What does the Bible say about racism?

In this post, let us learn more about what the Bible say about racism and what Christians should do about it.

Racism is the thinking that one’s own race is superior to other races. Because of this belief, some people express prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism against someone of a different race.

Racism is no doubt one of the oldest problems in our society. It has been deeply ingrained in our society and history that it is so difficult to erase. Every now and then, racism shows its ugly head and causes a lot of severe and bitter division among people and nations.

But what does the Bible say about racism? What does God say about racism? Most importantly, how should Christians respond to racism?

In this post, let us take a deep look at what racism is and how you should respond to it.

Every man is created in the image of God

Here’s something you should know:

Racism is an insult to the image of the Creator.

We are all created by the same God and therefore, we are all equal in His eyes. There is no race that is superior to others. In fact, we all came from the same parents and the same God has made and designed us.

In the Genesis 1:26-27, we read:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness… So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

The Bible clearly states the irrefutable fact that we came from the same parents. In fact, there’s no “races,” but there is only ONE race — the HUMAN RACE.

We all ultimately came from the same ancestry. There is no “master race” as what Adolf Hitler would like us to believe.

This is confirmed in Acts 17:26 where we read:

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.

You see, we are all brothers and sisters. The same blood runs through our veins. No matter who you are, what color your skin is, or whether your nose is flat or pointed, we are all human beings and part of the human race!

God does not play favoritism

Romans 2:11 clearly tells us:

For there is no partiality with God.

Isn’t it comforting that we serve the Living God who doesn’t play favoritism?

He is our God who made it clear that he doesn’t favor anyone based on their race. He doesn’t make any judgment based on people’s appearance, ethnic origin, or even their status in life.

God is fair and He is the God of justice. When He judges, He doesn’t judge like us humans. Instead, we read:

“For Yahweh does NOT see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

And because God shows no partiality or is not a respecter of people, this should lead us to the next point.

We must not show partiality

Racism is fueled by favoritism and partiality. Because we sometimes favor one ethnicity over another, we are becoming racist in our approach.

However, since God does not show partiality, we ought to become the same as God. We must also NOT show partiality.

This means that we must not simply base our actions on things that we see, but also on things that we don’t see.

While it is true that God is the ultimate Being who can see the heart, we must still seek to understand deeper rather than just looking at the superficial.

If we only show love to those people of our own group, we are completely missing the point.

Remember, Yahshua (Jesus Christ) died for everyone’s sin. He didn’t simply die for His friends. He didn’t simply die for the Jews. HE DIED FOR EVERYONE.

John 3:16, a popular passage, tells us:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God loved the world!

He doesn’t love only the Israelites. He doesn’t only love the Christians. But He loves all people in the world!

How much does God love the world?

He loves us SO MUCH that He gave His only begotten Son!

God is not the God of the Americans, Filipinos, Japanese, Germans, or any other nationalities. But He is the God of the WHOLE UNIVERSE and that includes every single nationality in the world!

With this in mind, there’s really no reason for us to be racist. There’s no reason for us to prefer a certain group of people over the other. There’s no reason for us to be biased, violent, and hateful toward a certain ethnic group simply just because of how they look and how they appear.

That’s not being a Christian. That’s not being a follower of the Messiah. And certainly, that’s not being like our Heavenly Father.

James, or properly known as Yacob, warned us in James 2:8-9:

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

As you can read, showing partiality is tantamount to committing a SIN! Yacob is telling us that showing partiality is a great offense to God that he considers it a sin.

We must show love to everyone and not just to the select few.

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Everyone has an equal opportunity to be part of God’s Family

Now, here’s the exciting and powerful part of this blog.

Everyone has the potential to become part of God’s Family. No one is shut down or shunned away simply because of their race and ethnic origin.

No matter what ethnic group or background you came from, all of us are designed to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

This is confirmed in the encouraging passage found in Galatian 3:26-29:

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE  in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The Bible tells us that once you are in Christ, it won’t matter anymore whether you are a Jew or Greek, whether you are white or black, brown, or yellow. You are a new creation in God and your “race” won’t matter anymore!

The Church and Body of Christ are open to everyone who wants to develop a close relationship with God. Through the life of Yahshua (Jesus Christ), God has opened the way for everyone who bears His image to have a personal and intimate relationship with Him.

He offers the same opportunity of salvation to anyone who seeks His name and will in their lives.

That’s the awesome truth that we all should remember!

Let’s all end racism

As Christians, we are called to follow the will of God in our lives. Part of that is not to show partiality and avoid racism in all its form.

We need to make a point that we don’t judge people based on their skin color or ethnic background. We must treat everyone equally, knowing that every human being is created in the image of God. Not only that, but we must also always remember that we all have an equal opportunity to be part of God’s family.

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4 thoughts on “What does the Bible say about racism?

  1. Thank you Joshua. This message should be “required reading” for every one (not just Christians), and posted and displayed in every Christian church, engraved in stone, and engraved in our hearts!

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