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Creator of Heaven and Earth

“You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11).

I do not understand everything I believe. I believe what the Apostles’ Creed says when it leads me to declare, “I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” I believe this. I really do. But that is not the same thing as saying I understand how God could speak everything into existence.

Faith in God as creator leads to humble worship. This is one of the reasons why the living creatures around God’s throne give thanks and praise to him. He created all things. This is one of the reasons we worship him. We know that we did not create ourselves. God is our creator. We owe him our worship.

The Bible is replete with references to God as creator. This is not incompatible with science. Faith in a creator is a reasonable faith.

Science teaches us that truth is knowable through experimentation. It says that the universe operates in orderly, predictable ways. It tells us that we can trust our senses, language, numbers, and logic to formulate scientific theories. When experiments are repeated and the results are the same, we say that we have discovered a scientific law. The laws of science reveal the magnificent creative power of almighty God.

This is the conclusion of a leading scientist, Francis Collins, former head of the National Institutes of Health and director of the Human Genome Project. When his team completed the mapping of human DNA, he wrote, “For me it was both a stunning scientific achievement and the occasion for worship.” Collins, who is a Christian, said that there is the possibility of a “richly satisfying harmony between science and faith.” Dr. Collins told this story in his book The Language of God.

So when I confess, “I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth,” it is not because I understand everything about God or his wonderful works. It is because his creative power is evident in the universe all around me. It is not unreasonable to believe that the universe did not create itself. Everything we see in nature is derived, dependent, created. God is the creator.

The Bible does not tell us when creation occurred. It does not give a scientific explanation of how creation occurred. It does tell us that creation unfolded in a sequential pattern, one creative day following another. Science cannot explain the origin of matter. The Bible gives us that information. “He is the Maker pf all things. . . . The Lord Almighty is his name” (Jeremiah 10:16).

We are told that the Trinity was involved. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:2 says that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” In Hebrews 1:2 we read that God has spoken through his Son “through whom he made the universe.”

The Bible tells us why creation occurred. Why is there something and not nothing? It is because God willed it so. The God we worship created all things for his own good purposes. Being exists. Matter exists. Persons exist. Consciousness exists. Why? Because God is a self-giving God of love and pure grace. Creation is a free act of grace.

There is a faint parallel in the work of human artists. Humans are creative because we are made in God’s image. The creative process involves thought and feeling, then expression. This is true of an artist painting on a canvas, a musician composing a masterwork, an architect designing a building, or a florist preparing a bouquet. The conception begins in their thoughts and imagination, then is made visible in the creative act.

It is the same with God.  Just as we can know something real about artists from looking at their creations, so we can know something about God from looking at his creation. This leads us to awestruck wonder and worship.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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I Believe!

“We believe. That’s what we do to live. Believing is like breathing: we do it, but we only know we are doing it when someone calls our attention to it.” So wrote philosopher James Sire in his book Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All?

Today I am calling your attention to belief in God. I have read that surveys show that more than 80% of Americans say they believe in God. That raises questions. What kind of God?  What can we know about him? Does it matter whether or not we believe in him?

James Sire was right. Belief is automatic. It is a part of what it means to be a human being. Everyone believes in all kinds of things. As far as God is concerned, the important thing is to know what and in whom and why we believe.

The Apostles’ Creed begins with the declaration, “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” This is to say more than “I think,” or “I feel,” or “I hope.” It is a declaration of trust in the God who is revealed in the Bible. It is to make a personal commitment to the truth that God exists. It says a relationship with him is possible.

Not everyone is ready for this. Some time ago student volunteers affiliated with a Christian campus ministry at an eastern university were conducting a survey of fellow students. They asked questions about belief in God. One student replied, “I think people should believe whatever they like, whether there is a God or not.”

Another said, “God is everything each person thinks of him or her.” Another student answered, “God exists in each individual and the form their God takes is entirely up to them.”

These survey responses showed that the highest authority in these students’ lives was self. There was no higher moral authority than themselves. This is hardly surprising in a postmodern society when the very idea of absolute truth is being called into question.

According to the Bible, God is more than a psychological category. He is not a philosophical construct. He exists as a “Father,” who created us and to whom we must someday be accountable. He is a living person and he invites us into a relationship with himself through Jesus his son.

