“It lies upon the church to, in the resources of the gospel, examine its heart.” Thabiti Anyabwile on what he wishes white evangelicals would understand about racial reconciliation in American churches.
I am going to make a comment here that will perhaps anger many, but it must be posted since we are talking about the church and Christ. As a born again Christian, we obviously can and should address the problems presented here, but unfortunately, the solution given here (as well as many of the comments in this section) leave out something that is totally glaring: Biblical doctrine. We are not to lean on our own understanding and be spoiled by vain deceit and philosophy as warned in Proverbs 3:5 and Colossians 2:8, but this is what I see in this video. It actually is a subtle form of "white guilt" against "black victimhood." Now before anyone gets enraged that I wrote this, ask yourself, what is the point of asking a question of a pastor who happens to be African-American about "White Evangelicals" as if evangelicalism is divided into different categories based on what I perceive to be skin color? I guess it is supposed to address the divide inside the church based solely on that alone, but is that the right presupposition and is the solution addressed in this video Biblical alone? 1) How do you remind Christians that they are unified in the church? According to scripture, our position in Christ is prominent above status, ethnicity, gender, etc. (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11). Also the body of Christ has different functions based on our differences as we work together for the cause of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). Would it not have been better to mention these spiritual truths in this video instead of immediately starting with schisms, which 1 Corinthians 12:25 warns against. Instead, the pastor subtly sounds like the world, basically saying how responsible the "white" Christian is for combating racism, painting (in a subtle fashion) white privilege in the church. This idea comes from the unsaved world, not scripture. We are not to be conformed to this world at all, but renew our minds in the Lord (Romans 12:1-2). You certainly don't ignore the problem, but you don't address it like the world does and then offer no Biblical solution. 2) Racism is a code word for black and white in this country. Yet Acts 17:26 says God has made man of one blood and are we not all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). What constitutes "race" in our modern culture is basically skin color, but that is actually foolishness because it is a worldly attitude. The skin color of all humans is based on genetics, which is the reason dividing into black and white now pins people in the church into a category only the world puts them in. In addition, our differences are also culture, language, and even monetary status. All our differences can be used for the body of Christ when we begin with scripture alone for this issue. After all, scripture is breathed out by the living God who created all things and sufficient for all believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are sanctified (being conformed into the image of Christ) by the truth of the Word (John 17:17). When will this issue be addressed more on the truth of the Word than the emotions of man? 3) I was saved over 18 years ago, as a member of the African-American culture, how did I deal with "racism?" I grew in the Lord Jesus Christ, realizing all Christians are brethren. Anyone unsaved is not. In this respect, I can look first at my own sins and confess them (1 John 1:9) as well as forgive others that have mistreated me in the past or present. As Christians, do we forget to forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22) as an African-American because we see prejudice in the world? Do we look at our brethren in the church that have a lesser or darker skin tone and hold an inner grudge based on the sinfulness of the world, forgetting Christ forgave us the wickedness of our sins (Romans 3:10-18, Jeremiah 17:9, and Ephesians 2:1-3 describe our sin nature). When we bring up "white' and "black" in church without a Christ-like forgiving attitude, we actually bring no reconciliation (and I will get to that in a minute), but actually reveal our lack of forgiveness. And when you don't address these issues Biblically, you will get this back and forth in church that sounds just like the world. 4) Is this a problem in the world today as well as the church? Absolutely, and it should be addressed. But the world will hate one another the way they do because they ultimately hate God (in fact, they hate Christ, Christians, and God the Father according to Jesus' words in John 15:18-23). No unsaved person will have a new heart in terms of racism or prejudice until they are saved, which is why the primary commission for believers is to proclaim the gospel (Romans 1:16) and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). We can certainly serve and help the unsaved (which we should), but no worldly, social justice way of solving racism will change the heart of a sinful man. But when we use the gospel as a code word to do "racial reconciliation," we forget that the real reconciliation is between sinful man and God, then we can deal with other problems. As for the church, the church is the called out ones that gather together for worship, fellowship, service, teaching, etc. And the last time I read, the duties of the pastor/elder/bishop has more to do with equipping and serving the church than the world (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9, Ephesians 4:11-16, and 1 Peter 5:1-3). Yet we let this serious problem divide our churches, have us think this is the number one mandate, do the social justice bidding of a world that actually hates us, and ignore sound doctrine to actually separate it from practical application. And finally, how can the unsaved world know about eliminating racism without the gospel and without seeing the church's love for one another. Remember, all men will know we are Christ's disciples because of our love for one another (John 13:35), not by solving racial issues the way the world does. In conclusion, the church leads the way in all things by being the church. We don't act, speak, or think about the problems of the world like the world because it is a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Timothy 2:3-4). Yet if we forget this and put away our armor, we actually attack each other over a subject that we should discuss Biblically without demonizing any believer on either side of the subject. As a pastor, bring the whole counsel of God to bear on this sinful problem, not just what we want to choose to line up with a worldly type sound bite about racism. If I want worldly solutions, I can listen to unsaved socialists spout the same thing, but I am a believer in Christ, and Christ must be who we go to first.
