Is “Whiteness” a Sin to Repent Of?

What is whiteness, and is it a sin we need to repent of? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. Hi, this is Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Our phone lines are open, and you can call us right now with your question at 833.

The CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. Now, you can also post your question on one of our social media accounts. In fact, you can watch us right now live on YouTube and message us that way. And you can always email us your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com.

First up today, we received this voicemail from one of our listeners named Lisa. I am a healthcare worker in New Jersey, and the hospital system I work for in South Jersey is requiring all employees get the COVID vaccine. And I do have concerns. I have concerns not just about the health of it, but also, you know, where fetal tissue come to play with the beginning of time with research for vaccines. I have had vaccines in the past.

My kids have been vaccinated, but now I'm starting to question whether or not it's the right thing to do in God's eyes. I thank you so much for accepting my call. Thank you so much. Bye bye. Yeah, thank you for that question, Lisa.

And boy, Bill, we're really getting into some some deep stuff in today's broadcast. Lisa, you know, one thing I would want to say to you, well, first is just thank you for your service to the community, especially in such a difficult time as this and how, you know, the last 18 months have been, I can imagine that it's been a really rough season for you. And so thank you for the service you provide for the work that you do.

I pray that the Lord continues to keep you to keep you healthy. Now, really, I just want to hone in on what you said there at the end of your question where you asked, you know, I want to I want to make sure that I'm doing what's right in God's eyes. And I don't know that this is an issue of right and wrong in the sense of, you know, obeying God's law.

We can put it that way. This is a matter of personal conscience, personal liberty. I do not believe that the you know, if somebody gets the vaccine that they're sinning in any way that they're displeasing God. No, you need to use wisdom. You need to use, you know, the best of, you know, what the science is saying and and make a decision, make an informed decision. But I wouldn't think of this in terms of, you know, am I going to am I going to be disobeying God if I if I get the vaccine?

That's that's not what it is. It really is a matter of personal liberty. And I also, you know, remind you that the Apostle Paul says that whatever is not from faith is sin. And so, you know, if our if our conscience is plaguing us, if we can't do something with a clear conscience, then we probably shouldn't do it.

But that's why it's so important to be informed and to understand all the ins and outs of of the vaccine and make a decision with that knowledge. And so, again, appreciate the work that you're doing and may the Lord bless you. Thank you, Lisa, for your call and for being a regular listener to Core Christianity. We'd love to hear from you today.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life or COVID or anything else, we are are open to that. Here's the phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. So give us a call right now.

Our phone lines will be open for the next 20 minutes or so. Here's a voicemail we received from one of our listeners named Ed in Winchester, Virginia. I've been hearing a lot of politicians and church leaders encouraging people to repent of the sin of whiteness. And I wanted to know, is there anything in the Bible that supports this? My understanding is that all people, regardless of their race, are equally sinful and worthy of God's judgment. So what is a Christian supposed to make of this idea? And how are we supposed to respond when somebody says that there's this sin of whiteness? I'd appreciate any insights you could give me.

Thanks. Hey, Ed, thank you for listening to the broadcast and for asking that question. A very controversial subject topic and one I think that right now in the church is leading to a lot of division in some. I mean, people have really strong opinions about this. Now, let me just say with regard to your understanding is that we've all, regardless of our ethnicity, are under God's condemnation because we failed to obey him. And that's true. This is something that the apostle Paul makes very clear, especially in the opening chapters of the book of Romans. He says in Romans chapter two, verse 11, for God shows no partiality for all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. And his point there is to demonstrate that both Jews and Gentiles, that is non-Jewish people, all of us are justly condemned.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and we desperately need the redemption that God gives to us in his son, Jesus Christ. And we have to be very careful that we don't define what sin is. We've got to let God's word define what sin is. And a very simple definition of sin that I think is helpful is sin is any want of conformity to or transgression of God's law. That is, it's when we fail to meet the positive requirements of the law, the commandment to love our neighbor as ourself.

It's not just being neutral, it's loving as God calls us to love. And it's also when we just flat out break or transgress the law of God. That's what sin is. And it's not up to me as a pastor or anybody else to redefine sin or to invent new sins.

