Is Anyone Born a Racist? Or Is It Learned?
Chapters
0:06:8 Being Loved by God
9:19 Love Does Not Come Naturally to the Human Heart
10:36 Birthday of the Protestant Reformation
00:00:00.000 | It was a weekend of street battles and stark displays of racism exploding into a deadly act of domestic terror
00:00:06.560 | This summer the city of Charlottesville was the scene of an eruption of racial animosity
00:00:14.640 | A sentiment that seems to continue to simmer under the surface of a broader divide in our country
00:00:21.720 | And it brings again to the forefront a question over whether racism is the product of nature
00:00:30.480 | or nurture
00:00:32.160 | Are we born racists or is prejudice something that is wholly learned?
00:00:37.040 | This question came up recently for a listener named Ryan in Houston
00:00:40.400 | Pastor John in the wake of recent events this summer in Charlottesville president obama shared this quote from nelson mandela on social media quote
00:00:49.360 | No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion
00:00:56.880 | People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate they can be taught to love
00:01:01.920 | For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite
00:01:06.480 | end quote
00:01:08.800 | Several news agencies are reporting that this is now the most liked tweet of all time
00:01:14.640 | But it seems contrary to the teaching of scripture pastor. John. What are your thoughts on mandela's words here?
00:01:21.680 | I have
00:01:24.160 | Several thoughts about that quote
00:01:26.560 | i've tried to
00:01:29.200 | Think about it
00:01:31.200 | um
00:01:33.040 | in a way
00:01:34.320 | That could affirm it i'm trying to get inside his skin
00:01:38.640 | And think is there is there a way to affirm it?
00:01:43.440 | as a christian rather than just
00:01:46.160 | my my knee-jerk reaction to bring clear biblical teaching against it, which
00:01:52.240 | I'm going to do eventually in a in a way
00:01:54.880 | So let me try to to break it down first
00:01:59.040 | No one is born
00:02:02.640 | Hating another person he says because of the color of his skin
00:02:07.200 | Or his background or his religion people must learn to hate now, that's tricky
00:02:13.360 | Um, here's a way to defend it
00:02:17.200 | When we are born
00:02:20.880 | The bible teaches that we have a nature
00:02:24.160 | That is rebellious
00:02:26.800 | against god 1 corinthians 2 14 says we are
00:02:30.560 | Naturally unable to discern spiritual things like the beauty of god and his ways
00:02:36.720 | Romans 8 7 and 8 says that by nature we're unwilling and unable to submit to god's
00:02:44.480 | Law and to please god ephesians 2 3 says we are by nature
00:02:49.120 | Children of wrath that is we are so opposed to god that it is just of god to pour his wrath out
00:02:57.680 | Against us romans 3 10 says there's none righteous. No, not one romans 3 23 says we've all
00:03:05.200 | Sinned and fallen short of the glory of god psalm 51 5 says
00:03:10.240 | We were born in iniquity and in sin did our mothers conceive us now. Here's the catch
00:03:15.840 | This fallen nature
00:03:19.440 | This sinfulness is essentially proud
00:03:23.680 | and selfish
00:03:26.240 | and self-exalting
00:03:28.080 | And resistant to god and what exalts god over all things
00:03:32.720 | but the form
00:03:36.240 | That this pride and selfishness takes
00:03:39.680 | is learned
00:03:42.080 | It is it's largely shaped by our parents and our culture
00:03:45.840 | one form
00:03:48.240 | that this sinfulness can take is hatred toward people who are different from us and being
00:03:55.600 | bigoted and angry
00:03:58.460 | and
00:04:01.200 | Wanting to create as much separation as we can but another form
00:04:05.680 | that it can take is a way of
00:04:08.240 | Relating that wins the praise of others by doing helpful things for others
00:04:14.240 | Even others who are different from us
00:04:16.800 | There are many
00:04:19.040 | vain
00:04:20.300 | selfish
00:04:21.740 | anti-god people who have learned to treat others with decency and respect because
00:04:29.040 | There are very significant advantages to living that way
00:04:33.200 | Especially if there's a group of people that you care about who praise that behavior very highly and thus build up your
00:04:40.720 | Ego while you treat people that way. So yes
00:04:44.800 | We do learn to hate
00:04:47.600 | In the sense that our parents and our culture
00:04:50.960 | channels our natural
00:04:55.020 | Segregation into forms of opposition to people like us or
00:05:00.380 | we may learn to channel our selfishness into benevolent ways that provide
00:05:07.820 | Ego satisfaction for ourselves and win a good deal of praise from other people we admire
00:05:14.700 | now the next part of mandela statement says
00:05:18.460 | They can be taught to love
00:05:22.620 | Now if love here simply means a kind of behavior that gives practical help rather than hurt to others
00:05:30.940 | That's true
00:05:32.700 | That's what we saw already
00:05:34.700 | But that's not what the bible calls love
00:05:37.980 | Paul says in first corinthians 13 3 if I give away all I have
00:05:43.260 | And deliver up my body to be burned and don't have love
00:05:47.020 | I gain nothing
00:05:50.380 | so
00:05:51.260 | The love that the bible cares about
00:05:53.660 | Is not merely giving our goods to the poor
00:05:57.900 | Or being willing to sacrifice our bodies
00:06:01.100 | Love as second corinthians 8 1 and 2 describes starts with being overwhelmed
00:06:08.000 | By being loved by god by the grace of god
00:06:12.860 | to us in our guilt in our lack of deserving and then