The statement we read in the opening phrase of the Apostles’ Creed is based upon Bible verses like this one: “For us there is but one God the Father from whom all things came and for whom we live, and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came, and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Everyone believes. What we believe determines our destiny. Several years ago a drug was being prescribed by doctors to women with problem pregnancies, for relief of morning sickness. It worked — that is, it relieved the discomfort. But unfortunately it also caused many babies to be born with birth defects and severe handicaps.

The women who took the drug were sincere in their belief that it would help them. They were misled and the consequences were devastating. The drug was, of course, withdrawn from use by pregnant women. Its side effects were too costly.

Belief in the wrong version of God or Jesus may be even more costly. It can cost you your eternal happiness. According to the Bible, “one God, the Father” is the creator, who through Jesus his son, is ready to make it possible for us to live, really live.

Our response should be to say from our hearts, “I believe!”

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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We Need the Creed

Some readers of this blog can quote the Apostles’ Creed from memory. To them it is as familiar as the words to “Jesus Loves Me this I Know” or John 3:16. Others, who were brought up as I was, were taught to say, “Baptists are not a creedal people. Our only creed is Christ,” or “The Bible is my creed.”

But even Baptists have had their written statements of faith such as the historic “New Hampshire Confession” and “The Baptist Faith and Message.” The Apostles’ Creed is the oldest and most widely-accepted of the Christian statements of belief. It is a simple, concise summary of convictions held in common by all Christians.

It is important to know what we believe and why we believe it. In today’s world, the very idea of absolute truth is being questioned. Everything is up for grabs and truth is whatever individuals want it to be. In this environment Ray Pritchard has written that the Apostles’ Creed “is a  radical challenge  to the skepticism of our age.” It can be a buttress for our faith in an uncertain world.

There are examples of early Christian creeds in the New Testament. It is believed that the great formulation of the doctrine of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 is a quotation by Paul of a statement of faith that was already being circulated by followers of Jesus just a few short years after his resurrection.

1 Timothy 3:16 is another example of an early creed quoted by Paul. It was already in use in the churches at the time he wrote to Timothy in Ephesus. It begins with the phrase “by common confession,” or “beyond all question,” a statement of certainty and conviction.

Perhaps the most commonly used and familiar of the early creeds was the courageous declaration, “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9, 1 Corinthians 12:3). The trinitarian benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14 is also believed to be an early creed. Jude 3 speaks of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” One of the ways the faith was transmitted orally was by the repeated recitation of creeds. This was before the writing of the epistles and gospels of the New Testament.

It is not necessary to believe that the twelve apostles personally composed the Apostles’ Creed, to believe that it reflects their teachings. It is not a part of the New Testament, but it is based upon the Bible. It is considered to be ancient in origin, perhaps dating back to the fourth century. The creed is regularly  quoted in churches and by individuals all over the world to reinforce the faith of God’s people and as a public witness to that faith.

“As the Lord’s Prayer is the Prayer of prayers,” wrote Philip Schaff, “the Decalogue the Law of laws, so the Apostles’ Creed is the Creed of creeds. It contains all the fundamental articles of the Christian faith necessary to salvation.”

I intend to explore the Apostles’ Creed over the next several weeks in this blog. This is because it matters what we believe. The creed begins with the words “I believe,” or credo in Latin, which gives us the English word “creed.” What we believe is a matter of life and death. The creed points the way to eternal life.

                                                The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ his Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (universal) church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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A Serious Responsibility

I wish there were more churches that emphasize  the expository preaching of the Bible. In biblical exposition the pastor reads the text of scripture, explains its meaning and suggests ways for people to apply it to their lives. When I served as a local church pastor, this is what I endeavored to do. People  need the plain teaching of the word of God.

To teach the Bible is a sacred privilege and solemn responsibility. James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” I know that I am accountable to God for my teaching ministry. That produces in me a deep reverence not unlike fear and trembling.

Having written that, however, I confess that it was a joy to serve in healthy churches among people who expected and valued Bible exposition Sunday after Sunday.

I worked hard at it. I studied the Bible many hours every week. There were other pastoral duties, of course, such as administration, counseling, pastoral visitation, and evangelism. But I gave priority to the hours for study and preparation for preaching.

My preferred method was expositional preaching, that is, teaching the Bible verse by verse. Dr. David Allen was a well-respected Bible expositor. He was asked one time, “What are you going to preach on next Sunday?” He replied, “The next verse.”