And so the real question is, what does somebody mean when they say whiteness? If they're talking about you need to repent of your skin color, that kind of a thing, or repent of that, well, that's no. I mean, again, that's not a very helpful way of articulating this, and it can sort of confuse people about what sin is and what sin isn't. And so sometimes I think the language that we use, we just have to be very careful with how we talk and how it is that people perceive us. And I think that with a statement like that, a lot of people hear that and they just think, well, you're telling me I have to repent of the color of my skin.

And that's just absurd. That's not something that an individual can do or needs to do, because that's not sin. But we also have to recognize that there can be ideologies and commitments that people have, even groups have, to certain things that can and should be repented of. And this is where the discussion gets a lot more complex. But I think just to use an extreme example, you think of like Nazi Germany. You have a whole group and a certain ideology, a way of thinking that I think most of us would be very comfortable saying, yeah, that needs to be repented of. You think of slavery in our own country for a period of time and the Jim Crow laws and those kinds of things. That's where I think we have to also be willing to take a step back and say, well, are there ideologies?

Are there ways of thinking that people can have, that we can have, that help to oppress others or that don't love my neighbor as I'm called to love my neighbor? And those are things certainly that can and should be repented of. And so complex issue really, I think, maybe requires more time than what I'm able to give it here.

But that's just a very brief summary. And I appreciate your question and that you're wrestling through this. So may the Lord bless you.

Thanks for that, Adriel. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and we have an awesome new Bible study we want to offer you today. And it's something that will help you understand the core tenets of the Christian faith. I was just talking to a dear sister earlier today about how important it is to grasp those core tenets, Bill. The fundamental doctrines that I think many Christians in the church today have simply overlooked, doctrines like the doctrine of justification by faith alone. We sort of assume these doctrines, the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of the Incarnation.

And one of the problems with assuming all of these great doctrines is that we think we know them when in reality we haven't spent the time we need to spend in understanding them and really getting to know them. And so that's why we've created this resource, Core Christianity 101. It's a Bible study that can be yours for a donation of any amount. And we also have it available in bulk quantities. And so please get a hold of this resource. It's great. It's a 10-week Bible study, and it could be used in your small group, in your church.

You can use it individually or with your family. Just go to corechristianity.com forward slash studies to find it. That's corechristianity.com forward slash studies and look for Core Christianity 101. You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833-843-2673.

That number is 833-THE-CORE. Let's go to Beth in St. Louis, Missouri. Beth, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Hello?

Hi, Beth. Yes, my question is about cremation. I am not sure what the Bible really says about that or God's word. So if you could help me with that question, I would appreciate it.

Thank you. Yeah, Beth, thank you for that question. My view is that this, too, is an issue of personal choice or liberty. The Bible has, Scripture has a high view of the body. We don't think that God just came, that Jesus just came to save our spirits. He actually came so that the whole creation might be redeemed, if you will.

God himself assumed humanity so that we might have the hope of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. So the Bible does have a high view of the body. But I don't think that the Bible speaks to whether or not it's right or wrong to be cremated or do you have to be buried under the ground, that kind of a thing.

This is just a matter of personal liberty. The key question for believers is not how is it that you are buried. It's who did you trust in? Who are you trusting in now? The hope that we have of eternal life isn't ours because of the manner of our burial. It's ours because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

When he came, he lived, he died, and he rose again from the dead. So I think that this is a personal decision. If it's something that you feel like I just couldn't do it because I feel like it would be disrespecting the body, then I would say don't do it.

But if it's something where you feel like I don't see anything wrong with it and it might be a more financially prudent thing to do, then I think that it's totally permissible. Again, the key question is what we've got to focus on is do we trust in Jesus Christ? Do we know him by faith? And because we're united to him by faith, we have the hope of the resurrection of the dead, whether we're buried or we're cremated.

Thank you for your question. This is Core Christianity. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, pick up your phone right now. We'll be taking calls for another ten minutes or so at this number. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Gabriel in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Gabriel, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Hey, how are you doing?

First time caller. I was just wanting to ask, after so many years of Christianity being a religion and a faith, why are there continued to be so many books written about it? It seems that maybe it's a little confusing, Christianity as a topic, because there's so many different views of it.

