Few people seriously believe that either misogyny or racism have any place in the Christian church. While God established different roles for men and women (as I’ve discussed numerous times on this blog), He never gives us reason to consider one gender to be superior to the other. Similarly, He doesn’t advocate that His people make racial or ethnic distinctions among ourselves.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. ~~Galatians 3:23-29 (ESV)

In Christ, Christians of both genders and all ethnic backgrounds find unity. And our unity in Him demands that we treat each other with love, dignity and respect. Therefore, we must never condone the mistreatment of any person or group.

But neither should we call racism and misogyny Gospel issues. The current trend of the evangelical Social Justice Movement greatly obscures the true purpose of the Gospel by shifting the focus away from the Lord Jesus Christ and His worthiness to be praised and onto our hunger for vengeance and power.

Yet the Bible portrays the Gospel as God’s gracious act of redeeming men and women of every ethnic heritage from sin in order that we might be a united people set apart for Himself (see Titus 2:11-14). Harmony between people groups happens as we maintain our attention on Him, obeying His commands to love one another.

So often, we get caught up in human affairs, forgetting that Christ shed His blood for us so that we would have the glorious privilege of honoring Him throughout eternity. We will join brothers and sisters of every ethnicity, as well as the angels, in worshiping our wonderful Lord.

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, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” ~~Revelation 7:9-12 (ESV)

In God’s kingdom, we won’t have the slightest interest in requiring each other to make amends for systematic misogyny and racism. Our eyes won’t be on race, gender or any other earthly cause for division. We will be too enthralled with His majesty and glory to even think of such inconsequential matters.

Neither ethnicity nor gender constitutes a Gospel issue. Jesus Christ alone is the Gospel issue. Nothing, not even serious sins like racism and misogyny, should distract us from Him.

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