As I exegeted the text, to discover its meaning, I then did my best to present it in accordance with the intention of its human author and the Divine Author. If I was teaching on a particular theme, such as the Holy Spirit, or family life, or what the Bible says about the future, I would select a biblical passage that emphasized that subject and then I would prepare an expository message based upon that text.

For most of my pulpit ministry I taught through books of the Bible. In this way I covered most of the books of the New Testament, some of them more than once. This method required me to give attention to all the major themes of the Bible, not just to gravitate to my favorite topics. This also ensured that I could not bypass difficult subjects that the church needed to hear.

I also taught through many Old Testament books, surveying selected psalms, the prophets, prominent characters, and foundational themes such as creation, Messianic prophecies, and highlights of Israel’s history.

In addition to teaching the content and interpretation of the scriptures, I sought to show their relevance to the lives of the people today. I tried to illustrate my messages with stories and examples from contemporary life. This was to try to help the people apply the teaching to their lives as Christians.

Believing that Jesus Christ is the main theme of the Bible, I wanted to include the gospel in every message in some way. The Bible’s message is how sinners like us may be brought into a right relationship with God. This is only through faith in Jesus Christ, his sacrificial death for our sins, and his glorious resurrection.

In view of the eternal importance of this subject, it is clear why those who preach and teach the Bible will be held to a higher standard of accountability. It is a serious responsibility.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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When My World Got Smaller

I was encouraged recently by reading the story of Philip in Acts chapter 8. He preached the gospel to large numbers of people in Samaria. Then he was called away to minister to one man. After that he lived in relative obscurity. At least we are not told any more about him except for a brief mention in Acts 21.

His story blessed me because it reminded me of my own experience. In the good providence of God, I was also honored to preach the word before large numbers of people. For four decades I was privileged to serve as senior pastor of two significant churches, Calvary Baptist Church of Covington, Kentucky, and Metropolitan Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

By God’s grace, I was invited to preach and teach overseas in several countries of Africa, Asia, South America and Europe. I did not seek these opportunities. I simply went through the doors the Lord opened and obeyed his call. Looking back on all this fills me with amazement.

When I retired from local church ministry in 2018 at the age of 72, I went through a period of emotional withdrawal. I really missed the regular weekly rhythm of study and preaching, the care of souls, and planning for corporate worship. My ministry focus changed to an investment in the lives of a few individuals who were interested in discipleship, and writing this blog every week.

Then came the Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2022. Tremors, choking, balance, difficulty with handwriting became distractions to me, and I am sure, to others. This motivated Connie and me to move from Oklahoma City to Valdosta, Georgia, to live near our daughter Carrie and her family. This move was a big adjustment after 32 years in OKC. The Lord is giving us new friends and a new home here in South Georgia.

This is where the story of Philip touched me. I read that the Lord led Philip away from his influential public ministry in Samaria where he had been preaching to large crowds. Many had been converted to faith in Jesus and were baptized in his name. But Philip was called away to a solitary ministry to one man.

Then I noticed that Philip’s world got even smaller. He was led by the Holy Spirit to a life we know little about in Caesarea. What was he doing there? We only know that he was identified as “Philip the evangelist” (Acts 21:8). He had a house in Caesarea which was, apparently, his permanent residence. Did he have a ministry from that home base? Twenty years separate his public ministry in Acts 8 from his private life in Acts 21. Surely he continued to be a witness for the Lord, even in obscurity.

We are told he had four daughters “who prophesied” (Acts 21:9). This means that they were believers, and that they were equipped by the Holy Spirit with the gift of prophesy. They used their gift to serve the Lord. This says good things about Philip’s influence as a Christian father. Those twenty years were not wasted. They were invested wisely in his family.

What I learn from this is that fame is not important. Large numbers are not important. Ministry to a single individual can be as important as ministry to a crowd. What matters is faithfulness. In my case that means that I want to be ready to fulfill whatever ministry the Lord sends my way, personal witness, occasional preaching or teaching, and mentoring, despite obvious physical limitations.

What matters is family. I am delighted to be able to enjoy gatherings with Carrie’s family. I am proud of my son-in-law and his international ministry which is flourishing. My adult grandsons honor me by wanting to continue breakfast Bible studies. I enjoy golf and fishing with my granddaughter. I want to use whatever influence I have to be an example to my family of how to finish well.

Like Philip.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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The Atmosphere of Heaven

Today is St. Valentine’s Day, when lovers exchange gifts, flowers and greeting cards to express affection for each other. It is named in honor of a 3rd century martyr who became the patron saint of lovers.

