A People and Place in Peace

One of the hot topics of our day is Racism. Although, I don’t like the word “racism”, because there is only one race. I use it for the sake of reasoning and engaging with the culture who do use it. Nevertheless, racism has always been around. Not just from one ethnicity to another. But to be fair, from among all ethnicities. Unfortunately, the most broadcast one is whites against non-whites.

I personally have had my experiences with racism. And in both directions – as the victim and the offender. But what I have found is this. I am more gracious to myself when I’m being racist. And I’m forgiving and patient when I feel I’m the victim of racism.

So the question is racism a real experience and sin? Of course it is. And does God hate racism? Indeed, he does.

While most Christians would agree with the fact that, racism is real and a sin. Two things I have found to be true. Firstly, people either do not address racism – because it is too complex. And secondly, when people do address racism, as we are seeing now in the USA with the Black Lives Matter movement. They do not know how to address it. Because people are too sensitive. They get extremely emotional which leads to violence.

And part of our problem is that people are better at making enemies and war than they are at making peace and reconcile. Someone recently told me that, we should always aim at making friends because enemies take care of itself. I suppose that is because it is harder to make a friend than it is to make an enemy. And so, what the Bible puts forward as the answer for racism, age-ism, class-ism. Or any kind ism for that matter is ‘peace and reconciliation’. And by this, I don’t means a superficial fix. Where people apologize and washes feet for the racist deeds of their fore-fathers. But I’m talking about divine peace. The kind Jesus Christ achieved when he made peace between the Father and us. Satisfying the Father’s wrath against us. And the Bible in its sufficiency and infallibility makes this case for us in Jesus Christ.

Notice how Paul talks about Jesus.

Verse 14, For he himself is our peace.

Verse 15, To create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace.

Verse 17, He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

So one of the great achievements of the work of Christ is “peace”. Isaiah 9:6 calls him the “Prince of peace”. Jesus deals with any kind of division and brings peace.

As Gentile Christians they did not know, understand and enjoy the riches of God’s peace before knowing Christ. They were spiritually disconnected and in enmity with God. Not because they were Gentiles per se. But they were separated from God because they were sinful Gentiles. In other words, Christ does not bring peace for our ethnicities, but for our sin. And once we are at peace with him. We then look at our own ethnicity and those of others differently.

And Paul says further that, Christ’s peace achieves reconciliation. That is, reconciliation with God and with one another. In verse 15 he says, “One new humanity”. And this new humanity is “One body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross”. Verse 19, “To be fellow citizens”. In other words, neither reconciliation nor peace is something one makes, produce or conjuring it up in oneself. Peace and reconciliation exist independently from the one who needs it. This is to say, the one who makes peace for reconciliation sake is Jesus Christ. There is no peace without Jesus and there is no reconciliation without him either.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:19

That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Colossians 1:21-22

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death.

The peace of Christ is given to those who have no peace so that they can live n reconciliation to God and others. Not to undermine the idea that people generally need to get along. And those who have started and grew effective causes. However, ‘world peace’ without Christ is an illusion. Miss universe or the United Nations cannot achieve such a divine work. Christ alone is the peace of God for reconciliation with God.

And in this passage Paul cuts to the heart of the problem. Telling them that Christ gave them peace and reconciliation when they had none.

Notice verse 11-12. How Paul applies the peace for reconciliation of Christ to them. He asks them twice to “Remember”. Verse 11, Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised”. Verse 12, Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ. Remember what? One, they had no peace and reconciliation with others (Jewish people). Two, they had no peace and reconciliation with God.

The Jews lived in animosity to the Gentiles socially and spiritually. Paul says in verse 11, Gentiles by birth. Their rejection and being outcast by the Jews wasn’t even something they could prevent. They were born into a context of division and hatred. The sound of their names, their language, culture, food and social norms all disqualified them. Yet, Christ came to make peace for them.

Paul also says that, they were labeled and nicknamed as those without peace and reconciliation. Verse 11 says, “You who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘Uncircumcised’”. All Jews were circumcised to show their covenant with God. And Gentiles were not – which, according to the Jews perspective, proved they had no relationship with God. So not only did the peace and reconciliation of Christ override their ethnicity. But all their derogatory labels were removed. Galatians 3:28 says, There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

See church, the peace and reconciliation of Christ makes the old creature a new creation, and make the sinner a saint. Both your culture and labels are changed. So you are a Christian who happens to be colored, black or white. The cross and death of Jesus deals with every kind of sinner the same. We all need the peace of God. Philip the Evangelist and Ethiopian eunuch received the same peace with God. Peter and Cornelius are reconciled the same. Both king David and Rahab are at peace with God. Peter says it this way in Acts 10:34-35, Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. All the nations, tribes, culture and languages are all recipients of God’s peace when they trust in Christ. What ethnical peace does is it displays our peace with God. So to not be racist is important. In that, people do not only see your peace, but the see Christ the peacemaker.

Notice verse 12, Paul moves from the peace they received in Christ as Gentiles by birth and lables. To how Christ’s peace took them from being excluded to being included. Paul says, remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. The Jews not only believed they were marked by birth and circumcision. And the Gentiles were not. They also believed they were placed and rooted by covenant as citizens of the land. And the Gentiles were not. In other words, Paul is saying that, in Christ Jesus his peace and reconciliation includes the fact that Gentiles ‘belong’. They belong to Christ in his new covenant and their citizenship is now in him.

Notice how Paul phrases it in verse 13, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. They were “far away” but I Christ they were “now” near. Those who are in Christ belong to a world, land, and people far greater than what earthly things can give. Not to say that, owning land legally doesn’t matter. And that illegally taking from others land that does not belong to you doesn’t matter. But more to say that, the Christian is far more interested in the peace that gives them a place in Christ. They belong to him and his church. And in the new creation they will have their place.

So tying together verses 11 and 12. The peace of Christ reconciles you to a people and a place. No one should be off-limits for mutual relationship. And no place should be off-limits for mutual community. God’s people are not colorblind, they are colorful in worship and fellowship. John says in Revelations 7:9, After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. All nations will someday in unity see their Peacemaker.