The Evil of Spiritual Apartheid
Introduction: South Africa has been much in the news for the past several years. Lately Congress and the executive branch of our government have been regularly consumed by debate over questions of human rights, sanctions, divestiture, and other such matters as they relate to the government in Pretoria. The social conscience of many in our country has been aroused by the practice of institutional apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid is, of course, a legalized system of racial discrimination which makes certain people non-citizens solely because of their race.
I personally believe that the response of many of our politicians toward South Africa has been inconsistent, hypocritical, and self-serving. By that I mean they find it easy to attack prejudice against blacks in South Africa, while ignoring the vicious treatment of Jews in Russia or of Christians in many Muslim countries. In fact, focusing on the racism in a country 15,000 miles away enables them to defocus on racism in our own country. Undoubtedly many of them are jumping on the bandwagon of sanctions because it is an election year. Having said that, however, I affirm without equivocation my own belief that apartheid is evil, unconscionable, and doomed to failure. The politicians’ motives may be suspect, but I’m still glad they are opposing it.
Nevertheless, there is a kind of apartheid that concerns me far more than the kind practiced in South Africa, and it is the spiritual apartheid practiced in the Church. When distinctions are made in the Body of Christ separating the “acceptable” from the “unacceptable,” when we are motivated to share the Gospel with one racial, social, or intellectual group while ignoring others, then we stand in need of condemnation.
At the very beginning of the Christian movement, God diagnosed and performed surgery on the cancer of spiritual apartheid. Unfortunately, this cancer has reappeared often in the history of the Church, and even today we need to be very much aware of its fatal consequences. Let’s read about it in Acts 10:
Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and made many charitable contributions to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And he looked at him intently and became terrified, and said, “What is it, lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and charitable gifts have ascended as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who *spoke to him left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier from his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.
Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter helped him up, saying, “Stand up; I, too, am just a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he entered and *found many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner; and yet God has shown me that I am not to call any person unholy or unclean. 29 That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?”
30 Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining clothing, 31 and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your charitable gifts have been remembered before God. 32 Therefore send some men to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent men to you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear everything that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. 36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)— 37 you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 We are witnesses of all the things that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He be revealed, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He ordered us to preach to the people, and to testify solemnly that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify of Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter responded, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
Preparation by the Spirit of God. (1-22)
The Spirit prepares Cornelius, a Gentile. (1-8)
1. The man. Cornelius was a centurion, a non-commissioned officer in charge of 100 men in an Italian cohort, consisting of 600 men. Caesarea was the Roman capital of Palestine, so it is not surprising to find him stationed there. We are told that this Gentile was devout, God-fearing, honest, generous, and sincere, but he was not a saved man. There is no better example than Cornelius to show us that it is possible to be religious and lost at the same time. Neither his alms nor his prayers had availed to bring him salvation. And, were it not for the fact that God in His grace reached out to Cornelius to tell him about Jesus, he would never have become a believer. But then, no one would.
I find in Cornelius a fulfillment of Christ’s promise in John 7:17: “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know the truth.” That is the answer to the old bugaboo question, “But what about the heathen who have never heard?” If a person in the darkest area of the darkest continent is willing to do God’s will, then God will show him the truth so that he can be saved, even if it takes a miracle to do it, as in the case of Cornelius. The miracle came in the form of a vision.
2. The vision. An angel spoke to Cornelius, commended him for his prayers and his generosity, and told him to send for Peter. One might profitably ask why the angel himself didn’t tell Cornelius about Jesus. The answer is that God has not given the ministry of the Gospel to angels! They have never experienced salvation and therefore are not equipped to tell others about it. Only we who have known the joy of having sins forgiven are able adequately to share that joy with others. How sad that we are often reticent to do so!
3. The response. Though Peter was 30 miles away at Joppa, Cornelius immediately dispatched two servants and a guard on this important mission. The Holy Spirit, according to verses 19 and 20, was leading in all of this; meanwhile, He was also leading at the other end of the line.
The Spirit prepares Peter, a Jew. (9-22). Isn’t it exciting that God prepares us for what He is preparing for us? When He leads one person to seek help, He prepares someone else to give help. When He leads one person to witness, He prepares the other person’s heart to receive the witness. I think even in regard to such mundane things as the purchase of land for our church, when we are ready, spiritually and financially, to purchase property, the owner of the right piece of property will be ready to sell.
1. The man. Peter is, of course, the leader of the Apostles. We have seen him many times already in our journey through Acts. He is a person of boundless energy and great commitment to God, but as we will see, he still has some of the impetuousness of his years as a fisherman-disciple. He is seen here also as a prayer warrior. That he prayed morning and evening may be assumed, for those were normal times of prayer. In addition, he prayed at noon. Prayer three times a day was not commanded in the Scriptures, but Peter followed the example of pious men before him, like Daniel. He goes up to the flat roof to pray, for this would give him privacy.