Eric Smith: Your post is firmly rooted in the Word and sound doctrine. I just wanted to let you know that I found your message incredibly edifying and uplifting. Soli Deo gloria!
C C, thank you for your kind words. It is only the Spirit and the Word that could give me any insight at all. This issue has exploded within the churches and the Gospel Coalition has taken this subtle attitude that this is the way we address this particular issue. We are not to be ashamed of the gospel according to Romans 1:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 tells us it is the gospel by which we stand. Prominent Christian organizations, preachers, and theologians should never address a sin issue devoid of the very Word that sanctifies us (John 17:17) and is sufficient for all believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are not to be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). Pray for this particular situation because it is sad that if we address it Biblically, others think that we're ignoring the problem. This is untrue, but this is the depths of how worldly thinking has entered into some churches and it is sad. God bless.
Nicholas Viall, that is a good question with broad implications. There are many differing situations with different individuals within the church, therefore application may be varied depending on who is involved and what dynamic of the discussion is in play. But here is a general rule concerning racism in the church (or any sin problem); we go to the Word of God for the answer. To do this, we must know what the Word of God says not only on the subject of sin at hand, but also about our reaction and/or actions as believers. There is no cut and dry application that is the same for every situation, but every application needs to be Biblical. Let me present at least just one hypothetical situation. (And for the purposes of this example, I will use the terms “black” and “white,” not because I agree with them, but because it is used in and out of the church. To use colors as an adjective to describe the culture, social status, language, and background of anyone is too broad and not clear. This is the reason you won’t see it in scripture, which is the reason believers should be careful not to speak or conform to the world’s way of thinking per Romans 12:1-2). First, let’s say we have two Christians, one white, one black, that are discussing a situation of race. The black man basically is complaining about how black people have been oppressed one way or another throughout history and even those that are white in the church have done nothing about it. How should the white Christian respond? 1) Since he is addressing a brother in the Lord, he should listen carefully to the compliant and acknowledge the truth claims in any statement; and address it as sin. If there were cases where white people were prejudicial or turned a blind eye to this sin, we say that it is a sin because it is. After all, we are to have love one to another (John 13:35). And the answer from the white Christian should be gentle, regardless of the tone of the black Christian, because a soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). 2) If the racist/prejudicial truth comes from outside the church, the white Christian should remind the black Christian that it is based on the nature of sin (referencing Romans 3:10-18, Jeremiah 17:9, and Ephesians 2:1-3 as examples) and the only way to change the wicked human heart is by the gospel (Romans 1:16). 3) For inside the church, the white Christian can remind the black Christian that our identity in Christ is the overriding factor of our lives, not our status, culture, background, or even sex (here you can reference Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11). This truth should be addressed to everyone in the church. 4) And then the white Christian could gently probe to see if the black Christian is holding any grudge or unforgiveness to anyone white for the past. If so, he should be reminded that we are to forgive (Matthew 18:22) because we’ve been forgiven much by Christ. The white Christian could also repent and confess if he truly did have any feelings of racism or prejudice, but not to appease the black Christian, but because any sin is against God first and foremost (Psalm 51:4). Just as the white Christian can confess sins, the black Christian can be exhorted to think through any animosity or hidden anger he has. Has he forgiven others as he has been forgiven? Does he have the sin of envy and jealousy because he thinks whites have “white privilege?” This also needs to be addressed because envy/jealousy could be a sign of covetous, which Ephesians 5:4 and Colossians 3:5 calls idolatry. In addition, the envy/jealousy may show discontent, when Philippians 4:11 and 1Timothy 6:6 tells us to be content in our lives. I could go further, but I hope you see the foundation of this conversation for believers should be from the scriptures, not outside of it. When we don’t discuss these issues through the scriptures, we are both leaning on our own understanding or being spoiled by the vain deceit and human philosophies that Proverbs 3:5 and Colossians 2:8 warn against. Now will this conversation go as planned? It may not. The black Christian may get angry, interrupt, and accuse the white Christian of not understanding his experiences. And the white Christian may get defensive or feel the need to apologize for something he doesn’t feel. That can’t be controlled. The bottom line: if both men are believers, the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s Word must guide their thinking, speech, and actions. (And either party needs to remember that truth and give the other time for the Spirit to work in his life.) If it does not, then their problem is with God, not with man. The only thing either party can do is pray for the other so they can be unified in the faith. Remember, our words, deeds, and thoughts must be dictated by the Word of God and the Spirit, but if it isn’t, then we need to repent to the Lord and move forward. We act upon God’s Word rightly when we trust what God says, not just believe its truth. As Christians, we can believe that we’re all of one blood (Acts 17:26), but until we trust that we are, we won’t think, speak, or act that way. Our actions are dictated by what we believe/trust and the love/desire of a thing. If we believe/trust the Lord and love/desire the Lord, then our lives will show it. If we don’t, it won’t. And yes, it is a struggle, because the flesh battles against the Spirit according to Galatians 5:16-17, but Romans 6:1-12 reminds us we have freedom in Christ not to let sin reign in our bodies. We know all this when we truly are renewing our minds day to day through the scriptures, because Romans 12:1-2 tells us to renew our minds and our sanctification is by the Word of God, which is truth according to John 17:17. Let me just encourage you to study your scriptures, be prayerful, and act upon your faith in Christ no matter what the subject is, because you can’t control another brother’s actions, just your own by submitting to the Word and Spirit. I know this is a long answer, but the bottom line: It starts with our love for God, love for His Word, and trust that His Word is truth and it is good. I’m not sure if that is helpful, but please feel free to give me any specific examples or go to my home page here on RU-vid under discussion if you want to go further. God bless.
