Denver Seminary

LOVE GOD, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR When Jesus was asked to identify God's greatest commandment, His response was simple: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matt. 22:37–40). Love God; love people. If we love God, we will obey His command to love each other. When people choose not to love God or others, they break God's commandments and are guilty of sin. That sin is the cause of the problems our culture faces in healing race relations. The only hope our culture has for deliverance from sin and restoration of relationships lies in the power of God's grace. In Romans 5:20, Paul speaks of the power of God's grace: "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more." Even in the Old Testament, no matter how many times Israel was reminded of its blatant sins, the prophets still proclaimed God's willingness to forgive Israel. God's grace exceeds the magnitude of any sin. His grace is sufficient to forgive any misdeed. Christians, as recipients of God's grace, have a unique responsibility to display Christ in their relationships with other image bearers, regardless of the color of their skin. Christians, as recipients of God's grace, have a unique responsibility to display Christ in their relationships with other image bearers, regardless of the color of their skin. When Christians begin to live out the great command to love God and to love people, the power of God's grace will begin to heal relationships. For this to happen, Christians must be willing to acknowledge the issue and repent of their sin, forgive others of their sin as they have been forgiven, and begin the difficult conversations to heal those broken relationships that still exist. FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER In spite of the discrimination, prejudice, and racial profiling I have experienced, as a believer in Christ, I am obligated to share the grace of God. I must apply the power of God's grace in all my relationships, regardless of race or ethnicity. The power of God's grace prevented me from harboring the anger I felt after hearing the news of Trayvon Martin's death. Though I've been displeased with the outcome of recent incidents, the power of God's grace has allowed me to properly process the judicial decisions of Ferguson and the riots in Baltimore. It took the grace of God at work in my life to minister to my community—even though I was hurting as much as they were—when the shootings occurred at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina. Even though I might disagree with the actions of others, God's grace obligates me, as an image bearer and evangelical Christian, to forgive sin as Christ forgave mine. I am obligated to engage others lovingly, while displaying Christ in all my relationships. Paul's challenge to every believer is clear: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:30–32, ESV). If Trayvon Martin's parents can go on national television and forgive the man who took the life of their son, I can forgive as well. If the relatives of those killed in the Charleston church can publicly forgive the accused gunman, I can do my part to help heal race relations. Because we are recipients of God's grace, every evangelical Christian is challenged to apply the power of God's grace to all their relationships. Felix Gilbert, MDiv ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PASTORAL LEADERSHIP AND MINISTRY; DIRECTOR OF THE URBAN INITIATIVE Felix Gilbert joined the faculty of Denver Seminary in 2013. He is currently pursuing a DMin degree from Denver Seminary with an emphasis on leadership and preaching. Felix also serves as the senior pastor of Restoration Christian Fellowship, a church he and his wife planted in 1999. He is the founder of Restoration Christian Ministries, a community development corporation that serves the Aurora, Colorado community, and he recently launched Restoration Christian Academy, a Christian school providing an alternative to secular education in the Aurora community. ENGAGE 9 MAKES YOU THINK Christian Chan/iStock

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