2. The vision. He, too, experiences a vision while he is on his housetop at noon, praying. In the vision he sees something like a great sheet lowered to the earth full of animals, birds and reptiles, many of which were unclean according to Jewish dietary law. The Lord speaks to him and says, “Arise, kill and eat!” His answer is, “No way, Lord.” Now think for a moment about the contradiction there. Anyone who says “Lord,” and mean it, cannot also say, “No way!” If He is truly Lord, then we must obey him. But this is the third time in his life that Peter directly refused God’s will. (The other times are found in Matt. 16:22 regarding the cross, John 13:8 regarding the washing of his feet).
We must learn to be very slow to say, “No way!” or “Never!” We must not allow what has been to determine the limits of what will be. We must not expect the Lord to perform within the confines of previous performance. His persistent word is, “Behold, I am doing a new thing.” (Isa. 43:18)
The vision is repeated three times, perhaps because of Peter’s inherent stubbornness, with the message being communicated that when God has cleansed something, no one has the right to consider it unholy. While the ostensible subject has been food, the Lord was up to something more profound than that. He had in mind not the foods Peter should eat but the people he should love.
By the way, this incident shows us that it is possible to be scrupulous beyond the will of God, i.e., to be more conservative than God is. I grew up in a Bible Church atmosphere where people loved the Lord and loved sound doctrine, but we had rules by which we judged the spirituality of others that weren’t found anywhere in the Bible. If someone didn’t live by our rules, we considered them liberal, but sometimes they may have actually been living closer to the Scriptures than we were.
Let me stop here for a moment and share what is happening theologically in this vision. In the OT economy, certain animals were considered unclean and were forbidden both for health reasons andto teach the Jewish people about the need to be different. Certain people were likewise considered unclean for the same reasons. Unfortunately, the Jews interpreted God’s teaching on separation to mean that they were superior to other people and were the only ones who could be saved. That was never the message God intended.
But even the positive purposes for the dietary laws and the laws of separation were no longer in effect now. When Jesus Christ died on the Cross, all the distinctions of the Mosaic Law regarding diet were abolished. At the same time, the OT rules regarding separation from non-Jews were likewise abolished. Jewish apartheid was no longer permissible; instead, God’s people were to break down the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. That was the message of the vision of the sheet.
3. The response. Peter’s response was one of great confusion. We shouldn’t be surprised at that. A life-long Jew, he is suddenly being asked to adopt a whole new philosophy of life in regard to his associations. But while he is reflecting on the vision, the Holy Spirit again speaks to him and tells him that three men are looking for him downstairs and he is to accompany them without misgivings, even though they are Gentiles, for, says the Spirit, “I have sent them Myself.”
Obedience of the man of God (23-33)
Peter’s hospitality (23). Peter goes downstairs, asks the representatives of Cornelius what they want, and when they tell him they want him to go to Caesarea and give Cornelius a message, Peter invites them in and gives them lodging. Don’t overlook the incredible step of faith this took on Peter’s part. I can almost guarantee that Peter had never had a Gentile in his guest room before. If his neighbors learn about it there is sure to be a special meeting of the subdivision trustees demanding that the covenants be enforced. Peter may be a little slow sometimes, but his courage is remarkable. On the next day he heads for Cornelius’ house in Caesarea.
Peter’s humility (24-26). Upon arrival in Caesarea Peter finds that Cornelius has gathered his relatives and close friends. This is the chance of a lifetime, and the Roman centurion wants everyone dear to him to hear the message God is sending. As Peter enters, Cornelius meets him, falls at his feet and worships him. It is remarkable that a member of the subjugating military garrison should fall at the feet of one of the subject people and worship him! But after all, Cornelius believes Peter to be a representative of the almighty God, so his response is natural.
Peter, of course, refuses to accept the homage of this man, which is most interesting in view of the Roman Catholic claim that Peter was the first Pope. His alleged successors seem not to be bothered by similar actions.
Peter’s honesty (27-29). Then Peter proceeds to tell it like it is. He admits that Jewish law made it illegal for a Jew to associate with a non-Jew or to visit him. Yet, God had just shown him by means of a vision that he was no longer to call any person unclean or unholy because of race. He makes it clear that he hadn’t come because of the goodness of his heart or because of an open-mindedness toward Gentiles; rather he had come because God had told him to.
Cornelius’ response (30-33). It is now time for Cornelius to recount the vision he was experiencing simultaneously with Peter’s. He does so and concludes by expressing the eagerness with which he and all his friends and relatives are awaiting the message Peter has to share from the Lord. Believe me, this is a preacher’s paradise if there ever was one. A prepared preacher and a prepared congregation make a wonderful team! People desperately hungry and eager to hear all that God has to say make a great audience!