Eric Smith, that is a great answer. Thank you so very much, and I will make sure to apply it. Your answer reminded me, for some reason, of forgiveness in the worst of situations. I recently witnessed a woman who survived the Holocaust as a Jew, and when asked about forgiveness, she expressed ambivalence about it. The thing is, I understand her conflicting feelings about this. It's easy and beneficial to forgive for petty or minor things, but genocide is a whole different picture, it would seem, as it is monumentally more wicked and sinful. So, what would a biblical answer be to someone who asked "should the Jews forgive the Nazis"?
He said alot of words with out actually saying anything...own it.own what?what exactly must be done to reconcile the the "white evangelicals" and "black evangelicals" as he says can u give them money beg for forgiveness for things they never did? This movement will definitely strengthen the church.
In 2016 on CrossPolitic Mr. Thabiti was asked directly to explain "complicit" in whites of today. His response was completely different. He acknowledged he did not think anyone who had no direct action or lived in that era was complicit. Now the tune has changed and a new song is sung. This is not Gospel. He continues, as he did in the previous stated dialog, to refer to a historical view of American history without being truthful in who were actually complicit in racism. This is the flaw. There is no generality of all churches or white people who were complicit, but a segment that he needs to speak directly too. This postmodern way of talking if not helpful and I would say it's condemnation to many who were not complicit. Your judgment sir is not warranted and to say the least, Christians are not called to judge the unbeliever as though they would the believer (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).
I couldn't agree more. I have found that as soon as I hear a christian tell me they aren't political or reject the political mainstream, they follow that up with the newest WOKE ideology. Many people calling themselves christian are falling into the socialist narrative of Acts 2:44. It's breaking my heart to see this happen and how isolated and alone I am.
@@DANIELRODRIGUEZ-yr3et Your not alone in the greater body of Christ brother. It is hard for me as well to feel like I have to read through the lines of so many people who dont want discussion about what is biblical and what is not. My church fails to preach the whole counsel of God and after pleading with the pastor he remains in the weak Pastor Warren's purpose driven model of keeping everything shallow and not raising the the awareness of false teaching. Our God is greater than man!! One mature Christian mentor of mine told me several years ago that if I want to truly follow Jesus, it will be a lonely road. Man he was right.
There are some comments here that seem to be coming from the perspective that there is no racial strife going on in America or that Christians don't have any culpability. I feel like if you get to know people in a variety of racial contexts, you see that not only is there still hurt in the US, but that Christians' responsibility to do the ministry of reconcilation in a spiritual sense also has a physical manifestation. We must be willing to acknowledge a history of failure that isn't just in the past but still affects us today, regardless of how advanced and cultured we like to think of ourselves. There's a lot of history to overcome, and it's going to take intentional churches and Christians to do it.
Noted. The business of the church is not to repair history or reform society, but to preach the Gospel and to save souls. If some good comes out of that then so be it!
Wayne M So... sorta along the lines of "be warm and filled, brown-skinned Christians"? #thoughtsandprayers #bewarmandfilled #sorryaboutsystemicinjustice
Wayne M Wow Wayne that sounds so cold and unloving. Myself and many black people have went to White churches for decades then all of sudden Obama gets elected and then there's so much animosity and hatred in the church that pushes black people out. That happened to my sister and I.
Wayne M If people are saved and believe the gospel won't they change? Won't they love what God loves and hate what God hates? And won't they oppose sin, evil, and lies? Opposition to the evil and injustice of racism should be the natural disposition of the believer. If Christians - individually and collectively - can work to oppose abortion because of the truth of God's word, then Christians - individually and collectively - can also worked to oppose white supremacy because of the truth of God's word. Add to that the fact that American Christianity has been complicit in racism, and there's a clear responsibility for the church to address this issue.