00:06:19.160 | Flowing with joy in god to meet the needs of others and draw them into sharing our joy in god
00:06:26.840 | Which doesn't just last for 80 years, but for 80 000
00:06:29.820 | years
00:06:31.720 | even to people
00:06:33.080 | Unlike us in fact, especially
00:06:35.080 | Jesus says to our enemies we pour out that kind of love the reason it matters to define love
00:06:43.080 | As coming from an experience of grace is that without this we perish
00:06:49.480 | under god's wrath
00:06:51.480 | God has made a way for us to enjoy his favor
00:06:54.840 | And if we don't come to christ
00:06:57.800 | And confess our lovelessness and receive forgiveness and find our treasure in god himself
00:07:04.060 | We will perish under god's punishment
00:07:07.420 | and this means
00:07:09.880 | That the effort to teach people to act
00:07:13.240 | lovingly, but not
00:07:17.080 | To love with the love of god not to have the love of god
00:07:21.240 | Flowing through us because of jesus and the forgiveness of our sins through faith in him to teach people to love without that
00:07:29.720 | That effort is not loving
00:07:32.360 | because it leaves people lost in their sin and
00:07:36.200 | And and that's all covered by a veneer
00:07:39.420 | Of good deeds and therefore it's very destructive
00:07:45.400 | And finally mandela says
00:07:47.640 | For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite
00:07:52.760 | if love
00:07:55.240 | Simply means doing many beneficial things for people
00:07:59.560 | You could see why this might be true
00:08:03.800 | for example a mother
00:08:06.360 | more naturally feeds her child
00:08:09.960 | Than throwing the child over a cliff, right? Almost everybody would agree. It's more natural
00:08:15.880 | Most women find it more natural
00:08:18.440 | to be nurturing and
00:08:21.160 | Feed her infant than to throw him over a waterfall but apart from christ
00:08:27.000 | And his saving work
00:08:29.480 | that
00:08:30.420 | natural love
00:08:32.420 | Exists in a heart that is hostile to god does not submit to his law
00:08:38.360 | Every one of us has a fundamentally self-exalting heart
00:08:43.240 | Which to be sure will do many things that benefit others
00:08:49.080 | But are no expression of submission to god or desire that others find their joy in god
00:08:56.520 | if love
00:08:58.040 | As the bible teaches is far more than learned behaviors
00:09:04.040 | But is the overflow of joy in being forgiven through jesus christ and finding him as our supreme
00:09:11.080 | Treasure and desiring that others come and join us in that
00:09:15.880 | Everlasting pleasure even at great cost to ourselves then
00:09:20.120 | Love does not come naturally to the human heart. It is in fact
00:09:26.280 | diametrically opposed to what we are
00:09:29.560 | By nature the human heart is proud
00:09:33.160 | and selfish
00:09:34.680 | and resistant
00:09:36.280 | to the authority of god and
00:09:38.280 | insubordinate to his commands including
00:09:41.820 | The command to love in the power that god supplies for the glory of god. So
00:09:47.880 | my prayer
00:09:50.120 | for myself
00:09:52.120 | And others is that we christians would pursue
00:09:56.120 | love in this world
00:09:58.920 | by pursuing
00:10:01.400 | faith in christ
00:10:03.400 | Since whatever is not from faith
00:10:06.440 | Is sin romans 14 23
00:10:09.580 | And it is unloving
00:10:12.680 | To train people to act in ways that look loving
00:10:17.160 | But are only sin
00:10:19.960 | Yeah, very good. Thank you pastor john for
00:10:22.680 | Taking a theme from the news and addressing it for us here on the podcast
00:10:27.560 | And thank you for listening and making the podcast part of your day and your commute. We really appreciate that you join us
00:10:32.840 | each week
00:10:35.400 | well, the 500th birthday of the protestant reformation
00:10:38.700 | Arrives at the end of october and what a great opportunity for us to reflect on what god has done through luther and calvin
00:10:46.520 | And all the many personalities that god used in the protestant reformation
00:10:52.600 | Those many centuries ago. We have already been celebrating many of those voices at desiring god in a daily series. We call here
00:11:00.360 | we stand
00:11:01.720 | 31 heroes of the reformation
00:11:03.720 | It's a series of articles and also an audio podcast. You can subscribe to via itunes
00:11:10.360 | Each day through the month of october. We're publishing a brief daily character sketch of a personality in the reformation
00:11:16.140 | And for more details, you can find them at desiringgod.org forward slash stand
00:11:22.360 | Speaking of the reformation next week. We'll have a trio of reformation apj episodes. We're going to talk about the five solas of the reformation
00:11:29.820 | And the core convictions that really drove the protestant movement forward
00:11:34.440 | And then we're going to talk to pastor john about his favorite reformation biographies his book length biographies that he cherishes most
00:11:41.480 | And then we will end the week talking with a reformation historian on the the really incredible story of how martin luther
00:11:48.900 | Handedly shaped the printing press and the publishing industry as we now know it today
00:11:53.780 | It's a really fascinating story and i'm looking forward to sharing it with you
00:11:58.100 | In about a week that is our trio of episodes next week. I'm your host tony ranke and we will see you then
00:12:05.480 | You
00:12:07.480 | You
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00:12:12.440 | (Session concluded at 4pm)