A CHRISTIAN RACE THEOLOGY (3)

I have the honor of traveling and teaching several of my seminars on racial harmony at churches throughout the country. At each event I begin with Romans 15 as a launching point since it is foundational to everything that I will teach. I do so because I believe that at the heart of our challenge with racial division is our mis-application of God's intention about culture. Culture is meant to be appreciated as a reflection of God's design, not adored as the focus of what is of utmost importance.

Unity begins with the Lord, His character and His ways towards us, sinners. All things begin with the Lord and, therefore, we should not be surprised that our unity begins with seeing the character of God as our model for it. Paul says in Romans 15,

"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one

another, in accord with Christ Jesus, (Romans 15:5 - ESV).

Note what Paul is doing in this verse. He is connecting the command for us to live in harmony with one another by showing that the passions of endurance and encouragement, both necessary for such unity, are on display in the Lord Himself. Endurance means the ability to remain faithfully Christian under the most difficult of attacks against your faith and character. It conveys the idea of continuing in a direction even when that direction is littered with difficulty. Encouragement speaks to the calm and consolation one feels when they receive words that give them a heart to want to go on and not lose hope.

Paul says that these two passions and resolves should be the expression of who we are because they are in the very heart and character of the God we serve and love. Paul is calling us to look at our difficulty in racial division, not by looking at what others are doing or saying to us, but by looking to the example of the Lord Himself. No one in all of the universe was as disrespected and devalued as the Lord. His creation - those who had life because of Him- rebelled against Him by choosing lesser things and lesser glory. Yet, in the coming of Christ we see endurance and encouragement in action.

We see endurance (His steadfast love) on display. We see Him never giving up on us though we all like sheep went astray, running in the opposite direction of Him all the while defaming His name and mocking His provision of grace and mercy. Yet, He endured with that "in spite of what you do to me I am going to love you because your actions demand it" - kind of love. Paul is saying to us that, when division pops off and people’s words and actions show a racial snarl, we must not model that character but God's character of endurance instead. No one has done to us what we did to the Lord and, therefore, Paul says, do to them what the Lord did to and for you: model that "in spite of what you do to me I am going to love you because your actions demand it."

In His example and in our union with Him by faith, we find and are empowered to endure. The Spirit of the Lord is within us and God within us is the proof of our ability to live and look and respond like Him in the face of hostility. Please understand what I am about to write and ponder it, if needed: "endurance demands difficulty." The racial difficulties and tensions within the Bride of Christ are experiences that give us the honor and opportunity to display the endurance of the Lord and for the Lord. Have you ever thought that when people are most nasty towards you that they are showing the need to be loved by the Lord through you? It is true because it is the gospel.

Too often we see division as proof of the absence of God. I want us to see division as proof of the presence of God but the active agitation of the devil to blind us from the Lord's presence. Indeed, I think that is what it is. Division, if we see it from the perspective of God, is our time to shine for Jesus, not to bow out and dishonor Him. Yet, if every time the actions or words of division evoke from me a response of anger, resentment I am furthering the division. At the moment this happens the gospel is eclipsed, God's glory is muted, and the enemy puts a check in the win column.

Therefore, if we are to develop a Christian Race Theology and live it out faithfully in relationship we must begin with the Lord and not our circumstances. John Calvin, the great reformer, has said that only when men know God do they know themselves. We must, therefore, do a theology from above and not from below. We must begin with our eyes and hearts lifted to heaven beholding the glorious image of the Lord then, and only then, descend to view all of life and circumstances from that heavenly perspective. Not only do acts and words of racial division originate from below but so too does racially charged responses!

May we spend time with the Lord daily such that we might be transformed from one degree of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18). By such grace may be empowered to view this life and its challenges with His endurance because we, apart from Him, are on empty.