Supposed "White Christians" have NOT supported any of the major movements that Black Christians have been supporting or spearheading for the last 300 years going back to David Walker- Elizabeth Freeman, Frederick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, Organization of Afro-American Unity, SCLC, SNIC, Martin Luther King, and today BLM, where a recent study showed that only 13% of White Evangelicals support the message of BLM.... I am not saying that White Churches have to support any of these organizations or movements; what I am saying is that your claim of it's "going to take intentional churches and Christians" is not backed up by historical proof, even current polls are suggesting that White Evangelicals, and White Christians are NOT becoming MORE sensitive and actually it shows that they are becoming less empathetic. For God's sake 71% of Whites believe that Reverse Racism against white people is a major problem in our country. So I submit to you that the historical record does not agree with your statement. Actually, the data shows that the White Church is a HUGE part of the problem. You said "intentional churches" but what would be the "intent" what are these churches going to do to end Systemic Racism? For God's Sake White Christians can't even stop drawing Jesus and other Biblical Historical Figures as White Europeans (just check gospelproject.com/kids). White Christians are NOT going to let go of drawing and depicting Jesus as White/and or "Middle Eastern", (According the the U.S. Census Dept. a White person is - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. The government has made sure that drawing any Bible Characters as WHITE matches their Census data) let alone apologize for LYING and DECEIVING us all these years by promoting and selling pictures of Hippie Euro Jesus for the primary purpose of promoting White Supremacy (see the Book 'The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America', I have read this book). There is MAJOR house cleaning that has to occur first before your premise can even be considered.
For fifty years I've been in evangelical churches all over the country where some of them have been fifty percent black and fifty percent white, and all I have ever seen is that the love of Christ is displayed to all! In my BC days, I played in a mostly black traveling music group. Coming from a small midwest town I had not been around many people of color so it was an education. After living, sleeping, eating, and playing music I came to understand God's great diversity! In many ways, whites and blacks are the same and in many ways we are different. That is a good thing! If we were all the same one of us wouldn't be necessary. In any case, if you claim to be a follower of Jesus and you can't love your brother who you see, how dwells the love of God in you! All I have ever seen is love and unity among true Christians!
Thank you for this. As an European, I am not familiar with the struggles, nor am I preprogrammed to accept such ways of thought, that contradict the teachings of the Lord; Christian values. Maybe it could even be an effective idea to have more communication across borders within devoted Christian communities, and even practice pastor-exchange between countries, to counteract old ideas that do not serve the Lord. I am by the way called and available. 😃✝️
What European country? Bc y’all colonized the crap of all of Africa and all of the Americas. The wealth of Europe was made on the backs of black and brown bodies.
How about the racism perspective spoken here is a false gospel? Use an objective meaning of the word racism and apply it to all people groups in the world. Then come back to this page and speak of your irony. It's a universally applicable truth or not truth at all.
@@akadwriter you know? Your comments about this video makes me sad...I mean I know you don't care but I have to say that this reminds me of John chapter nine when Jesus heals the blind man and then the blind man has to stand before the Pharasitical council in the temple. He ( the blind man) tells them over and over that he has been healed by Jesus and in their arrogance they insulted them because how DARE this blind begger know anything about God and his word and then Jesus had to tell them that THEY were the blind ones. Your response is similar. How DARE this black man be able to teach white people about what they think they have inherited....a Godly heritage. That's what racism is...a power structure to keep a group of people subordinate physically...if not physically then mentally...if not mentally then THEOLOGICALLY. That's what he's saying. The church used the BIBLE to justify slavery and to slaves that thats where they should be, then Jim Crow and on and on. May God have mercy on your soul and open your eyes and convict you to learn your history and apply it to the TRUTH of God's word.
@@fondawebb4527 Learn history to apply it to God's Word??? You are putting people in categories and judging them by their skin color...just as this pastor does here. It is called the sin of partiality and is condemned in Scripture. And it is blasphemous to somehow connect a demonic ideology to the Scripture you referenced!!! Slander, or twisting of Scripture is all you can come up with. You have a different Gospel. Please repent.
This gentleman is speaking an approach to address the congenital racial divides of America. I hear heart and love in his messgae. Yet, the comments under this video are filled with hate and racism, yet some of those same people wrote that there is no need to discuss racism. I wonder what Christ really thinks about this mess that we call the church.
Could it be perhaps most don’t understand why they by just being part of an institution called the church are being blamed for actions that happened 52 years ago in the case of segregation and 150+ years ago on slavery. The SBC for instance apologized formally for slavery a few decades ago but the charge never went away. So obviously our historical roots are the real problem. Voodie Buchman nails it in his message on social Justice. He says that the social justice movement sees the black man as the weaker person. This is my problem with what is going on also. White privilege screams superiority and so I reject it.
There’s no need to elevate racism above every other sin. There’s no need to buy in to a narrative that is a lie (that systematic racism is everywhere in society)
Racial reconciliation is the wrong phrase .Reconciliation means that a previous relationship needs to be healed or reconciled. The problem is for some there has never been a relationship to begin with. The real challenge is to develop satisfying relationships now, in the present .
