Are you prejudiced?
Searching the Scriptures
David A. Bass, Rockford Church of Christ
Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12).
Previously he had said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).
These words were spoken to the apostles of Jesus and set forth the attitude of heart that Christians should have for one another. But, our love is not limited to our fellow Christians, for we are to love everyone.
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (I John 4:10-11).
Love will cause us to treat one another right (Matthew 7:12) and prevents mistreatment such as prejudice! Love (I Corinthians 13:4-7) will not allow us to judge other people by the color of their skin, where they were born, how much money they have, or how they talk.
Prejudice was a real problem in the first century. The Jews and Gentiles hated one another. Under the Old Testament the descendants of Abraham (Jews) had been God’s chosen people, but under the New Testament all men are equal in the sight of God.
God used a trance (Acts 10:9-16) to teach Peter this important lesson. In this same chapter of Acts we find that Peter went into the house of Cornelius (a Gentile) and taught him and his friends the gospel of Jesus Christ. On that occasion Peter said, “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” (Acts 10:34-35).
Up until this time the gospel was only being preached to the Jews, but now salvation was made available to both Jews and Gentiles!
Sadly, Peter forgot this great truth “that God shows no partiality [is no respector of persons]” when some important, but prejudiced, Jewish Christians came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. Because of these men Peter, Barnabas and other Jewish Christians stopped fellowshipping their Gentile brethren.
It was because of this that the apostle Paul rebuked Peter publicly (Galatians 2:11-14) and in verse 14 he charged that they “walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel.” (KJV)
I am afraid that many people today are also prejudiced! If we are prejudiced toward a person who is Asian, Black, white, or Mexican, etc., then we are not walking “uprightly according to the truth of the gospel!”
Calling others names because of their skin color or making slang or cutting remarks is sinful in the sight of God. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (I John 4:7-8).
We further read in I John 4:21, “And this commandment we have from him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
Hatred (prejudice is a form of hatred) will cause us to lose our soul. “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (I John 3:15).
My friends, if the love of God is in our hearts, there is not room for prejudice and hatred!
We need to learn to love God, His word and one another “even as Christ loved us” (I John 4:11).
Visit with the Rockford Church of Christ each Sunday morning at 9:00 for Bible study and 10 for worship. Eugene Jenkins is the minister. We are located just down from Dollar General on Highway
231.
