Why do people take so much pride in their ethnicity? Is it because they believe they are superior because of it? Why did God create ethnicity? What does sin have to do with our ethnicity? What is God’s desire for us related to our ethnic diversity? How do we become united and how does that bring hope? Let me share with you what I learned.
God’s original plan was that there would be ethnic diversity. In the beginning God gave Adam and Eve a command, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Genesis 1:28 (ESV) Inherent in command is the concept of ethnic diversity because as Adam and Eve’s offspring multiplied and filled the earth there would become different ethnicity as families became tribes under the leadership of the family. The intent therefore was to have unity with a diverse group of ethnicities. Last week I discussed how sin separated mankind ethnically and we do not experience the unity God had originally intended. Did you catch last week’s blog? If not click here.
In Galatians the Apostle Paul confronts the Apostle Peter over ethic unity. Peter had been associating with the Gentiles for a period of time. Then a bunch of Jews showed up who were from the Apostle James and Peter disassociated himself from the Gentiles and started to only hang out with the Jews. Paul publicly took Peter to task in front of the body of believers by saying, “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”’ Galatians 2:14 (ESV) It is clear that Peter was seeking ethnic unity because it what the Gospel demands.
There are several times that Jesus Himself confronted the idea of ethnic unity I will give you two examples. Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman at the well. Here He confronted both ethnic and gender equality just by speaking to her and in particular by offering her salvation. Jesus tells theparable of the good Samaritan. Here Jesus confronted the Jewish leaders for not coming to the aid of a Jewish man beaten at the side of the road by pointing out the one who helped was a Samaritan (a hated ethnic group that the Jews discriminated against.
It is clear to me that God wants unity among all ethnic groups from Acts 2:5-12, “Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.’ And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?”’ (ESV) I say this because for what other reason would God cause everyone to hear His message in their own tongue if it were not to unite all believers into a new ethnic group which today, we call Christians. It is clear throughout Scripture that we are to do everything possible to be in unity with one another. It is through that unity in Christ that we have hope. It is through Christ and Christ alone can the world be unified.
I pray you will better understand why we have ethnic disunity and why we can trust God’s plan for reuniting all people, which can bring you hope. I also pray that you will be part of God’s plan to bring about unity through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Remember from past blogs that it is by knowing God that we have hope. The relationship with God through Jesus brings us hope in the present and the future. I would also encourage you to seek Jesus for He is the only option there is to get eternal life. This is to me the greatest source of hope. In doing so, I believe we will have hope and joy during our everyday lives. Understanding that Jesus Christ allows us to access eternal life, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) This will allow us to have hope. At the same time understanding you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ and this will bring you the greatest hope. Because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the penalty for sins. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
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