Category: Ministry

Seven reasons why I do not join the popular, secular fight against racism!

Seven reasons why I do not join the popular, secular fight against racism!

Yes, I write this as a white man, who has been a racist in the past, who seeks to experience gospel grace to fight internal racism in the present, and who believes that the gospel alone can resolve the evil of the human heart which fosters racism. Here are seven reasons why I do not join the popular, secular, fight against racism.

  1. I do not believe we can have redeemed structures and institutions within society without having redeemed individuals. The conversion of Nicodemus, the religious leader, and Matthew, the tax collector, are good examples for me of how Jesus engaged the evil religious and political structures of his day
  2. The depersonalization of evil by focusing on systemic evil undercuts and confuses the purpose of the gospel which is to redeem sinners and bring them together in one body. Systemic evil exists only because there are individuals who embody and institutionalize that evil. Whether that embodiment of evil is depravity or demonic influence, it is still individuals who foster that evil. Temporal societies and institutions are not redeemed; individuals are.
  3. We do not wrestle with and defeat individuals, institutions, principalities and powers through political and societal means. The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly uses of power through protest, riot, or legislation, but the gospel declaration, commitment, and assurance that Jesus Christ has triumphed over the powers of evil
  4. The energy and resources given to battle the symptoms of evil, such as racism, dilute the mission of the church to make disciples of all nations. I do not believe there is a better answer for racism than making disciples and nurturing churches that unite a diversity of peoples in Christ.
  5. I do not desire to promote and participate in a narrative amplified by those who reject the Lordship of Christ and do not reflect the grace of God. My narrative seeks to be gospel-centered, grace-oriented, God-focused.
  6. I am committed to the church of Jesus Christ, which is alone is a counter-kingdom with structures that should reflect the grace of God. I have the joy of being a part of Grace Church of Philly where the gospel is bringing together whites, Afro-Americans, Latinos, East and West Africans and more.
  7. I cannot join with others in a battle when we do not see a common enemy, do not have a common commander, and have a different war manual.

The Gospel for the City in Genesis 5

Genesis Five confirms God’s earlier threat to Adam that death, both spiritual and physical, would be the consequence of rebellion against the Creator. Though it would appear that some might escape the threat of death, living for as much as 969 years, inevitably death comes to all – except for one. God takes Enoch from the death-cursed world demonstrating that He alone rules over death and can rescue anyone from death. He also shows His power over an evil world by raising up Noah, a type of the Messiah, who witnessed a world devastated by rebellion and evil and through whom God brings about a new world.

The new world of Noah would again be ravaged by sin, necessitating One, the promised seed of the woman, who would finally deliver the world and its inhabitants from the curse. The Deliverer has come; He has borne the curse for us; He has inaugurated a new creation in which we now participate.  We are tasting the new creation in Christ and longing for its consummation at His coming.

 Though we still read obituaries in the city newspapers, being reminded of the reality of death, we do so understanding that the One who conquers sin and death has come. Though urban centers, perhaps more than any other place, bear witness to the devastating ravages of sin, we have the joy in church planting of raising up new communities, bringing the presence of Christ’s kingdom into an alien and fallen kingdom. This New Covenant Kingdom radically differs from the kingdom of this world: www.firstimportance.org quotes from Neil Williams on the radical newness of the Kingdom of Christ.

“The kingdom of God is the new and final age that began with the coming of Jesus. His kingdom is not part of the present age — an age where the flesh reigns; where people are divided, relationships are broken, and suspicion and competition dominate; where money, sex, and power are abused; where leaders are first and servants are last; where behavior is controlled by laws, and identity is defined by race, gender, or social standing; and where gifts and resources are used for the advancement of oneself. Rather, the kingdom of God is the new age. It is the age of the Spirit (Matt 12:28). It is the age of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). The kingdom of God is about the renewal, restoration, and reconciliation of all things, and God has made us a part of this great story of salvation.” – Neil H. Williams, Gospel Transformation (Jenkintown, Pa.; World Harvest Mission, 2006), iii.