Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“Racism is evil, and it’s anti-gospel!”
This is a statement I made during the announcements on Sunday in response to the events in Charlottesville last weekend where white supremacists targeted African Americans and Jewish people with racist and hateful words and actions. I strongly and firmly believe that racism is evil, that it is anti-gospel, and so do all the other Elders of Redeeming Grace Church (Joseph, Kenneth, Mark, and Rich). As Christians, we believe, and must state clearly, that there is no place in the Kingdom of God for racism and anti-Semitism.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that God, because of His great love for the world (John 3:16), sent His Son Jesus to die in our place on the cross to reconcile us to Himself and to each other. Revelation 7:9 reminds us that God’s Kingdom is designed by God to include people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” Therefore, racism is contrary to the very goal of the gospel: that God would receive glory from every tribe, tongue and nation!
The message of salvation is for all humanity. It’s a message of hope for a lost world. Thus, racism is a sin and everything that racism stands for (the purposeful prejudice, discrimination and antagonism against someone from a different race) is an affront to God and the gospel. As a church, we are committed to actively resisting racism and opening our hearts, lives, and doors to our community and to all our neighbors of every color, creed and ethnicity.
To equip our church from a Biblical perspective and to encourage all of us to become more engaged, we’re providing links below to articles written by thoughtful Christians on the topic of racism. We believe these resources can help us understand God’s perspective on racism and provide useful suggestions for how Christians can stand against racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism, and other forms of hatred.
- 10 Reasons Racism is Offensive to God by Kevin DeYoung
- Charlottesville: A “Target” of Opportunity by Mike Higgins
- What Now in Charlottesville? by Christine Hoover
- Race, the Gospel, and the Moment by Tim Keller
- White supremacy angers Jesus, but does it anger his church? by Russell Moore
- Racial Reconciliation, the Gospel, and the Church by Jarvis J. Williams
Friends, this is a great opportunity for us to continue to pray against racism and for the people who’ve been hurt by it. If you’d like to talk or have questions, please contact any of the Elders. We would love to listen, talk and pray with you!
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
Vince on behalf of the Elders