, and soon it’s a habit. Any one of these overt actions will communicate that you accept them:

* Show them respect: step aside when on a narrow sidewalk; open the door and hold it for them to enter
* Look them in the eyes and nod your head
* Raise your hand slightly (as in a quick hand signal of “hello”)
* Do a thumb’s up (hand signal)
* Audibly say “Hi”
* Audibly say “Beautiful day today”

What do you do so they know…?

1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God
[deliberately, knowingly, and habitually]
practices sin,

because God’s seed
[His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character]
remains [permanently]
in him [who is born again
—who is reborn from above
—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose];

and he [who is born again]
cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin,
because he is born of God and longs to please Him.

The racist’s skewed worldview
Meghan Markle, born with mixed blood of black and white races, struggles with common racist statements.

“She was constantly told how “lucky” she was that Prince Harry chose her to marry.”

Markle continued: “But thankfully, I have a partner (Prince Harry) who was countering that narrative for me and going, ‘They’ve got it all wrong. I’m the lucky one, ’cause you chose me.'”

Markle’s reply to the racists: “It’s gendered and it’s archetyped and it’s stereotyped [for them to say]… ‘You’re so lucky,'” she said. “And it just feeds into this idea that you’re waiting for someone to tell you that you’re good enough, as opposed to knowing that you’re good enough on your own.”

– Source: Fox News – Prince Harry, Meghan’s harsh comments and bombshell claims about the royal family: Do they have royal regrets? | Published September 13, 2022 2:00am EDT

Racism sees the world through tinted eye contacts. We can conclude, as Markle did, that: Racist speech is gendered, archetyped, stereotyped – because of a skewed worldview.

That is why we cannot “just get along” (as in – “Why can’t we all just get along!”). We must make war on racism – with love.

Hearts have to change
Individually, one by one, we must overtly show respect to those marked-out for racial prejudice. I must….

Oh that folks would “get it”, realize that we do not need the affirmation of others in order to “feel good about ourselves”. God affirms us daily. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses are “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). The God of the Universe loved us so much that He died to save us for an eternity with Him (John 3:13-18).

The Bible teaches that we are “good enough” – even for God — if we are in Christ. We are “good enough” for an eternity in a Most Holy Kingdom — if we’ve been made spiritually “holy” through salvation in Christ. When we enter eternity we will be given new bodies like what when Jesus was resurrected. No more living in this body of death.

Hating by color
Are you “really really into” hating on those of a different color than you? It’s easy. Have you accepted racism into your heart? It cuts and chains, both you and the one you hate.

Is your way “Jesus plus whatever“? That’s duplicitous. That’s a two-timing, fornicating heart, a dichotomous heart. God will never accept that of any of us. Would you?

²⁷And he replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” – Luke 10:27

– Source: One thing you lack

Each day I have to “start on full“, not with an empty tank. The Holy Spirit is my power to love.

My “filling station” is prayer to God. Filled up full with His “hope and confident assurance“, I can reach outside of myself – and choose to act in love. “Love is a choice, not a feeling”.

God’s Reality
Have you ever tried to grasp the deep intensity of God’s feelings against your sin? Like… with your racism? Have you captured just how saddened He is by it? Do you know how much He hates sin? Don’t be misunderstanding God.

That reality constrains me, pushes me further into righteous living… for His sake.

If you don’t show it – they won’t know it.

FOR MORE:

Hating is life changing – eternal life changing. Scary thought.

My needy, needy soul

Is Jesus’ worldview your worldview?

Worldviews and the Battle for Meaning by Jeffrey Bruce and Brian D. Asbill

Exposing a dichotomous heart

Following

Practicing sin – not following Christ

Living Daily with gentleness and respect

How to treat people