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In 1995, the Southern Baptist Convention made history. It adopted a resolution that said in part, “We lament and repudiate historic acts of evil such as slavery, from which we continue to reap a bitter harvest, and recognize that the racism which yet plagues our culture today is inextricably tied to the past;” continuing, it says, “Be it …resolved that we hereby commit ourselves to eradicate racism in all its forms from Southern Baptist life and ministry.” That was a welcome resolution from a historic church body. It reflects what the Bible teaches in Ephesians 2. Paul writes there, “He [Christ] united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us….Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.” So since the Bible declares the unity of Christ’s body, we dare not divide it.
