All types of division between humanity, the greatest cause of division is ethnicity, bar none.
Ethnocentrism is the cause of most wars. It is also that which units a country together, and prevents it from being divided, where people choose not to be divided but united because of their ethnicity. Likewise, in the most perverted of ways, where people are of different ethnicities, and where there is political turmoil, or where a country cannot sustain itself being resource-poor, people are divided along the lines of ethnicity, and separate from each other over ethnicity.
Such is perversion. It is the evil manifestation of strife, division and war. People love others, or refraining from hating others, because of their ethnicity, being the same as their "own". People hate others, full of indifference towards their suffering, hardship, and oppression, because of their ethnicity, being different from their "own".
Even in our times, which is often touted as very cosmopolitan, and where the modern Church is very influenced by the times, there is much ethnocentrism in Church. It should not be that way at all.
The Church should be to absolute opposite from the world. Do not be mistake, ethnocentrism is of the world. The Church, the universal Church, should be one where people, regardless of ethnicity, are filled with great and deep love for each other, seeking to lay down their lives for each other, and not kill or hate each other, or separate from each other because of ethnicity. For "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
The true Church should be a world of love. Such love is no ordinary love, or the love the world has for their own family or friends, but that which is prepared to lay down one's life and give up comfort and security for others who are not within one's immediate circles.
It is love which extends beyond one's immediate circles and associates, and is always seeking to help those who are suffering and in pain, who one does not know. It is always concerned about their well-being, despite not knowing them personally, and seeks the best for them.
Ethnocentrism, by its very nature, in making false distinctions between people, is based on the deception that some ethnic groups are inferior than or superior to others. This is antithetical to what the Bible tells us which is that God created and loves every single human being (Genesis 1:27; 5:2). There is nothing which says that God created one ethnicity, or sex for that matter, to be superior or inferior to another, or the other. Each human has equal dignity before God.
One may think that the modern people today accepts that easily, if not thinks that axiomatic. Yet, so many people in the professing Church find that hard to accept. Their ethnocentrism or chauvinism, be it male or female chauvinism, is clear. Some even attack the idea that all people are of equal dignity before God, by trying to find all kinds of justifications in the Bible, by twisting and perverting the Bible, especially the Old Testament.
That many churches identify themselves by their ethnicity is indicative that ethnocentrism is rampant in the professing Church. Ethnocentrism needs to be plucked out and thrown into the lake of fire, or else, one will be thrown into the lake of fire with it (Revelation 21:8).
Division and strife, which are the fruits of ethnocentrism, are works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). A racist or ethnocentrist will go to Hell.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Galatians 5:19-21).
If you have lied, taken God's name in vain, stolen anything, irrespective of value, looked in lust, fornicated, committed adultery, or hated anybody, you have sinned against God. You have broken His Moral Law which you know deep down in your conscience.
You deserve the full punishment by God for your sins, which is eternity in Hell, because He is perfectly good and just. But God does not want that for you, as He is a God of love. That is why He sent His only Begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins to pay for the penalty of your sins. You broke God's Moral Law, Jesus paid your fine, so that on the Day of Judgment, God can dismiss your case.
What you need to do is to turn from all your sins, and place your faith in Jesus Christ. You cannot rely on your 'good works' for our own good works are as filthy rags before God. Turn from your sins and place your faith in Jesus Christ while you still have time.
Ethnocentrism is the cause of most wars. It is also that which units a country together, and prevents it from being divided, where people choose not to be divided but united because of their ethnicity. Likewise, in the most perverted of ways, where people are of different ethnicities, and where there is political turmoil, or where a country cannot sustain itself being resource-poor, people are divided along the lines of ethnicity, and separate from each other over ethnicity.
Such is perversion. It is the evil manifestation of strife, division and war. People love others, or refraining from hating others, because of their ethnicity, being the same as their "own". People hate others, full of indifference towards their suffering, hardship, and oppression, because of their ethnicity, being different from their "own".
Even in our times, which is often touted as very cosmopolitan, and where the modern Church is very influenced by the times, there is much ethnocentrism in Church. It should not be that way at all.
The Church should be to absolute opposite from the world. Do not be mistake, ethnocentrism is of the world. The Church, the universal Church, should be one where people, regardless of ethnicity, are filled with great and deep love for each other, seeking to lay down their lives for each other, and not kill or hate each other, or separate from each other because of ethnicity. For "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
The true Church should be a world of love. Such love is no ordinary love, or the love the world has for their own family or friends, but that which is prepared to lay down one's life and give up comfort and security for others who are not within one's immediate circles.
It is love which extends beyond one's immediate circles and associates, and is always seeking to help those who are suffering and in pain, who one does not know. It is always concerned about their well-being, despite not knowing them personally, and seeks the best for them.
Ethnocentrism, by its very nature, in making false distinctions between people, is based on the deception that some ethnic groups are inferior than or superior to others. This is antithetical to what the Bible tells us which is that God created and loves every single human being (Genesis 1:27; 5:2). There is nothing which says that God created one ethnicity, or sex for that matter, to be superior or inferior to another, or the other. Each human has equal dignity before God.
One may think that the modern people today accepts that easily, if not thinks that axiomatic. Yet, so many people in the professing Church find that hard to accept. Their ethnocentrism or chauvinism, be it male or female chauvinism, is clear. Some even attack the idea that all people are of equal dignity before God, by trying to find all kinds of justifications in the Bible, by twisting and perverting the Bible, especially the Old Testament.
That many churches identify themselves by their ethnicity is indicative that ethnocentrism is rampant in the professing Church. Ethnocentrism needs to be plucked out and thrown into the lake of fire, or else, one will be thrown into the lake of fire with it (Revelation 21:8).
Division and strife, which are the fruits of ethnocentrism, are works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). A racist or ethnocentrist will go to Hell.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Galatians 5:19-21).
If you have lied, taken God's name in vain, stolen anything, irrespective of value, looked in lust, fornicated, committed adultery, or hated anybody, you have sinned against God. You have broken His Moral Law which you know deep down in your conscience.
You deserve the full punishment by God for your sins, which is eternity in Hell, because He is perfectly good and just. But God does not want that for you, as He is a God of love. That is why He sent His only Begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins to pay for the penalty of your sins. You broke God's Moral Law, Jesus paid your fine, so that on the Day of Judgment, God can dismiss your case.
What you need to do is to turn from all your sins, and place your faith in Jesus Christ. You cannot rely on your 'good works' for our own good works are as filthy rags before God. Turn from your sins and place your faith in Jesus Christ while you still have time.
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