Many people here try to hide behind the Bible to explain why they're silent or indifferent on these social issues that are affecting those who are supposed to be their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Racial injustice shouldn't be ignored by the church or treated as though it's somehow outside of the church and a just a worldly problem to be ignored.Jesus our Lord led the charge against injustice and greed,and power seekers he didn't say "well those are worldly issues," he put God's business first but he didn't ignore the issues of his time and nor does he expect us to do that now. All the Pastor is saying here is to hear us and help us be our brothers and sisters on the issues we face daily and not just on Sundays.Instead of just complaining about or dismissing what he's saying, maybe see what you can do about it because we can all be doing better and working to become more like Christ which should be heightening our level of willingness, understanding and awareness and not driving us deeper into our biases and denials. We need to listen with open hearts and not hardened ones.
The Bible is God-breathed and sufficient for all believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17); Christians are called to study/search it to see if something is true or not (2 Timothy 2:15, Acts 17:11). Christians don't "hide" behind the Bible; it is our foundation of faith as it pertains to anything in our lives. If a pastor addresses any sin problem in or out of the church without God's Word, then he either doesn't believe it, think it has power, or embraces other ways. And no one is ignoring racial problems, but we need to address it Biblically. I went into more detail in my response to you under my comments.
In the spirit of the late Dr. James Cone, know that there can be no authentic revelation about who God is without completely empathizing with those who have been rejected, despised, absused and oppressed. As long as you remain affiliated with those who are doing the rejecting, the despising, the abusing and the oppressing you are standing in contradiction to God. The comments on this post are troubling because it suggest rather than attempting to empathize with people from these groups, there is more offense by the articulation of these idea and a refusal to do introspection. These comments are indicative of the racial divide.
Turn from our wicked ways...all of us, that are christians... It's really plain and simple if you're a believer and follower of Christ. And if it's difficult then there is a heart issue going on...plain and simple...examine your hearts. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If MY PEOPLE (Who's People?, God's people, true followers ) who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and TURN from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. if you can't do this then something is going on in your heart.
"white evangelical brothers and sisters"..... The Bible doesn't divide the Church into black and white groups rather It says that regardless of our ethnicity if we are in Christ then we are all ONE family. And the Bible also teaches that every person will be held accountable for his own sins not the sins of his father or his grandfather. Ezekiel 18:20 "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son." Thabiti, this message that you gave here is not Biblical.
As the church, we should strive to be the example to the world of how to do this right. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are our true family. What we have in common with them is eternal, and more significant than what we share with those to whom we are related by mere nationality, blood, or color.
I grew up and live in Prague. Was taught by my Christian parents that we are all equally created as God's image bearers and that racism is evil. It saddens me that I now hear that the one thing that I need to know as a white Evangelical is my responsibility and that there can be no true racial reconciliation unless I recognize that I am complicit. This is just unbelievable. It is also absolutely not warranted by the Word of God. You are ascribing me with extra responsibility for the sins of people that happend to have the same skin-color as I have. This is wrong. Brother Thabiti I urge you to reconsider this.
No pastor Thabiti is on point and it is you who need to get the splinter out of your own eye. Many so called white Christians are complicit in racism. They are silent when it comes to this sin and evils of racism. When is the lattime you did that? Your main problem is that you are convicted. Get right with God
@@terrypower3245 Terry, let's not make this into a foolish battle over who is right with God and who is not. I don't know you and don't see in your heart, the same can be said about you. I grew up in mostly white culture, oppressed by white communists. My father spent some jail-time for political reasons. In deeper past, we were oppressed by the monarchy and experienced severe persecution as protestants (you may have heard of John Hus, John Amos Comenius and others). Most of Czech people were poor peasants and serfs up until 18th century. We had no colonies in our history. Racism for me is an evil sin. One of many. My skin color doesn't make me more likely to sin by racism than the people of any other color. It seems to me, that the current debate about racism in USA is very American-centric. There were many white people in other parts of the world, who were enslaved throughout the history up until recent time in Europe (namely in Ottoman empire). There was a large slave trade in the Arab world or China and not least - Africa. To think that the only group who suffered were black people and the only perpetrators were white people is deeply misinformed. One could even argue that the non-American slave trade was much larger and ended later. None of this is to say that the American slavery was not deeply evil and does not influence the relationships up until today. But placing a special kind of sin with people who were born with white skin is deeply mislead, misinformed, American-centric, and non-biblical. The Critical Race Theory in which most of these ideas are rooted, is an evil, godless even pagan ideology. It saddens me that this debate became an issue in the Church as well. I believed we were brothers and sisters in Christ with people of all nations, tribes and races, all forgiven sinners, connected to one another by His blood. Many people of all colors still do believe this biblical teaching. But unfortunately, some of my brothers and sisters bring a new dynamic into this based on the skin color which all of us were born into based on God's sovereign decision. That is really tragic.
@@petrmaresu if you believe racism is an evil sin, then help the church fix it. Nobody is asking you to feel guilty about what happened before your were born, but to rather acknowledge these ramifications persist to this day. If you believe that Jesus loves all of us than you cannot be satisfied as long as any of us are experiencing injustice. I personally just long to see the church shine as the example we are meant to be.
