Personal Response: Obey! (The Bible’s Answer for Racism, Part 13)
By Ben Quine
**This article is part of a series helping us navigate this issue of racism in our world from a Biblical perspective. To read all of Ben’s articles on this subject - click on his name above by the date published and it will sort all of this articles in one place.
You are about to leave to go to an important meeting or date – quick! – check the mirror! Is everything in place, everything ready, everything in tip-top-shape? How crazy would it be to look in the mirror, see that something needs to be adjusted, but then walk away and do nothing? You’re probably thinking you’d never do that, but this is the same picture the apostle James uses about people who only hear God’s Word without doing what it says…
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25)
It is not enough to hear the Word – we must do what it says. Over the past 12 articles, we’ve looked closely at what the Bible teaches about Racism; now we must apply it to our lives, or we are simply deceiving ourselves.
Take some time now to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Ask Him to help you apply God’s Word to your heart and your life. If you or your people group have been sinned against by others, or if you yourself have been sinning against others, there are steps you must take to reconcile yourself to God and your fellow man.
1. If you have been sinned against…
With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.
When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!
In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.
I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me!
Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me. (Psalm 142)
The first step is to cry out to God! This process is known as a Lament, and it was a continual practice for King David. David cries out to God, laying his soul bare before his Creator. He talks very honestly and directly, telling his heavenly Father all of his frustrations, concerns, and troubles. He lays out his complaint, remembers God’s faithfulness in the past, makes his request to God, and chooses to live by faith going forward. It doesn’t have to be done with fancy words, it just needs to be from your heart. Take some time now and, using Psalm 142 as a model, pray to God what is on your heart. Ask Him to rescue you and heal you. God loves it when His people are honest and call out to Him in need!
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:43-45)
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13)
The next steps are to love those who hurt you, refuse to take vengeance on them, and forgive them. This is humanly impossible. It requires a miracle. Cry out to Jesus, “Lord, I can’t forgive… give me your love to forgive.” Our hearts don’t naturally want to forgive, our hearts want to keep records of wrongs, our hearts say, “they don’t deserve to be forgiven,” our hearts want to ask Jesus, “How many times must I forgive my brother?” (Matthew 18:21-35) Those attitudes bring death, but the Holy Spirit delights to produce His fruit in our lives (“The fruit of the Spirit is love…” Galatians 5:22). Ask Him to create His love in your heart, and give you the strength you need to forgive!
Finally, it is important to seek safety and legal protection where appropriate. God has instituted government to give justice to the oppressed and to protect the weak. He has also instituted the Church as a source for help, council, love, and care. Please do not stay in a dangerous situation; reach out for physical, spiritual, and legal help! Join with other believers who are on this journey with you and help carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).
2. If you have been sinning against others…
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27)
First consider how short and temporary this life is. Consider how great the charges are against you. Consider that one day “each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12). Each of us will one day die and then stand before our Creator. Now, while you still can, repent!
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:37-38)
Repentance means “to turn around,” to change your direction, to change your actions, relying on Christ to change who you are and what you do. If you have not done so already, confess, repent, and believe on Jesus for salvation from the penalty of your sin. Throughout the Old Testament wearing sackcloth and ashes was an outward, visible sign of inward grief over sin. Jacob, David, Job, and others did this to demonstrate their sorrow and/or the sincerity of their repentance.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)
The next step is to “be reconciled to your brother,” and this includes both asking for forgiveness and making restitution. If you have been mistreating anyone, you must repent, apologize, and work for their good, instead. If you owe them restitution for their loss, make it right. Remember that judgement is coming! Resolve the matter, and be reconciled with God and with your brothers and sisters.
3. For everyone…
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Don’t be like a person who looks at the mirror and immediately forgets what they look like. Let the Word of God speak to you personally, let the Holy Spirit convict your heart, and then OBEY God’s commands. Individual believers and the Church as a whole must teach and practice forgiveness. God is ready to do a great work in our lives and in our culture today if we will let Him!
When believers take God’s Word seriously, and by faith follow it, showing love across racial and social divides, repenting of racism, and miraculously forgiving each other, then God WILL bring healing and the world WILL know that we are true disciples of Jesus. This is the greatest witness we could have to a watching world. A heart changed by the Holy Spirit is the greatest miracle the world will ever see.
The living display of the love of Christ is the first and greatest change that the Gospel brings to combat racism. But the Gospel touches more than just our hearts. It should permeate our minds, changing the way we think, and shifting the culture as a whole. We’ll look at this over the next few articles…
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ABOUT BEN
Connect with him at Cornerstone Curriculum
Ben Quine, the second son of David and Shirley Quine, was blessed to grow up with a Charlotte Mason/Dr. Schaeffer/Biblical Worldview education -- a tremendous gift! Through the years, Ben has served as a Cornerstone consultant, assistant, and co-author. He has written several Bible studies for the Answers for Difficult Days series, which equips churches to address the issues our culture is wrestling with today, from the foundation of Scripture. Ben is also the editor of The Worldview Library, editions of classical literature with student helps that afford the reader a deeper understanding of the concepts presented in each work.
Trained as a classical pianist and instructor, Ben is committed to inspiring his students with the love of great music and equipping them with the tools to perform at the highest level. This training has resulted in his students' successful performances from local festivals and competitions to Carnegie Hall.
Ben loves Shakespeare, Dickens, photography, listening to recordings of "the great pianists", running, biking, and spending time with his wife Julie and their three sons.