The January question posed by the Lexington Herald-Leader to its FAITH BLOG members was:
For this month the question is pegged to the Martin Luther King Holiday:
CNN polled its viewers and found that most worship with people of the same race. In the book “United by Faith,” author Curtis Paul DeYoung says that only 5 percent of the churches in America are integrated. Why do you think this is the case?
You may go on-line at: kentucky.com and register (join) to read all the faith blog articles/responses and follow the blogs of those who are currently members; you may also join the faith blog network. My reply to this question was as follows:
The question is one that I personally wish all churches would address! Prejudice is the reason that there are so many churches and so much division in religion. This is not new, for integration was THE major issue in the church from the outset. Integration between Jew and Gentile was the big obstacle addressed in every N. T. epistle. Racial prejudice exists because a perverted message is proclaimed. Perverted messages exists because of the selfish motives of false teachers (cf. Phil. 1:15-18)
First of all let me mention that the congregation here at Mill Street is integrated; and always has been. The church that you read of in the Bible was purposed to be composed of by people of ALL nationalities (see Matt. 28:18 – “all nations”; Mark 16:15 “every creature”; Luke 24:47 – “all nations” ; and John 17:18 –“the world”)
God INTENDED to unite all into ONE body (1 Cor. 12:13 – “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
Eph. 2:11-19 - “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”
Again, passages from EVERY N. T. epistle, addressed to either an individual Christian or church, condemned prejudice and called upon them to accept one another as brethren; equals, “fellow-citizens” in the household of God.
Why then does the situation mentioned in the CNN poll exist? Obviously, because a perverted message is proclaimed.
[see 2 Cor. 11:13-14; Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Tim. 4:1-4; 2 Tim. 4:3-4]
Jesus faced integration issues among the sects of the Sadducees and Pharisees. He condemned it upon the grounds that “God is no respecter of persons”. Salvation was meant for whosoever will come upon to Christ upon His terms. Thus we find that belief & confession in Him as the Son of God; repentance from dead works and immersion in water consistently preached to the sinner as the “form of doctrine” to be obeyed, that would free the sinner from his sin thereby becoming a servant of righteousness (Rom. 6:17-18)
A church that follows Christ's teachings will accept ALL upon the terms that God has ordained: faith and obedience to these commands of Christ, regardless of their nationality.
RDB
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