The Unsegregated Family of God

Galatians 4:26 – 28 (I've Placed My Own Commentary of This Scripture in Parenthesis):

26 For you are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus. (Of course, the Apostle Paul is speaking exclusively to Christians here, namely those at the Church of Galatia, but extensively to all Christians who would come after as well.)

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (In other words, if you’re saved, then you are robed in Christ and you are no longer your own, but you are His).

28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (This proclaims the fact that to we who are in Christ, there is absolutely no Racism! No Classism!  No Sexism!)

As I have been stating, proclaiming, preaching and teaching for a long time, there is absolutely no room for Racism, Racial Segregation or Prejudice within the Body of Christ!  We are ALL robed in Christ, not skin color, whether it’s black, white, brown, olive or red.  It matters not!  As children of God, who are in Christ Jesus, we are now all of one Family, (God’s Family), of one body, (The Body of Christ), and of one Race, (The Human Race).

Revelation 5:9

And they sang a new song, saying:

"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of EVERY Tribe and Tongue and People and Nation…”

This is the scene around the throne of the Lord Jesus Christ after the Church is called up to Heaven.  Notice that the congregation round about the throne is much different than many Christian Churches today.  We see here that there is absolutely no hint of Racial Segregation in Heaven.  For they have been redeemed from EVERY Tribe, EVERY Tongue, EVERY People and EVERY Nation upon the face of the Earth!

If you call yourself a Christian and you feel like you have the right to propagate Racial Segregation, then I must tell you that you are wrong!  Regardless of what you may call it or what you may give as your reason for feeling that way, the bottom line is that it is rooted in Pride, Self-Righteousness and Prejudice. 

Racism is not a trait that comes natural at birth.  Racism is taught and instilled within the heart of a child and here in the Deep South that I love and have proudly called my home for 43 years, it has been instilled within hearts of young people who grow to be old people, for generation after generation.  It’s not been instilled within the hearts of merely one race, but it’s been taught to children of all races.

If you are a member of the body of Christ and you have Racism in your heart, then your Racism will cause you to be a cancer on the body of Christ.  Because as a member of His body, when you are against another member of His body, you are acting just as a cancer cell would within a human body.  Cancer cells within the human body, attack other cells, thereby killing and destroying the body.  That’s exactly how Racism works within the body of Christ.  That’s why Racism must be excised from the hearts of the members of His body. 

As the body of Christ, regardless of what the pigmentation of your skin may be, I appeal to you to search your heart and should there be any trace of Racial bigotry, hatred or prejudice within you, ask God to replace that with the eyes of Christ and to give you His love for all people, whether they love you in return or not.  Agape Love, the Love of God, is a selfless, unconditional love and it loves even when it’s not returned.

The Bible says that Judgment begins at the House of God.  Therefore, before we can help turn someone else away from their sin, we must first examine ourselves and get our own hearts right.  Stop pointing the finger at someone else and saying things like, “Well, there’ll never be Racial healing, because that other Race don’t want it.”  If that be the case, then it will be between them and God.  We, as Christians must get our own hearts right.  I can’t control how others feel…  I can’t control how others love…  I can’t control whether or not someone will choose to discriminate against me because of my race…  But I can submit MY heart unto the Lord and through the power of the Blood of Jesus, give the Holy Spirit latitude to work within my life and share that Agape Love of Christ even when it’s not returned.

I’m just thinkin’ out loud tonight and thought I’d share…  My words may sting, but aren’t meant to harm.  I speak this in love…  

May the love of God dwell within your heart always…  I love you all…

Pastor Robbie Bankens