There should be no such thing as racial division in the Body of Christ.
Paul makes that abundantly clear in Galatians 3:27–28, 27 "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (NET). It is confusing for many in today’s cultural/political climate to see through the media chaos and find hope in our daily walk with Christ when we witness so much alleged division between races.
If a person knows Christ in a personal relationship and is growing in their faith, racial division becomes non-existent. We can have hope that there is, in fact, a beautiful unity in the Body of Christ, the Church.
Our relationship with others is defined and ordered by our relationship with God. This is actually a part of a vibrant life of worship. We are made in his image, no matter what our race, and that is to be reflected in how we treat one another.
In 2 Corinthians 1: 3–7, Paul talks about the relationship of fellow believers and how deep, abiding and selfless it is. There he tells the Corinthians,
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.[a] 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort (ESV).
A key concept is blessedness, or “worthiness to be praised,” and is part of God’s very nature, that he is the ultimate one that should receive honor and praise from his children.[i] It is the blessedness of God that comforts us in our trials, for he extends favor to his people. And it is the same kind of blessedness that we can comfort others with, if we are walking with God in an ongoing relationship. We extend God’s favor to others in this world. This is part of our worship, finding ways to help others in the name of Christ. When we come alongside someone in their painful journey, and help them or find a way to lift them up in their moments of struggle, we are engaging in a very pure form of worship, and we honor God by this mutual edification.
Of course, influencing and leading someone to Christ is also a wonderful form of worship—responding to his marching orders to make disciples of all nations, and seeing people repent and follow Christ which is the ultimate response to a pursuing God.
One of the compelling wonders of the church is that even though there is pain, be it through the circumstances in which we find ourselves because of the fact that we live in a fallen, sinful world, or through the unmitigated reality of persecution in various parts of this planet, we can comfort and strengthen one another.
Because of the sufferings of Christ on the Cross, we are free, and in our moments of trial, we can know that ultimate spiritual freedom is ours in Christ, and ultimate blessedness from God is ours as well.
The ultimate result is an “unshaken hope” (v.7).
We can believe the chaotic and confusing messages we hear in the media every day, or we can have this unshaken hope in the message of the gospel that ultimate unity, including racial unity and reconciliation is found only in the heart of one who finds ultimate reconciliation with the One who created us all.
I choose hope. _________________________________________________________________________________
[i] Note 5, 2 Corinthians 1:3, NET Bible
Ben Bounds is the founder of Mercy Road Ministries (www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ also www.benbounds.com). He has served as pastor of churches across Texas for the last thirty years and is an ordained minister with The Christian and Missionary Alliance. He is currently engaged in an active writing and preaching ministry.
He is the author of The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God published by Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, 2017.
Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com.
He may be reached at benbounds695@gmail.com or through his above website or facebook page.
©2020 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.
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