Editor’s Note: This post is an article posted on the 9Marks.org answer page. The full scriptures were added by me.
9Marks is an organization that exists to equip church leaders with a biblical vision and practical resources for displaying God’s glory to the nations through healthy churches. To that end, we want to see churches characterized by these nine marks of health: Preaching, Biblical Theology, The Gospel, Conversion, Evangelism, Membership, Discipline, Discipleship, and Leadership. 9Marks, writes books, articles, and book reviews. They host conferences, record interviews, and consult with church leaders. In short, they do everything they can to help pastors, future pastors, and church members see what a biblical church looks like, and to take practical steps for becoming one. To learn more about 9Marks visit their website at this LINK.
The church that I pastor, Christ Church, in Los Angeles is the perfect example unity-in-diversity. I tell people that if the want to know what it will look like in heaven they should visit our church. People of all races, ages, and economic status come together to praise and worship God and shower the love of Christ on each other. This unity in love is genuine, not forced it is real because we allow the Holy Spirit to create the unity. And this does not end after worship service on Sunday because it's the way we live.
9Marks is an organization that exists to equip church leaders with a biblical vision and practical resources for displaying God’s glory to the nations through healthy churches. To that end, we want to see churches characterized by these nine marks of health: Preaching, Biblical Theology, The Gospel, Conversion, Evangelism, Membership, Discipline, Discipleship, and Leadership. 9Marks, writes books, articles, and book reviews. They host conferences, record interviews, and consult with church leaders. In short, they do everything they can to help pastors, future pastors, and church members see what a biblical church looks like, and to take practical steps for becoming one. To learn more about 9Marks visit their website at this LINK.
The church that I pastor, Christ Church, in Los Angeles is the perfect example unity-in-diversity. I tell people that if the want to know what it will look like in heaven they should visit our church. People of all races, ages, and economic status come together to praise and worship God and shower the love of Christ on each other. This unity in love is genuine, not forced it is real because we allow the Holy Spirit to create the unity. And this does not end after worship service on Sunday because it's the way we live.
How can Christians think biblically about race and ethnicity?
In order to develop a biblical perspective on ethnicity Christians should recognize that:
All people are made in the image of God.
Genesis 1:26-28 ESV Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
This is what gives all humans dignity and value. God’s creation of humanity in his image means that there is one and only one human race, and that all people of all ethnicities have the same inherent dignity as God’s image-bearers.
All people are sinful, having fallen in Adam.
Romans 5:12-21 ESV Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This means that all people by nature are subject to the judgment of God.
Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
It also means that racism has its ultimate roots not in circumstance or social conditioning, but in our sinful nature.
Salvation in Christ is offered freely to all who believe, regardless of ethnicity
Acts 17:30 ESV The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
Romans 3:22-23 ESV the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
In Christ, Christians have a spiritual and covenantal unity that transcends ethnic differences.
Galatians 3:28-29 ESV There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
The unity Christians have as members of the body of Christ is also a unity that genuinely brings together people who have nothing in common outside of Christ, creating a glorious picture of God’s radical grace.
In order to develop a biblical perspective on ethnicity Christians should recognize that:
All people are made in the image of God.
Genesis 1:26-28 ESV Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
This is what gives all humans dignity and value. God’s creation of humanity in his image means that there is one and only one human race, and that all people of all ethnicities have the same inherent dignity as God’s image-bearers.
All people are sinful, having fallen in Adam.
Romans 5:12-21 ESV Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This means that all people by nature are subject to the judgment of God.
Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
It also means that racism has its ultimate roots not in circumstance or social conditioning, but in our sinful nature.
Salvation in Christ is offered freely to all who believe, regardless of ethnicity
Acts 17:30 ESV The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
Romans 3:22-23 ESV the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
In Christ, Christians have a spiritual and covenantal unity that transcends ethnic differences.
Galatians 3:28-29 ESV There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
The unity Christians have as members of the body of Christ is also a unity that genuinely brings together people who have nothing in common outside of Christ, creating a glorious picture of God’s radical grace.
Local churches should be characterized by unity-in-diversity.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 ESV For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Ethnic diversity brings glory to God.
Revelation 7:9-10 ESV After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
This means that ethnic differences are not merely boundaries to be overcome. Rather, we should celebrate them as expressions of God's multifaceted glory. This means that we shouldn't seek cultural uniformity in our churches, but unity-in-diversity.
One day, God will perfectly gather to himself a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Revelation 7:9-10 ESV After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
In the end, ethnic differences will no longer divide God’s people, but will rather enhance our grasp of the wisdom and glory of God in creating and redeeming multitudes of wondrously different people.
However, since we live on the near side of that great day, we should expect that ethnic differences will not be fully transcended in this life, which provides an opportunity for sensitivity and love among God’s people. Despite our best efforts, ethnic differences will continue in some measure to separate and divide people from one another, even the people of God. Therefore, the people of God have the opportunity to show deliberate care across ethnic lines, recognizing it as an opportunity show honor to the parts of the body that have lacked it.
1 Corinthians 10:24-26 ESV Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof."
RSS Feed