Humanity – all of us – were created in the Image of God (Imago Dei). We all have marred that image by sin – the fundamental problem of the world. Every last one of us bears that disease. For some, it is demonstrated in fornication or other sexual immoralities, for some – covetousness and stealing. or any other many names we give to the expression of sin – including the various forms of hate.

Because we are utterly contaminated by sin, we are unable to do anything about our ugly, wicked state. In fact, left to our own nature – “there are none righteous, no not one – none seek after God”. We are spiritually dead. And guess what – spiritually dead people act like spiritually dead people and many do REALLY bad things. Indeed – the current ugliness is actually one of the oldest problems mankind has been guilty of – one that goes all the way back to Cain and Abel – HATE.

That leaves us with a conundrum – we are lost in our sin – condemned and fully deserving of the full wrath of God that will be poured out on ALL unrighteousness of man. But God…God, in His perfect, sinless Son, took on my sins, bearing the shame, and gave His life to redeem me, that I would no longer bear the shame and reproach I deserve. And in that death, Jesus broke the chains of sin that so surely bound us to our sin (including hate). But for WHO did Jesus make this incredible atonement for? ALL who would believe…of every nation, tribe, peoples, and tongues –

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” ~REVELATION 7:9 & 10

You see – our current “sin of the day” is HATE.

We’ve labeled it as the misnomer of “racism” – but there is but one race, the Human Race. But there is still ungodly, unbiblical hate based on any outward condition or appearance. Hate is the exact opposite of what Jesus came and perfectly modeled. And the answer to HATE – is to answer it with love. To confront ANYTHING people use to divide with truth – beginning with the foundation of the Gospel.

Jesus didn’t come to save one particular ethnicity. He came to redeem a people from ALL people groups and ethnicities. He came to conquer sin and death. Through His own death, HE demonstrated the very same kind of love His people are commanded to show to all the rest of the Image Bearers of God – of all nations, tribes, and tongues! A love that knows no skin color or background. A love that isn’t conditioned on others believing as we do (though there is a biblical “preference” for the brethren), looking like we do – etc. The Gospel is the Answer. God’s Word gives us the details, the hows, and the whys.