"White Evangelical"?? Brother Scripture is clear that we are ONE in Christ. There is neither Jew or Gentile, free of slave,... But one in Christ. And how in the world does one hold a whole ethnic group at fault for the actions of previous generations? I say this as a father of 4 biracial children. May you provide Scripture (in context) for your assertion s? Unity is what the Church needs. NOT division. Amen?
So it's division when you are telling the truth? Racism runs rampant in the most White church congregations on Sunday morning. Fast forward to 2019, many Whites don't want Blacks in their midst. Perhaps you need to take a history class and learn why Black people had to start their churches. I live in a small town in Georgia where Blacks cannot be buried in the same cemetery as Whites!!!! Most White churches still have literature that depict a "white Jesus even that is historically unsupportable. Blacks for the most part have been the welcoming ones and have reached their hands across the isle. It is a shame before Christ that most White Christians will die in their own hatred. Judgement day will be quite a wake up call for them
@@terrypower3245 with that much hate and slander in your heart...I think judgment day will not go well for you either. Please repent of your lies and umforgiveness.
I believe that if "Race is a social fiction" (and it is) we should act like ti THEREfore the church's responsibility is to call out LIES for what they are, call people to repentance for those lies, and point to the cross where the ground is level and all men are offered peace by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
My Brothers Keeper you can’t address an issue you don’t define. I’m trying to think of why we see in the word specificity written. God didn’t just say repent, the sins are listed out specifically almost like in case you didn’t know “these people will not inherit the kingdom of God” and he begins to explicitly list sin after sin. He didn’t assume we wouldn’t know so he makes it obvious don’t just do good, but do you know what good is? It’s to be ... the fruit of the spirit. God goes in detail. It’s like saying just believe in God, but no he says “confess with your mouth and believe in your heart..” not just anything generic but that Jesus is Lord! God is a specific God. I can see that from just reading Genesis. It’s not just a lie is a lie. He goes to grave detail...if you don’t speak it specifically I’m not sure where I see examples of “generic language” the Bible is an extremely detailed and specific book which 1 Tim 6:3. I’m trying to see how this fits into the narrative I read biblically and I’m not seeing it 🤷🏽♀️. Call and adulterer and adulterer so they know to repent of adultery. Call a racist a racist so they know to repent of racism. And call our brothers and sisters who look different from us to stand up and weep with us and lament with us. Nehemiah was broken because of Jerusalem...very specific.
I have always hated the fact that there are "white" churches and "black" churches. There should just be churches. But people always bring up cultural differences as the reason for the separation of churches.
The reason there are black and white churches is because white people didn't want black people in their churches. You know segregation. So black people started their own churches. Same reason we have historically black colleges and universities like Howard University, Fisk University, etc. Black people weren't allowed to enroll in the University of Mississippi until 1962. And it wasn't because the University of Mississippi suddenly had a change of heart. They rejected the black student, it wasn't until after lawsuit, the university was forced to accept the student. The white students rioted when they found out. These folks are still alive...
Utter garbage. I don’t own the sins of others. I am complicit in my own sins, not those of people in the past -regardless of their skin color. You should try looking at the world through the lense of accountability, not racism.
I love your comment 😘 I often wonder how can we expect people in 2018 to bear the weight of the sin of slavery and all that it encompassed, sure there is still racism in the hearts of some people and sure there are systemic things that impact the decedents of slavery and we need to work at changing the things that we can but only Christ can change the heart of a racist and heal the brokenness in the victim of that racism. America just needs to turn to Yahweh and follow the teachings of His precious Son Jesus.
First of all calling the sincere concern of a Christian utter garbage is a worldly response to a reality. The church in America has sat by, complicit by what it did not do, and allowed a large group of Christians to be marginalized. You cannot know the hurt this has engendered to countless people. We do need to corporately repent, not individually, for sins of our churches. And we need to stretch the right hand of fellowship to those who serve the same God. I was aghast at the comments I saw here. I see the flesh, the culture, worldliness and arrogance-something I do not expect to find coming from Christians who are blood Children of the Most High God. And it is this kind of attitude that makes it hard for true reconciliation with our black brothers and sisters. I am married to a black Christian and I go to a black church and I am totally accepted and loved there, but I also know the hurt that many have suffered at the superfluous comments made in public by white Christians. Something for thought, black lives matter, not the organization, but the saying doesn't mean that white lives don't. It means that black lives matter too. But the hype from politically conservative white Christians is that it means only black lives matter. And when they say such nonsense publicly, it hurts people who have suffered a lot in our country and who only a half century ago, I'm 69, couldn't eat at lunch counters in public facilities, nor use public restrooms, nor go to good schools. And Christians in those areas sat by and used false biblical arguments to justify a injustice that now is unmasked and seen by almost everyone as cruel.