Human beings are capable of love because we are created in the image of God. God is love. He wants his love to be demonstrated in our lives.

For the past few weeks I have been examining what is believed to be the greatest written treatise on love, 1 Corinthians 13. Even secular anthologies of English literature include this “love chapter” from the Bible because of its beauty and eloquence. It is indeed great literature.

However, this biblical passage is about more than romantic love, friendship, or any other natural affection. What it describes is a supernatural, self-giving love which has a profoundly Christian meaning.

Love is the governing principle of heaven. God’s love is to be the very atmosphere in which we live as Christians. John Stott illustrated it this way. “Take a fish as an obvious example. God created fish to live and thrive in water, whether salt or fresh. Gills are adapted to absorb oxygen from water, so water is the element in which a fish finds its identity, its ‘fishness,’ its freedom. It finds itself in the element for which it was created: water. It is limited to water, but in that limitation is liberty.

“Suppose you had a little tropical fish in one of those old-fashioned spherical goldfish bowls. Suppose that little fish swam round and round his blessed little bowl until its frustration became unbearable. The fish decided to make a bid for freedom and leap out of the bowl. If it landed in a pond in your backyard, it would increase its freedom because there would be more water to swim in. But if it landed on the concrete or on the carpet, then its bid for freedom would spell death.

“If fish were meant for water, what are human beings made for?  . . . What is the element in which human beings find themselves, as water is the element in which a fish finds itself?

“I don’t hesitate to say that according to scripture, the answer is love. Human beings are made for love because God is love. When he created us in his own image, he gave us the capacity to love and to be loved. So human beings find their destiny in loving God and in loving their neighbors.”

1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love never fails.” This is because God never fails. Love is eternal because God is eternal. He expressed his love for us in sending his Son to die for our sins to purchase eternal salvation for us (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). Having received the love of God, we are called to share the love of God. This is how we bring the atmosphere of heaven to earth.

A young woman named Michelle lived in a northern city in the US. She decided to move into a rough neighborhood to try to help people living in poverty. She started tutoring kids and getting involved with their families. Some of her church friends heard about what she was doing and started asking what those families needed.

Michelle’s friends made lists of the needs and circulated them until they found people who could meet those tangible needs. It worked like an underground love network. When I heard about this they were servicing 430 families in the name of Christ and the network was growing.

Love brings the atmosphere of heaven to earth. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Love in Action

Years ago a young woman volunteered to be a missionary in Mexico. Her heart was filled with love for the people she served there. In fact, she made a notation in the margin of her Bible next to the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. She wrote: “Love for the Mexicans.”

Whenever she read 1 Corinthians 13, she read it this way: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love for the Mexicans, I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.” Her love for the people of Mexico enabled her to win many of them to Jesus Christ.

After years of unselfish service she became gravely ill. Not long before her death, her Mexican friends gathered tearfully around her sickbed to say farewell. Before she died, she asked them not to bring flowers to her funeral, but instead to bring Bibles to give away.

They did this. Bibles and New Testaments were stacked around her casket. Later her friends gave them to those who did not have a copy of the word of God. Even after her death her witness was carried on in the lives of the people she had loved to the Lord.

The love described in 1 Corinthians 13 is not natural, it is supernatural. Romans 5:5 says it is only possible “because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.” The apostle John wrote, “This is the message you heard from the beginning: we should love one another” ( 1 John 3:11). Love is one of the main evidences that a person is a real Christian (1 John 3:14).

1 Corinthians 13 is majestic in its poetic expression. It is also convicting in its application. It describes what family life, church life, and community life can be when people put love into action.

The priority of love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Without love, eloquence becomes dissonance. The languages of earth and heaven spoken without love, would sound like a clanging discord. Spiritual gifts, as desirable as they are, are useless without love. Even unselfish acts, without loving motives, are unprofitable.

The practice of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Here is the clearest description of love to be found anywhere. This is love in action. We would recognize real love if we saw it. And we have seen it in the life of our Lord Jesus. These verses describe Jesus and any who would live as he lived.

One who acts in a loving way will be slow to anger (James 1:19) and gracious. Loving persons will not have exaggerated opinions of themselves. Love produces actions that are appropriate, tactful, above reproach. Love is not selfish. It is not easily offended or irritable. Love forgives and does not keep score of wrongs.

