About a week ago, a video clip was shared on social media from the account of the President of the United States. It caused quite the uproar. Racism was once again on full display. Many of my friends and others I follow on social media platforms rightly denounced the video. Some called for pastors and Christians, especially white or caucasian, to speak up. I fit all of the aforementioned descriptors, but I didn’t say anything right away. I am now. But I’m not speaking up because someone else thinks I should. I’m speaking up because of Scripture.
Say it again.
I am currently preaching through the book of Revelation. Two weeks ago, I came across (what I perceive to be) an often-overlooked verse, you might say an overlooked word, which I feel has significant implications for the faithful Christian.
At this point in Revelation, John has already prophesied (extensively!) that God’s wrath will be poured out on all sin and unrighteousness. Furthermore, those in Christ will be protected, spared from God’s wrath. Even so, there are some who “did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:21). In Revelation 10, John shares a vision of an angel with a small scroll. He is told to eat the scroll, and it will be sweet like honey in his mouth. However, it will turn bitter in his stomach. I interpret the scroll as a representation of the gospel message. It is sweet like honey when we tell it, but turns bitter in our stomachs when others reject it.
John has warned of the wrath of God against sin. John has encouraged believers in Christ. John has been told that many people will not repent. John feels the bitterness of a rejected message. You might expect that John is weary. What more can be said? What more can John do? Will additional warnings and calls to repentance have an effect? Will another declaration of the gospel make a difference? Maybe. Maybe not. But that’s not up to John. God tells him, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.” (Revelation 10:11, emphasis added)
There it is. Did you catch it? It’s the word again. Tell them one more time. Or, in today’s vernacular, “Once more for the people in the back!” And this is the reason that I am speaking up, once again.
Racism is wrong.
I don’t really like the word. There’s a problem with the whole idea of race. According to scripture, there is only one race. All humans are descendants of Adam and Eve, and all humans are created in the image of God. Do we have different cultures? Yes. Do we have different languages? Yes. Do we look different? Yes. These identifiers are evidenced in Revelation, by the way. “After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). John could only make this observation if human distinctions are real. And they are. Culture, language, appearance, music, food, clothing, traditions, and so much more exist and separate us into various people groups. But we are All. One. Race. The only race in heaven is human (thus, this article’s title). So yeah, racism is wrong.
The reason racism is wrong is that it is sinful. It’s not based on a feeling or emotion. That’s not what makes something right or wrong. Rightness and wrongness are based upon an absolute, objective morality. Racism is an ideology that is opposed to God and goes against Creation Order. Speaking of ideologies opposed to Creation Order…must we go there again? Yes, you must prophesy again…
The Apostle Paul gives an extensive, though not exhaustive, list of sins in Galatians 5:19-21. “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
As Christians, we should put to death, in our own lives, the “works of the flesh” and live out “the fruit of the Spirit.” (Galatians 5) Christians should also denounce sin in all its forms, not to cause angst, bitterness, or strife, but to point to salvation, grace, and forgiveness in Christ.
Selective Outrage
Sometimes I’m tempted to think that as long as my sin doesn’t look as bad as my neighbor’s, then I must be alright. Or if my sin is more socially acceptable than my neighbor’s, then I have a right to be outraged at his. I’m fascinated with what causes public outrage. Was the video released from President Trump’s account sinful? Yes. Should we be upset when we see sin so clearly in our world? Yes. Should we denounce such acts of sin and unrighteousness? Yes.
It’s safe to denounce racism. Or at least it’s safer to denounce racism than say…gambling, sexual immorality, drunkenness, or pornography. I wonder what makes some sins acceptable (celebrated in some instances) and others outrageous. I wonder, at least in the US, if that’s in part because we have laws attempting to safeguard against racism, rape, murder, theft, etc. Not all sins are met with the same legislative safeguards. I wonder if the culture at large has decided on its own morality. I could wonder all day, but it’s probably very complicated. The solution, however, is simple.
Say it again.
Sin is terrible. All forms of sin are terrible. Different sins have different consequences on earth. I get that. You get that. However, all sin, any sin, separates us from our holy God. I’ve listed several sins in this article, but sin can manifest itself in countless other ways. The Bible is clear that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). The Bible is also clear that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The only way to be restored is to turn from our sin, to turn away from our lifestyle of sin, and turn to Jesus.
Maybe you’ve heard this before, maybe you haven’t, but it’s worth repeating.
Ragamuffin Warrior 
Amen BJ!