So, Thabiti wants “white evangelicals” (there is no way to make that distinction since we are all one and equal in the body) to realize and act in light of their regeneration in Ephesians 2, but he won’t realize that Colossians 3:9-11 uses that same reason (we are born again and being conformed through a knowledge of the truth to Christ’s image) to explain how you can’t divide the Church into groups like “white evangelicals.” There’s no such thing. Sure, there are evangelicals with low melanin count, but as soon as you say, “White evangelicals need to...” then you are profoundly ignoring a truth of Scripture, just like it would be sinful to say, “Black evangelicals are...” There is no white or black in any categorical sense in the Church, but Thabiti refuses to give up his idol of racialism and the racial lens through which he sees the world. Proof that he does this: he actually thinks MLK was a believer and ignores his many heresies and lewd lifestyle.
@@trex1448, And I hope you’re just trolling, cuz you’re off your rocker if you think me saying, “We are all one and equal in the body” is an example of racism.
@Nelson's Rudolph, So, let me get this straight. Because I observed that the Bible says all ethnicities are one in the church, that somehow makes me a white supremacist? When did I ever say anything about the Confederacy? I didn’t. If I had, then I would have said that I’m glad they lost the war. They were correct in terms of the state’s authority, but I’m glad they lost the war because it was the end of slavery. When did I glorify a “white ethnic republic”? I’m all for every ethnicity to have the right to vote in this republic so long as they are citizens. You need to take a chill pill and use your brain before you hit “reply”.
Mr. Double Corinthians casually hints at "fire and fury the likes of which the world has never seen" and we're sitting around drinking fair trade coffee, honing our apologetics rolodex, and arguing about inaugurated eschatology. A certain kind of cowardice... God sure does love a good comedy tho. Can't argue with that.
The brother has lost the plot here by almost imposing on white evangelicals a duty to racially reconcile - a colossal un-biblical error. The Biblical duty to brotherly love (which includes racial reconciliation) is a duty required of ALL Christian believers, regardless of color or creed. This is the standard all believers are to strive towards. We now live in the Jewish-Gentile Age where the Gospel is to be preached to all.
Wayne M I have went to White churches for a long time and I'm black and I can give you examples many times that I am not accepted. Of course you're going to do like so many people do and Turn the table and say black people don't accept white people either. I guess that's just the way America is and nobody's wrong about anything but I have criticized black people a lot even on the radio.
Oh Brother: I'd really like to hear those examples. I've personally attended a variety of churches with congregations from all kinds of ethnic or political backgrounds, rich backgrounds or poor backgrounds etc. and I've personally not encountered those kinds of problems. Before God saved me I was full of hatred for people who were different from me but now I can go into a church, meet someone from the opposite side of the world and I can call them my brother or my sister with genuine love, because of the grace of God Almighty.
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I'm not white; my skin is. Reconciliation has taken place among people who don't identify merely with their skin pigmentation, and it will never take place with those who do.
"the negro is God's appeal to a Christian nation." - Thomas Merton wrote that in his journal over 5 decades ago. How do we answer that appeal in light of the 80 percent of our waspy brothers and sisters who see and wear red? How can a dialogue even hope to begin if those given much voice still suffer from, to quote Piper, "a certain kind of cowardice" in regards to unequivocally and uncompromisingly confronting the great orange antithesis to our Savior's crucial message? Mt 7:22 for the sea of red hats, James 3:1 for the Pastors Edition.
I think Thabiti's concern is a non-starter for many white people I know. I'd like to ask Thabiti: is it truly legitimate to place a race-based identity on a people who don't identify themselves by race, and through that identification, expect them to be culpable for sins they didn't commit? Or perhaps more to the point: does God identify people by race, and treat them according to their race? If not, I'm thinking we shouldn't either. I would expect many whites listening to Thabiti to have 2 responses: 1. [+]The person who sins is the one who will die. A son won’t suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity, and a father won’t suffer punishment for the son’s iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him. (Ezek 18:20) 2. [+]“For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing. (Matt 6:14-15) That is, whites should forgive blacks and blacks should forgive whites. (Reparations would seem to be antithetical to forgiveness.) On the flip-side, I can't think of any passage in the Bible that suggests that people of one skin color are to own up to and "lean into" culpability for the sins done by fellows of the same skin color. I'm open to being wrong on this, but I've not come across any. I've listened to Tim Keller speak on this, and he was dead wrong on his use of Achan, national sins and national confessions to argue the point (for the life of me, I can't see why Keller employed those examples, when they had nothing to do with ethnicity or skin color. But that's another discussion for another time). And if we're truly interested in reparations for all injustices, I wonder: Should American blacks seek reparations from West African blacks for selling them into slavery? Or are we only interested in repairing inter-racial injustices? (I must confess I'm a bit puzzled that only whites ever bother to bring up that latter point. I don't think I've ever heard a black person bring it up)
We who are in Christ are family, adopted by God the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The very title of this video is racist and unchristian. This gentleman really stepped in it starting at time 2:50. Just what restoration apart from Christ do we need? He insults the power of the gospel by racializing it.