Loving actions are always consistent with truth and justice (1 John 3:17-18). Love takes no pleasure in wrong. Love suppresses evil reports and gossip. It always has an ear for good  words. It believes the best about other people.  Love causes one to be optimistic and courageous.

The permanence of love (1 Corinthians 13:8-9)

Paul is telling his readers that prophecies, tongues and knowledge as special manifestations will soon pass away. Love will endure forever.

The presence of love (1 Corinthians 13:10-12)

“When perfection comes” may refer to the eternal state when the Lord makes “all things new” (Revelation 21:5) and “the imperfect disappears.” The New Testament often uses the word “perfect” to refer to the second coming of Jesus Christ. This life is like childhood. Eternity with Christ is like maturity. This life is like a first century mirror of polished metal, an imperfect reflection. But in eternity we shall see Christ himself, the perfect embodiment of love, “face to face,” and enjoy his presence forever.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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A Picture of Love

My father was a pastor,  college administrator, and a teacher. In his early ministry he was an artist who used colorful chalk drawings on Christian themes to illustrate spiritual truths. People loved to watch him depict biblical scenes with artistic skill. He would draw a large picture during a church meeting accompanied by background music.

Ahead of time he had traced the faint outline of his picture in pencil. Then when he drew the colored rendering in chalk, the depth and richness of the picture appeared, especially when illuminated with colored lights. The effect was almost magical.

1 Corinthians 13 is an outline of a Christ-controlled life, a life of of love. The description given there is like my dad’s preliminary sketch, made visible when the full drawing was completed. It is a description of Jesus’s love in the life of a believer who is surrendered to him.

For example, it says that love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). There may be occasions when righteous indignation is in order, but a loving Christian will seldom reach that point.

I read an illustration of two mountain goats who met on a narrow ledge. There was no room to pass. They both reared and bucked, but neither one gave way. Repeatedly they backed up, charged and locked horns. Each one held his ground and stood unmovable. Finally the more sensible one knelt down and let the other climb over him. Both of them went happily on their way.

Love is kind. This is another aspect of Christ’s love. It is a word which means “mellow,” in the place of harshness and severity.

An anonymous poet wrote: “Let us be kind; the way is long and lonely, and human hearts are asking for this blessing only — that we be kind.

“We cannot know the grief that man may borrow; we cannot see the souls storm swept by sorrow; but love can shine upon the way, today, tomorrow — let us be kind.

“To age and youth let gracious words be spoken; upon the wheel of pain so many weary lives are broken; we live in vain who give no tender token — let us be kind.

“Let us be kind; the setting sun will soon be in the west; too late the flowers are laid upon the quiet breast — let us be kind.”

Love does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. Jesus said of himself, “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). The loving person is a humble person. The loving person is like Jesus.

Love is unselfish. Love seeks the good of others. We always see this in the life of Jesus.

Love is trusting. “It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” The loving person does not keep a tally of offenses. Love commits the list to the Lord and does not bring it up again.

Love is truthful. It “rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Those who are infused with Christ’s love have no difficulty affirming the truth wherever it is found: in others, in oneself, in the scriptures, in Jesus who said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6).

Love is optimistic. Love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Christ’s love never fails. It is durable, resilient, and it refuses to accept defeat.

If someone could draw a portrait of Christ, it would look like the outline of love we see in 1 Corinthians 13. If we want to be like Jesus, ours will be lives of love.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Love at First Sight

A scholar wrote a treatise on the theme of love. He was an unmarried man who’d had little personal experience with the opposite sex. In his research he consulted numerous books and articles by famous writers. His research spanned many months.

When he was finally ready to submit his writings to a publisher, he made arrangements with a secretary to type the manuscript. When he walked into her office something unexpected happened. Their eyes met. Their pulses quickened. A strange feeling swept over both of them. It was love at first sight!

The subject of his research was no longer an abstract theory. It had become a matter of personal experience. In this way he learned and understood more about his topic in a few seconds than he had gleaned through months of tedious research. For love to be fully appreciated, it must be experienced.

That is why 1 Corinthians 13 is in the Bible. It is the greatest treatise ever written on the subject of love. The eminent scholar Philip Schaff wrote in the margin of his Greek New Testament at 1 Corinthians 13: “This is a psalm of love. It is the Song of Songs of the New Testament. This is the height of the epistle. Love is the solution to all difficulties, the cure of all ills in the Corinthian church. If Paul had written nothing else, he would still be one of the world’s greatest writers and benefactors.”

