Racial/Tribal Walls Broken in Christ
Racial/Tribal Walls Broken in Christ
Those who are old enough will remember the words of President Reagan. "Tear down this wall!" was the challenge issued by United States President Ronald Reagan to Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy the Berlin Wall, in a speech at the Brandenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987”. That wall was between East and West Germany built by a faulty thinking/ideology of socialism and communism. Many others in the past have worked hard and given their lives for racial harmony and equality. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and scores of others to name a few.
We are all aware of the recent NBA news of Donald Sterling making racial remarks that demeans black people. Everyone is crying foul but he speaks for the “un-graced” heart of all of us. There is enmity among the races and tribes that did not start with Sterling. It was ingrained by the real instigator Satan himself. It goes way back to the Garden when Satan divided Adam and Eve because they wanted to be superior and be like God. It carried on for years and then came to the ultimate at the Tower of Babel.
Now the whole earth had one language and one speech… 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:1-9
The above Scripture accounts for the beginning of the races as we know them today. It was a separation based on language. It was more of a rebuke by God. Again the people wanted to be like God and prove superiority.
Have you noticed how people categorize you and conclude that you do not know much and may not be intelligent because you do not speak their language? This often happens when you are in a foreign country that is not your own and they speak a language that is not yours? People even extend it to different accents of the same language. Here in American the southern accent is different from the north and some use it to deem the other less superior and look down on them. Anyone who thinks and believes that his or her race or tribe is more superior to the other is the most stupid and most to be pitied person.
There were racial tensions and dislikes of the other even in the time of Christ. The Jews called the Gentiles “Dogs”. There were real hatreds among the Races and people groups. In fact the Law of Moses was used to perpetuate this hatred and look down on others especially the Gentiles. Now, we come to the Good News of the Gospel of Grace in Christ which has broken down the walls. Listen to Paul In Ephesians 2. Paul being a Jew uses “we” for the Jews and “you” for the Gentiles:
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:11-18
The Law was a divider but Grace is a life giver and reconciler to God and to man. The Israelites had the Law and felt superior to the others – the Gentiles. Still today, when we erect those denominational Laws (or Social club laws) we exclude others and feel superior to others. “Our Church only worships acapella and those who use musical instruments are less of Christians” Or “we worship only on certain days and fast and those that don’t are second class”. In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile. All are one and there is only one righteous blood that flowed for us and still flow thru us and that is the Blood of Christ.
Christ has put to “death the enmity”. Why do you give life to racism or tribalism or denominationalism or any other ism? May we watch our words and speak grace to the other races and tribes.
If you are a Christian and cannot stand another race or tribe, you leave room for doubt about the work of grace in your life. If you are struggling in this area please pray that God will use His grace to melt away the hardness and stupidity. This prayer is for all of us. Satan wants us to join him in the “divide and conquer” game. Let’s say no by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been through a Tribal/Civil war and my Ibo tribe did not do too well and got butchered in late 60s, early 70s.
We are to work for racial equality in Christ only. There is no other basis and every law against racism is nice but will not really get the job done. As believers in Christ, when we encounter racism, we should pray for the perpetrators that the grace of God will reach them and their eyes opened to the Truth, the Way and the Life – Jesus Christ, the Racial/Tribal Wall Breaker. We are the Ambassadors of peace in Christ. To change racism/tribalism, point people to Christ’s love and grace. Amen.
Those who are old enough will remember the words of President Reagan. "Tear down this wall!" was the challenge issued by United States President Ronald Reagan to Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy the Berlin Wall, in a speech at the Brandenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987”. That wall was between East and West Germany built by a faulty thinking/ideology of socialism and communism. Many others in the past have worked hard and given their lives for racial harmony and equality. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and scores of others to name a few.
We are all aware of the recent NBA news of Donald Sterling making racial remarks that demeans black people. Everyone is crying foul but he speaks for the “un-graced” heart of all of us. There is enmity among the races and tribes that did not start with Sterling. It was ingrained by the real instigator Satan himself. It goes way back to the Garden when Satan divided Adam and Eve because they wanted to be superior and be like God. It carried on for years and then came to the ultimate at the Tower of Babel.
Now the whole earth had one language and one speech… 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:1-9
The above Scripture accounts for the beginning of the races as we know them today. It was a separation based on language. It was more of a rebuke by God. Again the people wanted to be like God and prove superiority.
Have you noticed how people categorize you and conclude that you do not know much and may not be intelligent because you do not speak their language? This often happens when you are in a foreign country that is not your own and they speak a language that is not yours? People even extend it to different accents of the same language. Here in American the southern accent is different from the north and some use it to deem the other less superior and look down on them. Anyone who thinks and believes that his or her race or tribe is more superior to the other is the most stupid and most to be pitied person.
There were racial tensions and dislikes of the other even in the time of Christ. The Jews called the Gentiles “Dogs”. There were real hatreds among the Races and people groups. In fact the Law of Moses was used to perpetuate this hatred and look down on others especially the Gentiles. Now, we come to the Good News of the Gospel of Grace in Christ which has broken down the walls. Listen to Paul In Ephesians 2. Paul being a Jew uses “we” for the Jews and “you” for the Gentiles:
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:11-18
The Law was a divider but Grace is a life giver and reconciler to God and to man. The Israelites had the Law and felt superior to the others – the Gentiles. Still today, when we erect those denominational Laws (or Social club laws) we exclude others and feel superior to others. “Our Church only worships acapella and those who use musical instruments are less of Christians” Or “we worship only on certain days and fast and those that don’t are second class”. In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile. All are one and there is only one righteous blood that flowed for us and still flow thru us and that is the Blood of Christ.
Christ has put to “death the enmity”. Why do you give life to racism or tribalism or denominationalism or any other ism? May we watch our words and speak grace to the other races and tribes.
If you are a Christian and cannot stand another race or tribe, you leave room for doubt about the work of grace in your life. If you are struggling in this area please pray that God will use His grace to melt away the hardness and stupidity. This prayer is for all of us. Satan wants us to join him in the “divide and conquer” game. Let’s say no by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been through a Tribal/Civil war and my Ibo tribe did not do too well and got butchered in late 60s, early 70s.
We are to work for racial equality in Christ only. There is no other basis and every law against racism is nice but will not really get the job done. As believers in Christ, when we encounter racism, we should pray for the perpetrators that the grace of God will reach them and their eyes opened to the Truth, the Way and the Life – Jesus Christ, the Racial/Tribal Wall Breaker. We are the Ambassadors of peace in Christ. To change racism/tribalism, point people to Christ’s love and grace. Amen.
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