Who you are, if you trust in Christ, makes no difference to God. Dr. Tony Evans says there's no discrimination at the foot of the cross. People who understand grace can't be racist, because they need hope too. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr.
Tony Evans. The truth is, even Christians who believe we're all equal under God can treat some people like they're more equal than others. Let's join Dr. Evans in the second chapter of James, the first verse, as he examines why fairness ought to begin within the family of God. Here James raises a problem in the church.
that he calls personal favoritism or actions of discrimination.
Now please notice a couple of immediate observations in this verse alone. The problem is not that this church did not have clear doctrine. These were clear believers who had a faith in God. In the glorious Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, somehow, their doctrinal belief system.
did not affect their interpersonal relationships. and how they related to people. who were different. They would look at people On the outside. to determine their worth on the inside.
They allowed exterior. Qualities to determine Personal. Value. This thing of personal favoritism My word for the same thing is discrimination. Is where you treat people wrongly.
Because they don't meet up. to your standards even though they may be meeting up to God's standard. It's where you reduce the value of somebody else. Because they don't please you. Rather than because they don't please God.
In this particular illustration, which is fundamentally an illustration of class. The rich versus the poor. There is no condemnation of the rich man because he's rich. The rich man is not blamed for having been successful. Neither is there a condemnation of the poor man for being poor.
It's a condemnation of the membership. from being discriminatory. It was in the treatment. That was the issue. Not in the state or status of a particular individual.
They observed certain external things. and made a value judgment based on it.
Now the reason why this is a fundamental issue is because the Bible makes it absolutely clear. That there is no partiality with God. The reason why this is such a Big deal. is because when Christians act In an unrighteous, discriminatory way, and I have to put the word unrighteous because there are some things we ought to discriminate about. Wrong is wrong.
You ought to discriminate between right and wrong. We're talking about unrighteous discrimination because we're talking about a stronghold. where you treat somebody in a way other than dog would have you treat them. Because of a standard that you have erected not given to you by God. In fact, Here in James chapter 2, verse 9, please note.
A clear statement. But if you show partiality. Discrimination. You are committing sin. and are convicted by the law as a transgressor.
Now, please pay attention to that verse. If you So Partiality. Unjust discrimination. Toward another person because of your standard, not God's. He doesn't say this is socially unacceptable.
He doesn't simply say That's not fair. James puts it on the level where it belongs. He says it is sin. Peter's a very interesting personality on this regard. In Acts chapter 11, God has already told him to go to the Gentiles.
And he goes to the Gentiles and he, you know. the the hated group by the Jews and He witnesses to them. And when he witnesses to them, He begins to speak to them and tells the apostles and the Jews how God had led him to the Gentiles.
Well, all the Jews aren't excited about that, you see. Because they're them over there. Peter says in verse Of Acts 11, if God therefore gave them the same gift as he gave us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I would stand in God's way? You go, Pete. Pete talking there.
Peter said, look, I know you guys criticizing and you ticked off that I'm hanging out with the Gentile, but let me explain something. If God is gonna do for them. What it did for me. Who in the world do you think I am that I'm gonna tell God I can't relate to them? How can I tell God I'm not going to relate to them when God is doing the same thing for them that He's doing for me?
The only problem is in Galatians chapter 2 when he was under group pressure. The group showed up. And they said in the look. We're not gonna be your friend. If you eat with them.
Come on then. I know when we get to heaven, we got to get along. We ain't there yet.
So down here, they're over there, you're over here, and the two don't get together. And the Bible says that Peter was so intimidated by the circumcision. He was so intimidated by his own race. That he pushed his chair back and left the Gentiles. because of the fear of the Jews.
But when Paul saw it, Paul says, you are sinning, Peter. For you are not operating in concert with the truth of the gospel. You're coming up with new rules. And it's not your family. There's probably no other sensitive issue.
Okay. where the issue of race comes in, than the issue of interracial marriage. That's probably the most sensitive. Sensitive issue going. And that's because it's been informed by racist Christianity.
The only biblical qualification for somebody to marry somebody else is that they got to be a believer. That's the only biblical qualification. That doesn't mean you go around trying to make political points either, but it does mean that you have no basis of condemning anybody for marrying anybody else if both of them love the Lord. That's what that means. That's what that means.
Now you can have your preference, but just don't make it viable. That that's yeah. See, I mean, it's okay to say, you know, I'm white and I want my kid to marry somebody white. Fine, just don't say God said. Say that's my preference.
