God-Shaped
February 23, 2025
Dr. Paul Cannings
Amid all the hate and division in our culture, where is your heart as a believer? Is it rooted in ideologies, cultural basis, political party affiliations, or the scriptures? One of the many things I admire about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech was not just to stop racial prejudice, but also that all people be evaluated not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I love this statement because it is no different than what Christ advocated, as the scriptures delineated. He did this because He came to die for the world (John 3:16; He charged the disciples to go into the world; Acts 1:8). When we all stand before Him, it is not about our skin color or earthly achievements. He will separate us as sheep from goats (Matthew 25:31-46), rewarding us for our actions, whether “good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
God modeled this in the Old Testament when He accepted a non-Jew, named Rahab, to become a part of those who entered the Promised Land and be in the line of Christ. God became upset at Miriam when she responded negatively to Moses marrying a Cushite (Numbers 12:1) and Christ sent Stephen to share the gospel with the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), which were the same people that Zephaniah called worshippers of God (Zephaniah 3:10). This is because throughout the Old Testament people of African descent are everywhere. Paul traveled to Corinth, Rome (1st and 2nd Corinthians and Romans), and many other European countries. There was no need to spend much time going to African nations because they were already engrossed in Judaism and Christianity. So, it is undeniable that our culture or our politics do not influence the Godhead. They came to save all of their children since every child is a gift from God (Psalm 127:3), and everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). “…… since He Himself gives all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” (Acts 17:26) Peter puts it another way, “….I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” (Acts 10:34-35)
To hate is to display the true nature of our relationship with the Lord (Matthew 22:36-40). Beyond the great worship services and the pleasant hellos, it describes how well the Lord has shaped our hearts (Romans 12:9-21). “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, …… But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; ……….” (1 John 2:9-11; NIV)