Extreme Makeover in Race Relations — UHD 14:6

Racist attitudes in North American churches persist. Sometimes blacks and whites are suspicious of each other.  Skin-color or physical appearance is not the only factor that puts up walls between ethnic groups. The language barrier makes some Americans feel like they’re living in a foreign country.  Some Koreans and Hispanics have their own churches.  The pain of feeling uncomfortable at church seems to be the main barrier for most people of any nationality.

Highly charged racial tension existed in NT times too, between Jews & Gentiles.  Herod’s Temple compound in Jerusalem had an outer court that was referred to as the Court of the Gentiles. Gentiles were excluded from entering into any of the inner courts by signs in Greek and Latin that warned that the penalty for trespassing by any Gentile was death.  Jews avoided Gentiles.

The Jews’ attitude to Gentiles was based on misuse of God’s Mosaic law.  God did make a clear distinction between Israel and the Gentiles in his OT instructions.  God favors one ethnic group, Israel, more than others.  When Jesus began his ministry he instructed his disciples, “Don’t go to the Gentiles, go to lost sheep of Israel…”

Ephesians 2:11-22 teaches that God temporarily suspended his racial preference when he formed the Church.  Though God still has a future for ethnic Israel after the rapture of the Church, right now God put aside those racial preferences to create unity ethnically. This is not God’s eternal intention, however. The Church does not replace Israel. God made promises to the nation of Israel that included land and descendants forever that are not yet fulfilled.  God will keep his promises made to Israel in the future, but for now, God set up racial equality in the Church.

The fact of racial equality in the Church does not mean that everyone in the Church is equal.  We tend to believe that Abraham Lincoln was right to say “all men are created equal.” This statement by Lincoln was designed to recognize that any human being from any race is created by God in the image of God.  His intent was not to say everyone is equal in position or roles.  That would contradict his position of authority as President of the United States.  Perhaps Lincoln’s words fuel broad egalitarian philosophy for Christian thinking today.  Equality in Jesus Christ does not mean that everyone is equally mature or wise.  Equality in Christ does not require that official positions of leadership or authority be eliminated.

What God did was temporarily break down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles to build a racially unified Church.

At this point in history, God set aside or temporarily removed His racial preference for Israel to create ethnic unity in the Church.  God now includes Gentiles with Jews to build a racially unified Church in an extreme relational makeover.

Where are we looking? — UHD 14:6

We need a balance. Showing tangible expressions of Jesus’ love helps people to see Jesus’ love. It is my opinion that Christians should be among the best stewards of God’s creation and should show compassion for the poor, oppressed, and homeless. I would by all means become all things to whatever audience in order that by any means possible, someone would come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. But the goal of these earthly pursuits is clear in Scripture. What does it profit the people of this world to have their house rebuilt or their bank accounts balanced if they lose their own soul for all eternity? On the other hand, how can I say that my faith is real if I close my pocketbook or become stingy with my time?

When the church puts too much emphasis on the things of this earth, they lose their unique purpose in this earth. If we are more impressed by the things that we can see with our physical eyes than we are by the things that we do not see that are eternal, then we look like any humanitarian philanthropist rather than someone who is “called out” of this world.

Putting too much of our time, money, energy and resources into material or financial things is a bad investment. Everything that we see with our physical eyes is temporary. What we do not see is spiritual and eternal. We are told by God to focus on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, not on the things of this earth. At the same time, a season of service to help someone put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ makes the investment worth it.

In my opinion, when these pursuits are out of balance, another vital element of our Christian life is lost. When we become earthbound to tangible things we see, we undermine the importance of faith in Christian living. Faith looks at things that cannot be seen and is certain of those things. When we turn our attention to creation care and building houses we tend to ignore heavenly things that we cannot see and as an unintended result we diminish the importance of faith.

^NIV Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

^NAU 2 Corinthians 4:18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

^NAU 1 Peter 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

^NAU Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

No Tolerance for Intolerant Inspectors — UHD 14:6

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to find a flaw in this thing.”

“A flaw?  Who cares?  This structure serves a greater purpose.  You are too picky.  Nothing is perfect. You need to loosen up and be more tolerant of flaws.”

 

So they left the primary support for the huge bridge like it was.  Traffic was heavy on the bridge because it worked.   After all, this bridge was doing something useful and helpful, such as connecting people.

 

This kind of thinking that produces sloppy inspection of a physical bridge that puts lives in physical danger would not be tolerated.

 

How much more should we be careful of the ways we carry the precious cargo of the gospel to reach out and connect with people’s souls and eternal destinies?

Careful inspection of a personal bridge that might put souls in eternal danger should not only be tolerated, but encouraged.

 

Gal. 1:6-9;  Acts 20:29-31; 1 Cor. 6:13; 1 Pet. 5:8

The Emerging Asceticism — UHD 14:6

Why, as if we are living in an earth-bound world, do we submit to decrees such as “Creation care, ending poverty, and health care?”  All of these are destined to perish with use. 

God says, “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)– in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? ²³ These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence”  (Col. 2:20-23).