The Price of Prejudice

Christian brothers and sisters; how can we say that we love God if we favor one person above another?

Consider the following scenario: Suppose one person came into your assembly dressed in fine clothes and another person came in shabby clothing. To whom would you offer a seat? Would you offer the man dressed in the fine clothing a seat and tell the other individual to take a seat in the back or stand up?

This type of discrimination is seen in our churches on a daily basis. Far too often, we overlook the person who really needs our help while racing to the one who doesn’t. We insult the poor and downtrodden, but God’s arms are open to all. My brothers and sisters; we cannot walk in the love of God and have some people we favor over the other. This, my dear friends, is unlawful and sinful.

When Jesus walked on this earth, He showed love and respect for every man. He forgave sin, healed the sick, cast out demons, and fed the hungry. By religious standards, he walked in direct opposition to the law, and that defiance caused him his life.

As people of God, we must have the same mind. We cannot esteem one man above another. We must love everyone. Anything less than this will be in violation of God’s law. If we keep the royal law and offend in one point, we are guilty of them all. It is not enough to say that you love everybody, you must show it in deeds. Love is dependent on action, not words. For God so loved the world that he gave (action).

Love is action. If we say we love God and hate our brother (sister), we walk in darkness and have the light of God’s love. We cannot show partiality. Jesus came to tear down the wall of partition that existed between his people. His love is unconditional and far -reaching. If we are truly his people, ours is also.

Issues like racism, segregation, and racial inequality are products of sin and sinful people. They are not a product of God’s love, nor do they represent his kingdom.

"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another."

There were so many people who came to see Jesus after being rejected by the church people. In every instance, Jesus stopped to help the poor and lowly. Rahab, the prostitute, was made right with God because of her actions in hiding the messengers and sending them safely on another way. The religious people would have desired to stone her. There would not have been any way she would be received by God, even if she had given her life.

Dear people, have we so son forgotten that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Therefore, we cannot judge nor esteem one man over another. We are all God’s children and he loves us one and all.

Prejudice, as the word is pronounced, results as a means of someone pre- judging another. In the instances of prejudice, we become judge and executioner. The Bible tells us to judge not lest we be judged.

So many times what we believe or think about a person is not that way at all. People have been hurt, even killed because of this evil called prejudice. It costed the Savior his life, and will cost us also.

We must not favor no one above another. We must love the poor, weak, destitute, and the lonely. God loves us all and died so that we could be one in Him. Beloved, we must love one another as God loves us and gave himself for us. The scripture says by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, by the love you have one for another.