Racial Animosity

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The cross of Christ deals with real sins, not imaginary ones. It deals with real sins by offering free and full forgiveness. It “deals” with imaginary sins by enabling  us to see them for what they are — vain constructions of our own imaginations.

When it comes to issues of race, the cross of Christ puts enmity to death. The problem that must be overcome is racial animosity — hatred, spite, bitterness, and envy.

“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Eph. 2:15–16).

In the cross, God crucified racial enmity. He killed hostility, and because Jesus really died, He killed it dead — but only in Christ.

Because liberals believe that man is basically good, they have identified the culprit as “prejudice,” or “discrimination.” In this scenario, everybody is supposed to mean well, but must be instructed on the proper ways of staying out of micro-aggressions.

This can work for a time. If you hector people enough about  the little things, they will stuff the big things. For a time.

But then something happens, or a series of things happen, and all the pent-up animosity erupts. Now the thing to remember about an animosity eruption is that by this time in the cycle nobody cares what you think of them. You try to remonstrate with them . . . “but that’s racist!” And they reply, “So?”

Over the last week we have seen anti-cop protesters chanting, “What do we want? Dead cops! When do we want it? Now!” On the other hand, we have seen a wildly tone deaf misappropriation of Eric Garner’s last words — pro-cop demonstrators wearing “I Can Breathe” T-shirts. If you point out how inflammatory this is, both ways, you will be surprised to discover that being inflammatory was the point.

Liberal bromides cannot deal with this. Feel good gospel coalitiony group hugs can’t deal with it. Those with an impotent message have to pretend that racial animosity is really a matter of petty bigotry, because they think they have a message that can handle petty bigotry. But in order to deal with racial animosity, racial hatred, racial hostility, Jesus had to die and rise. The good news is that He did so.

Because He rose from the dead, black men can repent of their envy, hatred, and resentment. Because He died as a perfect sacrifice for sin, white men can repent of their insolence and contempt. And we have gotten to the point in this story of ours, where this message — the death of race hate in the death of Jesus — is a message that needs to be preached. Because of the nature of the message, the color of the one preaching it is irrelevant. The only color that matters is how red the blood was.

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Stan McCullars
Stan McCullars
9 years ago

I keep hearing from “the black community”, I am thinking of Christians in particular, how their cause is just and their protests needed. I want to believe the best about my brothers in Christ, but I fail to see the recent “death by cop” events as evidence of an inherently racist system trying to put down the black man. One dear brother of African descent recommended a book which is supposed to be a collection of irrefutable facts proving the existence of a racial bias (controlled for other factors I assume) in the criminal justice system. The book, “The New… Read more »

Don Smith
Don Smith
9 years ago

“The only color that matters is how red the blood was.’ Classic!

Paul
Paul
9 years ago

The only color that matters is how red the blood was.

Word.

Clayton Hutchins
Clayton Hutchins
9 years ago

Not sure what you’re getting at with the “gospel coalitiony group hugs.” What is it that you are critiquing about TGC, and why is it lumped with liberalism?

Drew
Drew
9 years ago

@Clayton Hutchins

My interpretation of Doug’s comment is that fundamentalists and liberals often share a very similar tendency to indulge in feel-good subjectivism before engaging in serious theology. That’s just my take, though.

Laura
9 years ago

“And we have gotten to the point in this story of ours, where this message — the death of race hate in the death of Jesus — is a message that needs to be preached. Because of the nature of the message, the color of the one preaching it is irrelevant. The only color that matters is how red the blood was.” – Praise God

B.V.R.U.
B.V.R.U.
9 years ago

“Liberal bromides cannot deal with this. Feel good gospel coalitiony group hugs can’t deal with it. Those with an impotent message have to pretend that racial animosity is really a matter of petty bigotry, because they think they have a message that can handle petty bigotry.” According to this line of thinking, the only ones with the “potent message” are evidently politically conservative reformed evangelicals. And this esteemed group–the one with the real theological ammunition–is applying this theoretically robust theology how?Taking on racial animosity in what concrete way? By taking pot shots at the milquetoast efforts of liberals and semi-conservative… Read more »

Andrew Lohr
9 years ago

Without God’s grace even the best actions in racial matters, actions like those of the PCA’s New City Fellowship churches, become a tiresome and embittering legalism. With grace, love. But actions do need taken. The one felony arrest I saw–a black man with a knife was trying to rob a restaurant (esp. the safe) when only the opening crew of 3 was there–I thought the police were a little, a VERY little, more over the top in force and tone than they really needed to be. No bruises, even, just a tad pushy. Rodney King needed arrested–felonious driving. Michael Brown… Read more »