Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Prejudice Comes in Different Forms
Matthew 24:6-8
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places."
It it interesting to note that when God told us that a nation would be against a nation He was not referring to just organized governments against one another, while that is true, He was speaking also of "ethnos" against "ethnos" meaning "people group against people group" even within nations.
We thought we were beating this problem of prejudice and racism in recent years but no matter our efforts to teach people how to love one another things remain in turmoil as people groups continue to be against one another. It is only Jesus Christ in those who are born again Who can give us the love for one another that is not possible without Him.
When there is pride and arrogance people begin to believe or want to believe they are superior to one another. It is astounding how one people group can think they are better than another merely for their "ethnos" alone. God is the One Who created the people groups to hate any one of them is to defy God.
Governments are against one another and people groups within nations are against one another. It is only authentically born-again believers who are race blind. They see differences in the races as gifts from God and the people to be loved, appreciated, and above all in need of the Savior Jesus Christ.
We would be idiotic to pretend races do not exist because God made us all and our diversity, which does not come against God, can be something to be appreciated.
God told us to go into all the world preaching the gospel. Our world is the one we live in all around us every day. Not everyone can travel the world as missionaries do but everyone can live their Christianity in authenticity within the sphere of our little communities, sharing Christ and being an example of His love to those who do not yet know Him.
We must start by loving one another, this is a powerful example as the unsaved world watches us they glean from us the Christlike attitude of selfless love that is not present in most families.
"Love" is not something we say, it is something we are on the inside no matter what is happening around us. Living God's love is far different from "doing or saying" it, it is an inner peace that transcends external circumstances. It never changes based on what happens around us or to us.
John 13:35
"35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”
James 4:1-2 "1 What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? 2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.…"
God's instructions to born-again believers are to be different from the world, so different that those who are looking for hope will see it in us.
2 Timothy 2:23
"But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling."
Titus 3:9
"But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless."
Romans 7:5-25
"5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death.
6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Far from it! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
There is another kind of prejudice that is prevalent in our culture which is the preconceived notions we have against the genders. Men war against women and women war against men as each have their own sinful idea of what each gender should be. The war is because of the worldly misunderstanding of the purpose of each gender by God's plan.
Genesis 3:16 "16To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
This passage is telling us what sin did to the human heart. What this passage is not saying is that man should rule over his wife, but rather that because of sin he will want to do so but she will fight back and want to rule him. No one should be ruling over anyone else. The woman is to submit and serve her husband and so is the man to submit and serve his wife.
Some people take this passage about the fallen state and make it say that man should rule over his wife, if this were so then according to the rest of that passage a woman should fight back to rule over him. The passage is showing how it will be without Christ. It is the fallen state not something we should aspire to in a Christian marriage.
Men and women do not understand the roles as God presented them in the Bible so they pervert them, demeaning one another as they attempt to dominate one another.
God gave the gender roles for a reason, for the good of the family and the glory of God. Each person is to love one another and carry out their roles as God gave them without hindering the work of each through domination and intimidation. If force, intimidation, mocking or demeaning is present in either gender this is sin.
Neither gender coerces the other to do what God gave them to do. Obeying God in their roles is a choice each one should make. No one forces or punishes others to obey God.
Denying respect to one people group or one gender over another is to deny the purposes and principles of God, it is devilish, destroying those who give into their fleshly fallen nature and anyone else in their wake. The devil loves that people are fighting with one another. He loves that all communication is shut down because of demeaning rancor and bitterness toward one another.
Men are to lead by example, teaching and support not by controlling or demanding. When each one appreciates the role of the other and supports that role there will be a relationship that blossoms and God is glorified.
Each one of us is responsible to obey God, we are not responsible for making someone else do our bidding or idea of God's will for them.
God said this:
Galatians 5:13-14
"13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, those who love Him will walk in this love.
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places."
It it interesting to note that when God told us that a nation would be against a nation He was not referring to just organized governments against one another, while that is true, He was speaking also of "ethnos" against "ethnos" meaning "people group against people group" even within nations.
We thought we were beating this problem of prejudice and racism in recent years but no matter our efforts to teach people how to love one another things remain in turmoil as people groups continue to be against one another. It is only Jesus Christ in those who are born again Who can give us the love for one another that is not possible without Him.
When there is pride and arrogance people begin to believe or want to believe they are superior to one another. It is astounding how one people group can think they are better than another merely for their "ethnos" alone. God is the One Who created the people groups to hate any one of them is to defy God.
Governments are against one another and people groups within nations are against one another. It is only authentically born-again believers who are race blind. They see differences in the races as gifts from God and the people to be loved, appreciated, and above all in need of the Savior Jesus Christ.
We would be idiotic to pretend races do not exist because God made us all and our diversity, which does not come against God, can be something to be appreciated.
God told us to go into all the world preaching the gospel. Our world is the one we live in all around us every day. Not everyone can travel the world as missionaries do but everyone can live their Christianity in authenticity within the sphere of our little communities, sharing Christ and being an example of His love to those who do not yet know Him.
We must start by loving one another, this is a powerful example as the unsaved world watches us they glean from us the Christlike attitude of selfless love that is not present in most families.
"Love" is not something we say, it is something we are on the inside no matter what is happening around us. Living God's love is far different from "doing or saying" it, it is an inner peace that transcends external circumstances. It never changes based on what happens around us or to us.
John 13:35
"35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”
James 4:1-2 "1 What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? 2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.…"
God's instructions to born-again believers are to be different from the world, so different that those who are looking for hope will see it in us.
2 Timothy 2:23
"But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling."
Titus 3:9
"But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless."
Romans 7:5-25
"5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death.
6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Far from it! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
8 But sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died;
10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it, killed me.
12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."
9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died;
10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it, killed me.
12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."
There is another kind of prejudice that is prevalent in our culture which is the preconceived notions we have against the genders. Men war against women and women war against men as each have their own sinful idea of what each gender should be. The war is because of the worldly misunderstanding of the purpose of each gender by God's plan.
Genesis 3:16 "16To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
This passage is telling us what sin did to the human heart. What this passage is not saying is that man should rule over his wife, but rather that because of sin he will want to do so but she will fight back and want to rule him. No one should be ruling over anyone else. The woman is to submit and serve her husband and so is the man to submit and serve his wife.
Some people take this passage about the fallen state and make it say that man should rule over his wife, if this were so then according to the rest of that passage a woman should fight back to rule over him. The passage is showing how it will be without Christ. It is the fallen state not something we should aspire to in a Christian marriage.
Men and women do not understand the roles as God presented them in the Bible so they pervert them, demeaning one another as they attempt to dominate one another.
God gave the gender roles for a reason, for the good of the family and the glory of God. Each person is to love one another and carry out their roles as God gave them without hindering the work of each through domination and intimidation. If force, intimidation, mocking or demeaning is present in either gender this is sin.
Neither gender coerces the other to do what God gave them to do. Obeying God in their roles is a choice each one should make. No one forces or punishes others to obey God.
Denying respect to one people group or one gender over another is to deny the purposes and principles of God, it is devilish, destroying those who give into their fleshly fallen nature and anyone else in their wake. The devil loves that people are fighting with one another. He loves that all communication is shut down because of demeaning rancor and bitterness toward one another.
Men are to lead by example, teaching and support not by controlling or demanding. When each one appreciates the role of the other and supports that role there will be a relationship that blossoms and God is glorified.
Each one of us is responsible to obey God, we are not responsible for making someone else do our bidding or idea of God's will for them.
God said this:
Galatians 5:13-14
"13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, those who love Him will walk in this love.
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