ERACISM

carpecollum@gmail.com — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:29:37 GMT

I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said, "Eracism." Where did racism begin, anyway? There have always been tensions between nations and societies and classes. In Genesis 11, we see the people God created working hard against God's plan to populate the earth. They decided they would build a huge tower as their home base and be a great, mighty people. Sounds like a great idea. Sounds like peace. But it wasn't God's plan, and if it's not of God, it does not bring peace. God confounded their languages and thus created many different peoples. They all went their separate ways based upon language.

So, ultimately God is responsible for all the division we have in the world, right? Not exactly. He is responsible for creating different languages and different peoples, but His complete plan was not ready for fulfillment yet. God's plan culminated in His Son Jesus Christ. In Christ all nations are brought together. The term "gentiles" literally means "nations." The Jews only thought of two classes of people: Jews and Gentiles. Us and Them. Good guys and Bad guys. But in Christ all things are summed up, all things are reconciled, and peace can reign even on earth. God has always had a plan for peace among people and peace between people and God.

Ephesians 2:14-19: "For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household"

In the household of God there is peace, unity, and reconciliation. After dividing humanity into many language groups back in Genesis 11, there were many years before Peter preached a sermon in Jerusalem in Acts 2. What amazing display of power do you remember on this occasion? The apostles all spoke in other languages so the people could hear in their own tongues! It did not matter where these people lived, they could understand the word of God in their own language. Besides being a SIGN of the Holy Spirit's influence on this occasion, I see this as a PICTURE of unity. God was now ready to bring all nations back together into one united kingdom - the kingdom of His Son.

Peace be to you today,
Nathan

Daily Bible Message

ERACISM