God's Telos: Our Kind
"Racism" isn't only an evil human invention; it's also a
misnomer. Racism assumes that there are multiple races. But what does the Bible
say about "racism"?
In Genesis 1:11 God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." Genesis 1:21 tells us that "God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind." God created all the plants and all animals and commanded them to reproduce according to their kinds. The words "according to its kind" reveal that there are multiple kinds of plants and animals - different species.
However, when God blesses humanity and commands us to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth," the words "according to its/their kind" are not included. The omission of those words clearly reveal that humanity isn't an assortment of races. The truth is that there is only one race - the human race.
Genesis 1:27 teaches that all people have been made in the image and likeness of God. Every member of the human race possesses equal dignity before God. We are all equals before God. There may be different ethnicities, cultures, languages, nationalities, and skin tones; but there is only one human race, and we are all co-image bearers.
What this teaches us is that there's no justification for "racism." Christians, in particular, should be on guard against racial prejudice. When it comes to being a follower of Jesus, there is simply no room for racial discrimination of any sort. And if Genesis 1 doesn't make that clear, consider the gospel. Jesus shed His blood and died on a cross to save people from every nation, tongue, and tribe. Jesus gave His life to save our kind. Jesus was nailed to a cross so that members of the human race (regardless of what they look like) may be forgiven of their sin.
However, while there is only one race, within the human race there are two families. The first family is the family of believers -- those who follow Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. The second family is the family of the non-believers -- those who reject Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The reason why that distinction matters is because God has a telos for this world. Telos means goal or end. God's telos is that the world be filled with members of the one race that was made in His image and likeness. God's will is for this world to be filled with people reflecting His glory. But the world won't be filled with just anyone. It will be filled with those who place their faith in Jesus Christ. In the end, this world will be filled with God's image bearers, but those image bearers will only be those who belong to the family of God.
Here are two questions to consider:
1) Which family do you belong to? To be a part of God's family confess to God that you're a sinner, repent from your wrongdoing, and place your faith in the sacrifice of Jesus.
2) Do you struggle with racist prejudice? If your heart harbors discrimination toward others based on skin color, ask God to give you eyes to see people the way He does.
In awe of Jesus,
Pastor Rick
In Genesis 1:11 God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." Genesis 1:21 tells us that "God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind." God created all the plants and all animals and commanded them to reproduce according to their kinds. The words "according to its kind" reveal that there are multiple kinds of plants and animals - different species.
However, when God blesses humanity and commands us to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth," the words "according to its/their kind" are not included. The omission of those words clearly reveal that humanity isn't an assortment of races. The truth is that there is only one race - the human race.
Genesis 1:27 teaches that all people have been made in the image and likeness of God. Every member of the human race possesses equal dignity before God. We are all equals before God. There may be different ethnicities, cultures, languages, nationalities, and skin tones; but there is only one human race, and we are all co-image bearers.
What this teaches us is that there's no justification for "racism." Christians, in particular, should be on guard against racial prejudice. When it comes to being a follower of Jesus, there is simply no room for racial discrimination of any sort. And if Genesis 1 doesn't make that clear, consider the gospel. Jesus shed His blood and died on a cross to save people from every nation, tongue, and tribe. Jesus gave His life to save our kind. Jesus was nailed to a cross so that members of the human race (regardless of what they look like) may be forgiven of their sin.
However, while there is only one race, within the human race there are two families. The first family is the family of believers -- those who follow Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. The second family is the family of the non-believers -- those who reject Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The reason why that distinction matters is because God has a telos for this world. Telos means goal or end. God's telos is that the world be filled with members of the one race that was made in His image and likeness. God's will is for this world to be filled with people reflecting His glory. But the world won't be filled with just anyone. It will be filled with those who place their faith in Jesus Christ. In the end, this world will be filled with God's image bearers, but those image bearers will only be those who belong to the family of God.
Here are two questions to consider:
1) Which family do you belong to? To be a part of God's family confess to God that you're a sinner, repent from your wrongdoing, and place your faith in the sacrifice of Jesus.
2) Do you struggle with racist prejudice? If your heart harbors discrimination toward others based on skin color, ask God to give you eyes to see people the way He does.
In awe of Jesus,
Pastor Rick
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