As I listen today, I realize there's new studies and new books that are released and sold and everything, but it just seems that it's confusing, and I don't understand why it's not simplified. I really appreciate your question, Gabriel. I'm glad you're giving us a call.

Good to have another first time caller. Why are there so many books written about Christianity? Well, one thing I'll say is, I guess it depends on what kind of book it is that we're talking about. Yeah, there are all sorts of books arguing for one thing or another thing. You also have just the reality that there are new questions that are being asked in every generation, and so I think it's helpful for new things to be written in response to those questions that people have.

I mean, even just thinking about today's broadcast, we have people calling in today asking about things like the COVID-19 vaccine. Well, these are questions that people weren't asking 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 500 years ago, and so we're thinking about how to apply God's word and the faith to the issues of today, and I think that's one of the reasons why you have more things being written. And the other thing is, there's just a lot of good practical stuff out there for us to meditate on and think about, but I would say, for someone who's interested in learning more about the Christian faith, I would say go straight to the source. Go straight to the Bible, and one thing I will say, Gabriel, is the Scriptures. We do believe that there is a simplicity to the Scriptures so that as you're reading the Gospels, the message of Jesus and the message of salvation is clear enough, even for a child, to understand that by the grace of the Holy Spirit, God brings people along in a deeper knowledge of who he is. That doesn't mean that other books are bad, but those books aren't God's word, and so I think what we need to do, and what Christians need to do, actually, first and foremost, is focus on reading and studying the Scriptures. I love the words of Jesus at the end of Matthew 11, where he says, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things, he's referring to his teachings, the Gospel, hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, you know, he's referring to the religious leaders, the people who had all the books, if you will, all the parchments.

You've hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and you've revealed them to the babes, to the little children. So Gabriel, if you're confused, if you're thinking, man, I'd like to learn more about Christianity, but it just seems like there's hundreds of thousands of books, and I don't know where to start, I would say start with the Bible itself. Open up the Gospel of John and read it, and read it with an open heart, praying that God would bless you and give you understanding, and recognize that there are other really good books out there too, but I would say focus on the Scriptures, and then maybe as you study the Scriptures and you begin to have more questions, if there's another book out there that can help you, that can be a resource for digging into the historical background or some of those other things, then use it, as is necessary and as it aids you. But there's my question for you, brother, let me just ask you, Gabriel, are you a guy who goes to church pretty frequently, are you just interested in learning more about Christianity? No, I don't go to church very often.

Okay. Well, hey man, let me just encourage you to consider that, you know, like if all the other books are kind of overwhelming and I understand that, open up the Bible, open up the New Testament, the Gospel of John, and begin reading it and pray that God would bless you, would help you to understand, and I think you'll be surprised by the blessing and the benefit that it is. We also have a book called Core Christianity that seeks to explain some of the basics of the Christian faith. It's really good sort of entry level material, and that's why, you know, going back to your initial question, that's why more books are being written, is just wanting to serve people and help people wherever they are in their faith journey, if you will, to come to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and what he's done for you. God bless.

Hey, Gabriel, hang on the line. We'd love to send you a copy of the book Core Christianity for free because we believe it will really help you as you explore more about the Christian faith. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. One of the ways you can ask questions is to email us. Here's our email address. It's questions at corechristianity.com.

We received this email from Sarah. She says, Is it true Jesus gave up his omniscience when he came in the flesh? If he did, why doesn't that take away from his being fully God while also fully man? Could he still be fully God if he didn't have all of God's attributes? Also, if someone believes Jesus did give up his deity for a time, is that a heresy that keeps them from truly being saved?

I will be very quick with this one. Yes, that is a heresy. So Jesus is the eternal son of God, the eternal word of the Father, the divine person. He doesn't cease being God in the incarnation. He doesn't lay aside his divinity either. This is a misunderstanding of something that Paul says in the book of Philippians, chapter two, where it talks about how Jesus, the word emptied himself.

