2020 Rescue Remedy: Scriptures on Identity, Race & Unity

“I feel like the entire country is emotionally burnt out,” my friend told me. I laughed because she’s 100% right. Resources are flying around like crazy, so here are some resources for your spirit.

“This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.” – Psalm 119:50 NKJV

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” – John 6:63 NKJV

A Note: Courage to Stay Christlike

To follow Jesus in 2020 and beyond requires radical love, self sacrifice, and courage westerners are unaccustomed to needing. It takes courage to preach the gospel when you’re being told only a racist preaches the gospel when we should be tearing down governments. It takes courage to be the good Samaritan, and move towards a hurting people who believe you’re responsible for their pain. It takes courage to move towards people who look like the ones who enslaved your ancestors, to join hands with them and call them brother or sister. It takes courage to tell the world forgiveness and redemption have already been achieved, and there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus – black or white or tan or anything in between.

It takes courage to hang on to Jesus as the answer, when the enemy is raging to make you believe He isn’t – but we must hang on, and teach others to do the same.

God Loves Nations, Tribes, & Tongues

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16 NKJV

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 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. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:26-28 NKJV

We are one human family. God loves us, and wants us to fill the earth.

It’s important to remember only the Middle Eastern Jews were God’s people in the OT, and foreigners meant any people you can think of, no matter their past or culture. Arab, African, Asian, Roman, Slavic, Celtic, Greek, Indian, Indigenous, Pacific Islander – I’m overlapping, but you understand. You can substitute any of those for “foreigner.”  Eunuchs can be born that way – or it can be something done to them as a part of their enslavement. God sees and loves all humanity. We aren’t to curse, judge, or doubt what (or who) God has blessed.

“Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
For his unfailing love for us is powerful;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!”- Psalm 117 NLT

That is the entirety of Psalm 117. All the earth, every nationality – without offense, without judgment, without doubting. God loves us! Not “us and them” – us.

“If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying,
“Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”” – Acts 11:17-18 NKJV

Gentiles were members of oppressive nations. I know it’s pointed of me but it’s the truth. If the Jews could love and embrace their new brothers and sisters, how much more are we to allow the blood of Jesus to wash away the sins of the nations today?

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”” – Rev 7:9-10 NIV

Identity in Christ

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” – John 5: 24 NKJV

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Cor. 5:17 NIV

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Gal 2:20 NIV

“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.” – Gal 3:27-28 NKJV

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” – Col 2:13-15 NKJV

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ” – Romans 8:1 NKJV

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” – Col 2:6-10 NKJV

“If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:3-10 NKJV

The Spiritual Monarchy of Jesus Christ

Politics aren’t off-limits, but how we approach them is incredibly important. The enemy has created two idols, one on the right and one on the left, to give all Christians a choice other than “Jesus” or “the world.” Now we are deceived into choosing Condemnation One or Condemnation Two. Neither will save us, neither are what we are called to be “apostles” of, discipling nations. If Jesus Christ was our Lord in every way, there would be no division amongst us. We would have one Lord and one objective. We don’t, so we need to repent.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” – Exodus 20:2-3 NKJV

“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Matt 22:37-39 NKJV

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”” – Joshua 5:13-14 NKJV

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” – John 14:21 NIV

“Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.” – Isaiah 1:17 NKJV

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.” – Proverbs 11:30 NKJV

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” – Matt 16:18 NKJV

“Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” – Mark 8:15 NKJV

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”” – Matt 9:13 NKJV

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” – Matthew 18:6-7 NKJV

“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” – Matt 5:42-45 NKJV

“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ” – Matt 20:25-26 NKJV

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” – Matt 16:26 NKJV

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” – Luke 8:11-15 NIV

In the World, not Of the World

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” – Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” – 1 Cor 1:10 NKJV

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.” – Ephesians 4:17-19 NIV

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:25-32 NIV

Amen. ❤