15 Biblical Reasons Racism Is Evil And God Hates It

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3

Intro: Racial/ethnic tensions, conflict, & anger have been high and intense this past year in the U. S. My calling as a pastor is to keep reminding us of what God’s Word says about race, ethnicity, & racism – in hopes that God would change our hearts to be more in line with His heart & use us to help change the hearts of those around us.

Racism: It’s the sin of partiality (Webster’s 1828): Inclination to favor one party or one side of a question more than the other; an undue bias of mind towards one party or side, which is apt to warp the judgment. Partiality springs from the [sinful] will and affections, rather than from a love of truth and justice.

Racism: Hatred for a person or group of people because of their skin color or ethnicity that results in injustices done to them. A failure to love your neighbor as yourself because of ethnic differences. A failure to do unto others what you wish they would do unto you because of ethnic differences (Matthew 7:12). Racism is evil.

Our problem is that we are all born "me" supremacists! We are all born evil. God is our only hope. He has a plan!

1. Racism Is Evil Because All People Are Made In God’s Image

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27

Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.  Genesis 9:6

what is man that you are mindful of him, & the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings & crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep & oxen & also the beasts of the field . . . . Psalm 8:4-7

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:13-14

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:9-10

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Romans 8:29

2. Racism Is Evil Because God Designed All The Different Ethnicities

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Acts 17:26-27

3. Racism Is Evil Because God Determined From The Beginning To Save People From All Nations

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families [tribes, peoples] of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 12:3

4. Racism Is Evil Because God Hates Injustice

He who justifies the wicked & he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. Proverbs 17:15

You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, 3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. Exodus 23:2-3

You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. Leviticus 19:15

You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 16:18-20

How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 82:2-4

It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. Proverbs 18:5

So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." Acts 10:34-35

5. Racism Is Evil Because Of The Second Greatest Commandment

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:36-40

6. Racism Is Evil Because Of The Golden Rule

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law & the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

7. Racism Is Evil Because It's Diametrically Opposed To Numerous Other Commands In Scripture

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, 
even death on a cross. Philippians 2:1-8

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-21 

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:5-10

8. Racism Is Evil Because Jesus Died For All Nations

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation . . . ." Revelation 5:9

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Revelation 7:9-10

9. Racism Is Evil Because God Smiles On Inter-Ethnic Marriage

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it . . . And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed. When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. Numbers 12:1-2, 9-10

John Calvin: because they were unable to allege any grounds, upon which Moses in himself was not far their superior, they seek to bring disgrace upon him on account of his wife; as if in half of himself he was inferior to them, because he had married a woman who was not of their own race, but a foreigner. They, therefore, cast ignominious aspersions upon him in the person of his wife, as if it were not at all becoming that he should be accounted the prince and head of the people, since his wife, and the companion of his bed, was a Gentile woman.

a. God Delights In Inter-ethnic Marriage Because He Ordained That Inter-ethnic Marriages Of Israelites With God Fearing Gentiles Be In The Genealogy Of Jesus Christ: (Matthew 1:5: Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab (Canaanite), and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth (Moabite))

b. God Delights In Inter-ethnic Marriage Because The Model Marriage – The Greatest Of All Marriages – Is An Inter-ethnic Marriage: The marriage which all other godly marriages are to be modeled after and point to; the most beautiful, glorious, loving, satisfying, holy marriage – the marriage of all marriages – is an inter-ethnic marriage: a Jewish carpenter and crucified and risen King, married to a bride from every tribe and tongue and people and nation!

10. Racism Is Evil Because It’s At Odds With God’s Design For The Church

Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. John 17:11

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Ephesians 2:14-16

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:27-28

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Colossians 3:11

11. Racism Is Evil Because God Forbids Partiality

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring & fine clothing comes into your assembly, & a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, & if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing & say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," have you not then made distinctions among yourselves & become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith & heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, & the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin & are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:1-9

12. Racism Is Evil Because We All Came From One Man

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth . . . . Acts 17:26

13. Racism Is Evil Because God Hates It

There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

O you who love the LORD, hate evil! Psalm 97:10

Remember: we are all born "me" supremacists! We are all born evil. God is our only hope. He has a plan! 

The GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST! Jesus, the God-Man, lived a perfectly obedient life. He then died on that cross and took the wrath of God that we deserve upon Himself. There He died, but then He rose up from the dead on the third day so that all people who turn from their sins and trust in Him shall be saved!

14. Racism Is Evil Because God Loves Every Nation And Every Person He Has Made

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:4

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 12:3

15. Racism Is Evil Because God Says So

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Our Only Hope: 

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus Christ The Perfect Jew
Made All Tribes In Every Hue
In God’s Image Through And Through
From One Man All Came It’s True
But Since All Sinned Our Love Withdrew
With Racism Our Hatred Brew
So Jesus Came To All Subdue
He Died For Sinners LORD Thank You
Then Rose And Made All Death Untrue
In Christ All Racist Sins Undo
Between The Tutsi And Hutu
Between All Blacks And Whites And Blue
In Christ We’re One And Love Pursue
So Trust The Perfect God-Man Jew
He’ll Change Your Life And Make You New!