Preaching of the Word of God (34-48)
If you had been a Gentile in that day, this would have been the first time the Gospel had been heard in your world. The message Peter preaches is one of the universality of the Gospel. Since I know we have in our church people from a very broad range of theological backgrounds, I need to explain what I mean by that. I am definitely not advocating universalism, a popular heresy which denies the existence of hell and teaches that everyone is eventually going to heaven. God’s love, grace, and mercy are so overemphasized by the universalists that His holiness, justice, and wrath are all but denied. I totally and completely reject universalism as being unbiblical.
When I speak of the universality of the Gospel, what I mean is that no one is beyond the scope of the love of God, the sacrificial death of Christ, or the gift of the Holy Spirit because of race, color, social standing or national origin. God is not partial to any one race, any one nation, any one language group, or any one economic strata of society.
Now let’s briefly examine Peter’s message at Cornelius’ house from the standpoint of its main points.
The universality of the love of God (34,35). Peter boldly states, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.” Don’t misunderstand; Peter is not necessarily saying that such a person is saved; for Cornelius was just such a person and he was not saved. Rather what he means is just what he says—such a person is welcome by God, and God will respond to him by giving Him all he needs to know to be saved. In other words, God’s love extends to people in every nation.
The universality of the sacrifice of Christ (36-43). Peter’s second point is that the peace that comes only through the death of Christ is also available to everyone, regardless of race. It is true, he acknowledges, that Jesus came to the sons of Israel and the drama of redemption was acted out in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. But he also acknowledges that it was the Jews who put Jesus to death. The key comes in verse 43, where Peter says, “Of Him, (i.e., Jesus) all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” It doesn’t matter whether you’re a WASP, a black Iranian Jew, a Polish Muslim or a Catholic from Utah, if you put your faith in Jesus, believing that He died for you and purchased for you peace with God, you will receive forgiveness of your sins.
Peter not only affirms the truth of the universality of the sacrifice of Christ, but even claims that the OT prophets said so. Just to quote one of those prophets, in Isaiah 55:1 it says, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.”
The third truth Peter preaches, or perhaps better, learns, is that all those whom God saves through the death of Christ are also given the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The universality of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Verse 44 says, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. And all the circumcised believers, (i.e., all the Jewish Christians) who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also.” It was astounding enough that God would save a Gentile; but the mere thought of Him giving the Holy Spirit to a Gentile was almost more than they could accept. The evidence of this gift was that they spoke in tongues, without encouragement and without being taught how—they did it by the power of the Holy Spirit, using utterances too deep for words to magnify God for what he had done. That’s important, for the Spirit never draws attention to Himself; He always exalts the Father and the Son.
By the way, there are many who have used this incident, as well as the initial gift of tongues in Acts 2, as evidence that tongues always accompanies the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is an unwarranted assumption and conclusion. Most of the examples of Spirit filling in the NT do not even mention tongues. And there is good reason to believe that tongues only accompanied the gift of the Holy Spirit in these two incidents because they are the times when the Holy Spirit first begins to indwell Jews and Gentiles respectively. Tongues was the visible miracle God performed to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit was initiating a new ministry. Once the Church was aware that the Holy Spirit was indwelling both Jews and Gentiles, it was no longer necessary for tongues to accompany the baptism wrought by the Spirit, and we hear very little about it again.
Interestingly, in this case, contrary to Acts 2:38, water baptism followed the baptism of the Spirit, and that is how it should happen today. A person believes in Jesus Christ, he is immediately and automatically baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, and then he is baptized with water, his water baptism being the outward symbol of his having been joined to the Body of Christ. And that is why I have mentioned the fourth universality—that of the Body of Christ.
The universality of the Body of Christ. (47-48). In verse 47 and 48 Peter says, “‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can He?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” If God loved the Gentiles, if Jesus died for them and purchased peace with God for them, and if the Holy Spirit has been given to them, then there is no way they should be kept out of the visible Church. They must be accepted into the Body.
Now there’s one more point that completes this amazing story of God’s judgment of spiritual apartheid.
Teachability of the people of God (11:1-18)
Let’s read the first 18 verses of chapter 11:
Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, the Jewish believers took issue with him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 But Peter began and explained at length to them in an orderly sequence, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came to where I was, 6 and I stared at it and was thinking about it, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild animals, the crawling creatures, and the birds of the sky. 7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’
8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ 10 This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.
11 And behold, at that moment three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea came up to the house where we were staying. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send some men to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 Therefore, if God gave them the same gift as He also gave to us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
The report about Peter’s actions in Caesarea spread like wildfire throughout the Jewish Christian community. They were appalled that their leader had become so liberal and had compromised on the critical issue of separation. He had actually had social contact with Gentiles! I think what we see here is a common problem in the face of any kind of change, namely institutional rigidity.