Call it what it is. You're black and... You want to keep it all in the family? Oh, that's fine. Just that's your preference?
That's fine. Just don't say God. Just say that's my preference. And people can marry their preferences. That's okay.
Somebody don't want to marry somebody short.
Somebody don't want to marry somebody tall.
Somebody don't want to marry nobody tall. You know? Everybody want to marry somebody rich, all right? That's that's your preference. It's okay.
You can have your preference.
Some people want to live in DeSoto.
Some people want to live in Lancaster.
Some people want to live in Oak Cliff.
Some people want to live in North Down. Fine. That's your preference. But just don't put your daddy's name in front of it. That's all I'm saying.
That's all I'm saying. Numbers chapter 12, verse 1. Miriam and Aaron got upset. Because Moses married a black woman. And we know that's the issue, because twice in the verse it says, Moses married the Cushite.
Since two times. Don't want you to miss the point, the problem is. He married the Cushite, the Ethiopian. And in the scripture, it says, can the Ethiopian change his spots? His darkness So they got ticked off.
What you doing, big brother? Did you know Moses? You can go and marry this Ethiopian woman. That's unacceptable. God told Mary, well you like white, let me make you lepros.
And her skin became white as snow. God judged her. for her unrighteous. Ness. Because see God saw it as a sin.
But of course, the great stronghold of race, we have to leave here now. was the curse of Ham stronghold. That held a whole country in hostage, not only here, but in South Africa. The apartheid, segregation here, apartheid in South Africa. because it gave a theological justification for slavery.
Slavery would have ended very quickly if the church had not endorsed it theologically. But when the church endorsed it theologically, That minute said God okay, is okay with it. And once you do that, And once people can put it off on God, they don't have to deal with it anymore. A sin. a doctrine where people didn't even bother to read their Bibles.
Because it's called the curse of ham and yet the Bible says ham was not the one cursed. Canaan was cursed. Just not even reading the Bible. wanting to justify their discrimination. Another one is class.
That has to do with money and status. Treating the poor person badly. Because they don't have designer cars, designer clothes, and live in designer neighborhoods and in designer houses. And they don't have new suits. And they don't have ties.
They may do the best they have with what they have. They don't just have much. That whole passage that was read in James, God condemns class discrimination. Dr. Evans will have more on the attitudes and strongholds that keep people apart.
when he continues our message in just a moment. First, though, if you're ready for some biblical tools to help dismantle prejudice and replace it with Christ-centered love, Tony's love will overcome message collection is a powerful next step. This eight-lesson series explains how believers can set a tremendous example. by focusing on what unites us rather than what divides us. It offers an honest look at how the sin of society has crept into the church.
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Tony Evans sits down with guests, both renowned and emerging, for meaningful conversations you won't want to miss. I am so excited to be here with Gary Thomas, the famous The Craig. Rachel Myers, Amanda Bible Williams.
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Evans now for more on overcoming discrimination strongholds. We have lost.
Some wealthy members Over the period of years that this church has existed. They do not come here anymore. because they didn't get preferential treatment because of their status in the world. The way you get preferential treatment in the church is your spirituality, not your bank book. Not your bank book.
Not your title, not your recognition.
Now, I understand. The Bible says, give honor to whom honor is due.
So if you're the mayor, we're going to honor you as the mayor. If you're a doctor, you've earned your medical degree, we'll call you Dr. Jones. That's nothing wrong with giving honor to whom honor is due. But that's not where discrimination comes in.
Discrimination is that because I look at who you are and what you have, I treat you better. Then that's culture, culture. Acts chapter 6, you don't have to turn there, but it talks about the Hellenized Jew and the Hebrew Jews. Two different cultures. the Hebrews and the Greek Jews rubbing each other the wrong way.
He didn't tell them, well, you Hellenized Jews, y'all go start a Hellenized church. You Hebrew Jews, go start a Hebrew church. He said, leaders, you get in there and fix it. Two different cultures. but they were sensitive to the culture.
Religion. That's another Basis of discrimination. Because they don't worship like I worship. We're a great church. They're a terrible church.
God only has two criterias for worship: spirit and truth. That's it. They got the right attitude and they take the Bible seriously. Education, that's another. discrimination.
Let me explain something. to the educated. Whether you have a PhD or a GED. Whether you have a PhD or a GED, you came into the kingdom through the same door. God did not look at your resume before he brought you into the kingdom.
He didn't see whether you had a BA, MBA, PhD. He wanted to give everybody in here a BA, born again. And praise God if you got to go to school on a government grant. Praise God if your parents can pay for it. Praise God if you have to work like a dog to get it.
