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Race hostilities
The hostility between the two races was deeply rooted in historical, cultural, and religious differences. Each race regarded the other as little more than dogs; neither race kept their feelings of hatred to themselves. The history of their conflict was an ugly tale of slavery, murder, infanticide, and prejudice.
This
was the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the ancient world. God's
Word The apostle Paul was a devout Jew. As a man of his culture, he
would have regarded Gentiles as outside of God's salvation, strangers
to the promises God delivered through Moses, hopelessly lost in idolatry.
But
then everything changed. Paul was reconciled to God. And he realized that
God had opened the boundaries of His mercy, reconciling people of every
nation, language, and race. He explained his new way of thinking to the
Christians in Ephesus: "His purpose was to create in himself one
new
man out of the two [races], thus making peace, and in this one body to
reconcile both of them to God through the cross" (Ephesians2:15-16).
Your Walk Unfortunately believers have sometimes used the gospel to justify their culturally conditioned racial prejudice. And that is a dreadful shame.
If you harbor feelings of hatred based on race, follow Paul's example. Regard the reconciliation of Christ as the basis for racial reconciliation in your own heart.