But then Paul describes in what way. There's nothing that he emptied himself of his divinity. He emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, by assuming humanity. And so in Jesus's coming to earth, it's as if he veiled his glory in human flesh, if you will. But he didn't set aside his divinity. He's the eternal son of God. He became what he was not without ever ceasing to be what he was, as many of the church fathers said. It's a great mystery, but we have to affirm and confess that Jesus was and is and always will be the eternal son of God, equal with the Father in power and glory, worthy of our worship. Thanks for your question.

Amen. That's a great question that our book, Core Christianity, dives into. So we'd really encourage you if you've never purchased that book or received it from us, you can find it on our website, corechristianity.com. Again, it's Core Christianity 101, and we'd love to have you learn more about that. Let's go to Jacquel in Overland Park, Kansas. Jacquel, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Good afternoon. First, thank you for being there because this is so many things as we learn.

We need you. In chapter 7 of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 7, 15, it says, The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you horrible diseases, the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. The chapter in my Bible, the heading in chapter 7 is driving out the nations. My question is also about COVID. I read this and my core says that I don't need to get the vaccine, that I am kept in these promises because I am in this nation that is God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and I am wondering as I apply for jobs right now, how this can apply when they so often say, Have you been vaccinated?

Jacquel, thank you so much for your question. Let me just say it's so important for us as we read the Scriptures to understand their context. I love that you're reading Deuteronomy 7 here and saying, Okay, how does this apply to me?

Because the reality is all of Scripture is in one sense or another applicable to us. Paul says this to the Corinthians, the things that were written in past times are written for our instruction as well. But we have to be careful with the way in which we apply it, and here you have this calling on the people of God, on the people of Israel as they're following the Lord, as they're coming into the land to be obedient on the basis of the covenant that God was going to make with them. Verse 12, Because you listen to these rules and keep them and do them, the Lord your God will keep you with the covenant and steadfast love that He swore to your fathers.

He will love you and bless you and multiply you. Of course, this covenant is going to be expressed later on in other places, back in Exodus 20 and then earlier here in the book of Deuteronomy as well in Deuteronomy 5. With the old covenant, the Mosaic covenant in particular, you did have these promises of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, and that was something that the people of God at that time could take to the bank. Now we are not living under the Mosaic covenant. You and I are living under the time of the new covenant. The author of the Hebrews talks about this in Hebrews chapter 8. So we don't look at these Old Testament, old covenant promises and say, okay, I'm claiming that one for myself. No, not in the same way that the people of God did there at that time. The reality is, sister, even God's children, even the faithful suffer all sorts of different things, sickness, disease, persecution, famine, sword, nakedness.

The Apostle Paul mentions those things in the book of Romans chapter 8, and yet through all of those things, he says, we're more than conquerors through Him who loved us. And so I would not apply Deuteronomy 7.15 to yourself and say, well, that means I don't have to worry about getting the COVID-19. God would never let that happen to me.

I'm one of his children. I know some real faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who have gotten sick. And so again, I think we need to exercise wisdom here and think about how it is that we're applying the promises of God. The good news is, being under the new covenant is way better than being under the old covenant. In the new covenant, here's what you have the promise of, the forgiveness of all of your sins, that God accepts you into His family, not on the basis of anything that you do, but solely on the basis of the work of Jesus Christ for you. Jesus is the mediator of that new covenant, and you're one of His children. You have that hope, that great promise, and that's what you have to lay hold of. Jaquel, thanks so much for your call. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

Here's an email question we received from William. He says, can Christians leave salvation by themselves? When discussing John 10, 28, and 29 with my Seventh-day Adventist church friend, he said that a Christian may lose their salvation if they voluntarily leave God's hand. Can you point me to some Scriptures on this issue? Well, I mean, I think one good place to go is the Gospel of John. Throughout the Gospel of John, John chapter 6, for example, where Jesus promises not to lose any of His sheep, even there in John chapter 10, where He says, no one can take you out of the Father's hand. I know that some people say, well, no one can take you out of the Father's hand, but if you want to, you can just sort of walk on out. If we are in Christ, if we're united to Him, if we're born of the Spirit, Christ is the one who keeps us. I don't think that we wander out of His hand permanently.

So no, I don't think that we can walk away in that sense from salvation. Thanks for listening to CORE Christianity. To request your copy of today's special offer, visit us at corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar, or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833-THE-CORE. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this program. And be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's Word together.