Praise God for the person who had the tenacity who dropped out to have the guts to go back. You're not better.
So what's the cure for a discrimination stronghold? Whatever. level it is. Turn to Galatians with me. The book of Galatians.
Galatians dealing with law and grace, you remember? And he says, In the book of Galatians, verse chapter 2, verse 6. In the middle of the verse, God shows no partiality. He says that in the middle of the verse. God shows no partiality.
That is unrighteous distinctions. He does show partiality about right and wrong, but not based on unrighteous distinctions.
Now look at chapter 3, verse 24. 3. But before faith came Before coming to Christ through faith, You were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith until faith that was to be later revealed. You were under the law. Therefore the law has become our tutor.
to lead us to Christ. That we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. You're not under the law anymore. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ, no matter what color, culture, class you are.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have. Clothe yourselves with Christ. There is, watch this, neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are one in Christ. And if you belong to Christ. Then you are Abraham's offspring and you are heirs according to the promise.
Now stick with me here. Who you are. If you trust in Christ. makes no difference to God. What he's saying is not that men aren't men and women aren't women when he says there's no distinction.
What he means is that there is no advantage to that status. When it comes to God, you're not... Closer because you're white. or closer because you're black. or closer because you're rich, or closer because you're poor, or closer because you're a man, or closer because you're a woman, you are all on the same level ground at the cross.
Then what's the problem? The problem is, you've missed grace. In fact, I like how Ephesians 2 puts it. He says in verse 13 that you were formerly afar off, but you've been brought near by the blood of Christ. Christ is our peace who made both groups into one.
Christ verse 15 abolished in the flesh the enmity.
So that the two, the two differing groups, Jews and Gentiles, could become one and might be reconciled. through one body to God through the cross. If you are discriminatory toward an individual or individuals or a race or a class of people who are part of the body of Christ especially, you have missed the cross. You've missed grace. Grace is the cross.
Let me tell you what grace does.
Well, first let me tell you what law does. Law always looks for what's wrong. All the time. That's what the law does. Thou shalt not, thou shalt not.
Law condemns. That's what the law does. When's the last time a policeman pulled you over for going the speed limit? That's not what the policeman's there. He pulls you over for breaking it because the law condemns.
That's all it does. And Christians who live under the law, even if they are unrighteous. Which they are they're unrighteous based on a an approach that's still a law approach Condemn condemnation. Let me tell you what grace does.
What grace does is look at what you can be. You see. You know why Jesus was a friend to sinners? And that drove the religious people of his day because he didn't see sinners only as sinners. He saw sinners.
as potential saints. Grace looks at what you can be. That's why you ought to be ecstatic about grace because what grace is, is grace is. You beginning to realize what God saved you to be. He saved you to be a son of God, a daughter of God.
He saved you to be somebody special. He saved you to be significant. He saved you to experience what all the kingdom of God has to offer. He saved you so that you don't have to stay where you are. That means you have hope with grace.
Grace means that is hope. Everybody who walks through the doors of this church ought to walk into an environment of hope. They ought to know that when they come here, even though they were broken out there, there is hope in here.
Now some people need hope because they're poor.
Some people need hope because their riches have turned them away from God.
Some people need hope because their families have disintegrated.
Some people need hope because they are shackled with sin. But the beauty of grace is there's always hope. People who understand grace. Can't be racist. Because they need hope too.
And that's why he says at the end of the book of James, chapter 2, that the one who does not show mercy won't receive it. If you don't give hope, don't ask for hope. If you don't offer hope, don't expect hope. If you don't grant hope. Then on your day when you need hope.
Don't anticipate that God's going to give it to you. Because it's about grace. And grace is not Condemning. It condemns sin, but grace always gives hope for the future. You don't ever have to feel like you are nobody if Jesus is in your life.
You never a nobody if he's behind the wheel of your car. You're never a nobody, no matter what anybody says about you, because if Jesus is behind the wheel, Satan can't ticket you.
So you are somebody because Jesus is in your life.
So don't let anybody put you down. And when anybody walks through this door, you treat them like a king's kid because that's who they are. That's who they are. Dr. Tony Evans on our ability as believers to overcome the strongholds of discrimination.
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We may live in a world that's divided. But God has already designed a plan to bring people together, and it starts with the church. Be sure to join us tomorrow as Dr. Evans shows how believers can experience true unity without losing their God-given uniqueness.