Initial institutional rigidity (1-3). The Christian Church was only about 6-10 years old at this point, but that was old enough to have traditions. As you have undoubtedly heard before, the Seven Last Words of the Church are, “We’ve never done it that way before.” The first question they asked was, “Why did you mess up, Peter?”, rather than what it should have been, namely, “How does your action stack up against the Scriptures, Peter?”
But Peter did himself proud in the way he responded. It’s so easy for a leader who is challenged, to get defensive and to fight back. He could have said, “Who are you lay people to question me, the chief of the apostles? I don’t follow the rules; I make them.” But he didn’t. Instead he offered an appropriate response.
An appropriate response (4-17). An emotional response would have undermined the point Peter needed to make. Very calmly and with a sense of compassion for those who had not received the divine vision he had received, he appealed to his personal experience, to the leading of the Spirit, and to the Word of God. These three tests are important if we are to know God’s will: circumstances, the leading of the Spirit in our hearts, and the clear teaching of the Word of God.
1. Personal experience (5-15). In verse 5-11 Peter merely describes what happened in respect to the vision he received In Joppa. He tells it accurately, he doesn’t embellish it, he doesn’t sensationalize it. In essence he says, “Here are the facts.”
2. The leading of the Spirit (12). In verse 12 Peter says, “The Spirit told me to go with them.” Now I believe some people speak that way a little too glibly today. Some people are constantly saying, “The Spirit led me to do this,” or “The Spirit told me to do that.” I sometimes have my doubts. Peter heard a definite voice from the Holy Spirit after a divine vision. Then he said, “The Spirit told me.” Nevertheless, I believe the Spirit does lead God’s people and that leading is a legitimate factor in their decision-making process. However, living as we do in a day when the Word of God is completed in written form, the third part of Peter’s response is probably the most important, and that is
3. The Word of God (16). In verse 16, after recounting the full story, including the fact that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been given to the Gentiles, Peter says, “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'” The Word of the Lord for Peter was what Jesus had spoken to him; the Word of the Lord for us is what has been recorded in the Scriptures. It constitutes our highest authority.
The application of these three elements of personal experience, the leading of the Spirit, and the Word of God, is seen in the decision Peter makes in verse 17.
4. The decision (17). Peter says in verse 17, “If God therefore gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” The question is an ultimate one: the future of the Church as a worldwide movement for the Lord to reach all people, regardless of race, hangs in the balance. By the way, it’s also a good question for us to ask from time to time. When God has made His way known, who are we to stand in the way? When God has shown himself to be impartial, who are we to continue to exercise partiality and prejudice in the church?
Finally, in verse 18 we find the Church demonstrating …
Mature acceptance of change (18). “And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God, saying, ‘Well, then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.'” Don’t underestimate the significance of this teachability. They are being hit with an entirely new thing, and yet because Peter has presented his case well and Scripturally, they are willing to change. May we have the wisdom of God to determine when we need to be flexible and when we need to be rigid. One of the great church fathers affirmed a philosophy which has become the watchword for our whole denomination: In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.
Points to Ponder:
1. Prejudice is sin. We like to call it other things, like a product of the times, or a mistake, or an inevitable result of human nature. But God calls it sin. At its heart prejudice is pride. We’re proud of the way we are, and that pride is bolstered by a demeaning attitude toward those who are different.
2. Prejudice is based on tradition, not Scripture. I have read books and articles that have attempted to teach a biblical basis for the separation of the races. They are a sorry compilation of misapplications and misinterpretations of Scripture. Galatians 3:28 says it all: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” There is no justification for spiritual apartheid.
3. Prejudice is painful and difficult to deal with, but liberation awaits those who abandon it. Inbred ideas are always hard to give up, but the reward is great when falsehood is abandoned. There is no person on earth the grace of God cannot liberate—even Christians who were once immobilized by legalism, tradition, selfishness, and pride.
May God cause us to be concerned about apartheid in South Africa, the plight of Jews in the Soviet Union, and the discrimination against Sikhs in India. But may we be even more concerned that the cancer of spiritual apartheid never gets a foothold in our church.
One more thing. As you bow your heads, may I suggest that you mentally take out a handkerchief and imagine it to be a white sheet. In that sheet I want to suggest that you put the names of races, denominations, congregations, ministers, private citizens, neighbors, and perhaps even fellow-church members whom you dislike and whom you cannot and will not love. Heap up the names in your unclean sheet and dare to look up and say, “No way, Lord!” You can’t do it, can you? The God of grace, who loved you enough to die for you, loved them. May God cleanse us from spiritual apartheid.
Tags:
Racism
Discrimination
Universality of the Gospel