The God of the Bible is not racist. He does not consider the color of a person’s skin or heritage when showing favor or punishment. He does not look at outward appearance. God is concerned with the inner man, with the heart. Scripture says God sees the heart (1 Sam. 16:7; Luke 16:15). In addition, God created one race, the human race in His image (Gen. 1:27). In this one human race, there are people with different shades of skin color, height, hair, weight, etc. We are all one race! We all come from the same ancient father: Adam.
However, some might say that God is favorable to the Jewish race, which means He is racist. This accusation would be a mistake. Racism is “a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.”1 God showed no favor to anyone based on any quality within them – let alone skin color. But God showed favor to Abraham and called him out of the Ur of the Chaldees (Neh. 9:7). He then created from Abraham’s descendants a people for Himself through whom the Messiah would be born. He then gave those people instructions and revelations to benefit the whole world. These instructions are found in the Bible, which has been given to us by the prophets and apostles. But, God did all of this not because one person was better than another but because God is sovereign and works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11).
Isn’t Jesus white?
No one really knows exactly what Jesus looked like. But since He was born to the Jewish people, He would fall into the category of Caucasian. This is not racism. Jesus had to look like someone. It does not matter what skin color He had (and still has because He is a glorified man). What matters is that He died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead three days later, and we are forgiven of our sins by trust and faith in what He did. We were not saved by our faith in someone because of race.
God doesn’t judge based on appearance.
James 2:2–4, “For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?”
The God of the Bible is not racist because to judge a person by outward appearance goes against Scripture. He does not look at the person’s qualities, ethnicity, height, weight, or looks. He looks at the heart, and calls people according to His purpose.
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