Thirdly, if Christians keep our sins deceptively concealed, God’s word addresses how the Lord’s Supper provides us with opportunity to confess sin and seek reconciliation with our family in Christ we’ve sinned against or refrain from partaking. If a Christian purposefully partakes in the Lord’s Supper while hiding their known unconfessed sin, they open themselves up to God’s direct discipline (1 Cor 11:27-32; Heb 12:7-11). The Lord’s Supper is a visible witness of the gospel’s power, since it reveals the present ethnicity diversity of the “one new man” Jesus created in His redemptive work on the cross which tore down the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles.[6]
Lastly, Christians can redefine privilege by exposing how it doesn’t have to be negative or sinful, as well as something only experienced by those of European descent. In America, people of every ethnicity who have more than one pair of shoes, regular access to clean water, education, electricity, and indoor plumbing enjoy privileges many around the world dream of. In the New Testament Christians of Jewish descent had privileges regarding access to Scripture, God’s plan of redemption, and representation in church leadership, that Gentiles did not have access to early in Church history (cf. Acts 6, 15; Gal 2:15; Eph 2:12). Christians of every ethnicity in America should identify what privileges we have and leverage them to embody the “one another’s” in the New Testament in our discipleship relationships, local church, and as a means of evangelism towards the lost.
Racism Is Permanent
Claim: Racism is permeant because it controls the economic, political, and social spaces in America.
Biblical Response: In Ephesians 2:2 Paul says Christians once “walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the son of disobedience”. The prince is Satan (cf. 2 Cor 4:4; 1 John 5:19) who provides energy to the sons of disobedience [7] to set in place the guardrails for the “course of the world”.[8] Paul not only identifies societal systems are ungodly but also how Satan influences humans in positions of power to build and maintain them. Christians must remember, the battle brewing around systemic sinful structures have both physical (Eph 2:2-3) and spiritual (Eph 6:10-18) consequences and realities. A balanced response to societal systems of wickedness must be physical (e.g., confronting issues preventing human flourishing, sins codified in laws, advocating for legislation change, presenting gospel-infused solutions in the public square, and assess internal systems in churches and denominations where sin is practiced) and spiritual (e.g., reading and applying Scripture, prayer, fasting, silence and solitude, putting on the full armor of God, be dependent on God the Holy Spirit, etc).
CRT’s response is focused on law and societal structures whereas Christ’s church is primarily focused on transformation internally first (discipleship), that leads to external mobilization (evangelism). Acts 2:42-47 shows how Christ framed His Church’s mission as having internal and external rhythms. Theologian Dr. John Hammett says the Church’s mission which is to “provide teaching, fellowship, worship, service and evangelism to people of all ages, sexes, and races.[9]” The five traits Hammett mentions are the practices of the early church. As we work for transformation internally and evangelization externally, we show distinction between Jesus’ church and every other group and organization. Jesus’ building of His church (Matt 16:18) ensures His Church is the only living organism on this side of eternity that remains in the eternal state! Who better to share gospel-infused solutions in the spaces of cultural influence then His followers!
