Racism in the Camp

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being hypocrites. He scolded them for having a righteous appearance on the outside while being evil on the inside. In Matthew 23:27 (ESV), Jesus is recorded as saying, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness". Sadly, the same can be said for some who profess to follow Jesus today.

Despite the fact that Jesus was "slain, and purchased for God with [His] blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev 5:9 NASB*), there still seems to be some who profess to be saved, and yet, still want to hold on to sinful, racist attitudes. I've actually had the misfortune of being in the company of (otherwise fairly orthodox) folks, who seemily have no reservations about using the "N-word" and/or telling horrible racist jokes. A friend of mine once told me how a man he knew would even tell racist jokes in church just prior to the start of service!

Racism is an expression of hatred in the heart and I should know, I used to be one before the Lord saved me! The Apostle John wrote "If a man say, 'I love God', and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?". I ask you the same question; if a person claims to love God and yet despises another simply based upon skin color, how can that so-called Christian love God? Answer that for me please!

Some may reply, "Ah, but Rhett. The key word is 'brother', so this only applies to hating other Christians". To that my reply is to point out the fact that there are Christians of all colors! Therefore if our racism is based upon skin color, how then can we not avoid hating a brother because of skin color? The answer is that we cannot avoid it. Such an arguement is not valid. You cannot make such distinctions.

What amazes me is how some of these people can be so self-righteous and legalistic about other things. Many of them wouldn't dare drink a glass of wine, watch an R-rated movie, or even listen to contemporary Christian music, but yet they harbor hatred and prejudice in their hearts for other people based simply upon color! How can that be? It seems to me that some people are straining out the gnats and swallowing the camels! Such hypocrites are a blight upon us all.

*Footnote:

Compare also to Revelation 7:9:

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;"