In the original language of the New Testament, the word for “love” used there is a word that was used almost exclusively by early Christian writers. Many Bible students believe that the word was invented by Christians to denote the God-like love which can only be produced by the Holy Spirit.

This Greek word, agape, as used in 1 Corinthians 13, is not a natural love. It is the result, in the life of a believer, of a Christ-filled life. According to 1 Corinthians 13, love is greater than spiritual gifts, greater than oratory, greater than prophecy, greater than knowledge, greater than faith, greater than philanthropy, and greater even than martyrdom! It is, Paul wrote, “the most excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31).

Amy Carmichael was a Christian missionary in India who dedicated her life to rescuing children and ministering to women. She wrote many books of devotion that were deeply spiritual. She wrote a little book that is both convicting and powerfully motivating. It is titled “IF.” Here are a few excerpts.

“IF I have not compassion on my fellow servant even as my Lord had pity on me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

“IF I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast, perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude . . . then I know nothing of Calvary love.

“IF I can easily discuss the shortcomings and the sins of any; if I can speak in a casual way even of a child’s misdoings, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

“IF I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

“IF I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior, than for my worried self when troublesome things occur, then I know nothing of Calvary love.”

This is the difference between theory and experience. This is Christian love at first sight.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Equal in God’s Sight

Monday will be Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States. His memory is honored in America and around the world because of his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. He influenced many Americans to better understand the plight of their neighbors who experienced racial prejudice every day simply because their skin was black.

As a pastor, I preached against racial prejudice. I tried to show from the Bible that God welcomes the worship of people of all  races and cultures. The apostle John wrote about the heavenly scene and the multitude assembled around the throne of God: “from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9). If God accepts them, how can we reject them? If God loves them, how can we hate them?

Yet as a boy growing up in the South in the 1950s, I accepted the institutionalized racism that was a way of life in my city. African Americans were allowed to attend the church in which I was reared, but they were relegated the back rows of the balcony. In the department store downtown I drank from a water fountain labeled “Whites Only.” Black people were required to sit in the back of city buses. Their children had to attend inferior schools.

I knew these things but as a boy I did not have the wisdom or the vocabulary to understand or oppose racism. White supremacy was everywhere. It was the air I breathed. The adults in my life did not so much indoctrinate me in the belief, as they passively accepted the prevailing cultural assumptions of racial bias.

The closest they came to undermining it was to teach us the Sunday School song “Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World. Red, and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.”

The Civil Rights Movement under Dr. King became a social force that influenced the attitudes of many Americans. Some whites became hardened in their opposition to integration in public schools, voting rights, and equal opportunity in the workplace for black Americans.

Some opposed the Civil Rights Movement with violence. I remember when, in 1963, white supremacists bombed a church in Birmingham, Alabama, on a Sunday morning killing four young girls as they attended Sunday School, and injuring 20 other black worshipers. Whites infected with racial hatred murdered many civil rights activists, including Dr. King himself.

Others, myself included, began to better understand the plight of our African American neighbors who lived under white supremacist ideology. I began to actively oppose racial discrimination. I hope I have outgrown the attitude that one’s skin color has anything to do with one’s value, intelligence, dignity, or human potential. I fervently believe that racism is not only sinfully wrong, it is stupid.

Some of the people I knew  as I was growing up in the 1950s tried to use the Bible to teach that people of some races were meant to be slaves (the curse on Ham; the fact that slavery was allowed in Hebrew law; the fact that Paul did not teach against the institution of slavery in the Roman empire).

In view of this, it is amazing that so many enslaved people and their descendants became Christians. Could it be that they saw in Jesus the one who took on himself the form of a bond slave and died to save us (Philippians2:7)? Could it be that they felt in him the love and acceptance they did not feel from their bigoted white neighbors?

Throughout my ministry as a pastor I taught against racial prejudice. I called attention to what the Bible says in Acts 17:26– “From one man (Adam) he (God) made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”

Since all humans are descended from one man, they are equal in God’s sight. This cancels any theory of inherent racial superiority. God’s word tells us not to show partiality (James 2:1). Peter rightly learned that “God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation” (Acts 10:34). Because this is God’s attitude, I want it to be my attitude toward people of other races.

I will have these things on my mind as I remember Dr. King on Monday.

Pastor Randy Faulkner