Identity politics and the Gospel are antithetical to one another. There is only one body full of many members. Also, are we going to hold the Egyptian, African, and Syrian church to the same standard as the 'white church' in America? America was the first nation to abolish slavery and the only nation in existence that never wanted slavery in the beginning. The aforementioned places still practice slavery. Historical sources show that 3 founding fathers are confirmed to have had slaves. At most 7 did. Most wanted to set them free but due to sate (then colony/British law) they were actually unable to do so. Can anyone name another place where that was true?
Azure Coast Media Inc. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE !! Slavery ended in England in 1834 the year Charles Spurgeon was born. Southern Baptists burnt Spurgeon's sermons and books in bonfires all across the South and threatened his life for preaching against slavery. Spurgeon was tremendously hated in America for speaking out against slavery but I guess you have your own truth and you're going to stick to it. www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/blog-entries/the-reason-why-america-burned-spurgeons-sermons-and-sought-to-kill-him
And what bigger identity politics was it when some of these Evangelical pastors jumped along with Trump's white nationalist politics. And no I'm not a liberal I'm a Republican. So don't use it liberal word which is just another nice way of saying the n word.
Thank you brother... no matter how many haters there are out there - I am grateful that your voice has at least reached my ears, blessed me, and helped to change my heart and my eyes towards the issues that are so very pressing - especially in these past few years! May Jesus bless you and your family.
Oh Thabiti, who has bewitched you? Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by racial reconciliation? Have you forgotten that faith is a gift?--That Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness? Run with us to the cross, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable. Christ has already won the battle and will accomplish all his purpose.
@@yeshuachristdrivenandinspi6998 Got some scriptural support for that comment or is this your flesh crying for the justice meted out the way the world makes for justice, Christian?
I listen very careful to what he said. When we are drawn by the Holy Spirit to place we ask Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savor, then create in us a new heart and forgives our sins. We are not held responsible for anyone sins but ours. We are held responsible anyone sins committed by someone especially slavery that you can’t in the Bible. That would like saying we’re held accountable for those that crucified Jesus. All over this world there has been slaves and still certain parts now. Even during Bible days. This is one thing blacks and others culture has to accept. But the church is not being held accountable by God so this is something have except and live with it happened okay. Put it the past where is part of past and leave it. Never heard church responsible for Indians.
The country was founded by sinners - many who loved Christ - and the Church was founded by GOD, not man! This man is addressing one ethnicity over others - that is racism. In Christ we are one - not Jew or Greek!
I wish we would stop using this term "reconciliation." God and man had a conciliatory relationship until man disobeyed. That put us at odds with who HE is. It also changed who Man was at that time. Jesus brings us into a re-conciliatory relationship of healing - to bring us back into a right relationship opposite of the enmity created during Man's initial offense. So too this being between white and black people. No. One is not God and the other created by it. No. Humanly speaking, there is no point in history by which we Americans of European and African heritage were in conciliatory relations and then, one sinned against the other and broke that harmony of relationship. We have never been one or seen as equals or treated as such nor shared in governmental, educational, social and or financial power to direct this country. We Americans born Blacks have a major, massive responsibility which is to both call to attention racism, but also to call attention to hypocrisy and to be very careful not to ascribe racism and bigotry to every act committed against Blacks of every original birthland. We who are Christian owe a debt of love to them at every degree and difficulty. We must learn not allow racism and our history to beholden us to it that it then becomes us - identifies us by how we are treated by others. Hopefully, we can see that last point to correlate with our Redeemed nature and saintly priesthood.
@DJ And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Explain why I or my fellow believers in the Way, owe anyone anything outside the preaching of repentance? Be warned christian, that this doctrine is filled with Black supremacy that will choke out the truth of the gospel that was preached at first. Repent and return to your first love least He come and find you in wanting.
anything less than yes be yes and no be no is resounding gong. but let's talk about tattoo's and cover dating advice first, big issue stuff. sick. go read some fanny lou hamer and put down the heidegger for half an hour. go put on kendrick or bach and turn down klove for a while. we serve the King who's Lordship is in and over everything, but we don't speak up out of fear. most to be pitied.
From the perspective of a truly biblical anthropology, any talk about "white" or "black" (or "brown" or "yellow") Christians is incoherent. Only in the context of an unregenerate culture do these things exist.
Chandler Keaton no what we really need for the military to called in and they start standing up to these law breakers. This has nothing to do With Church just hate and evil. Satan at work where you believe it or not. Nothing do racist that a word for fools.
I’m all about an honest conversation on race but it seems like no one actually wants to be honest. First, an HONEST conversation about racism is not going to be a conversation about the problems with white people. An honest conversation will have to have to include racist black tendencies. It absolutely will need to include problems with policing. It will also have to include the reason why black neighborhoods absolutely require so many police in the first place. If we can’t acknowledge that most of the problems in black communities comes from an almost 80% self inflicted,obv, fatherless rate than we’re not interested in an honest conversation. What’s more likely to be the the cause of the fatherlessness, slavery in the 1800’s or corrupt sexual ethics today
