====== Prejudice or Unity? ====== Other related words include: superiority, partiality > One ordinance shall be for you of the assembly and for the stranger who dwells with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who dwells with you. Numbers 15:15-16 > Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Acts 10:28 > Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." Acts 10:34-35 > So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Acts 15:8-9 > For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:11 > For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Romans 3:22-24 > For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. Romans 10:11-12 > There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 > I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. 1 Timothy 5:21 > My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. James 2:1 > have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:4 > but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:9 > But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17 > It is the bounden duty of everyone who professes to believe the truth to do all in his power to remove prejudice, while never lessening the importance of truth by concessions to the world. We are to show by our manners, by our words, by our spirit that we have learned in the school of Christ. We should not manifest harshness of spirit, indulging coarseness of speech. The great Teacher says, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (19MR 209.3). ===== The Origin of Prejudice ===== > I have been shown that home religion is the great need in every family. The home circle should be the center of the purest and most elevated affections. There peace, harmony, affection, and happiness should be cultivated every day. There the precious plant of love should be carefully cherished, that it may not die. Every plant that **Satan has planted**—jealousy, anger, envy, evil surmising, evil speaking, impatience, fretfulness, **prejudice**, vanity, covetousness, and selfishness—should be rooted up without delay. There is constant peril for the soul who nurtures these evil qualities, for they will bear a burden of evil fruit, whereby many will be defiled. These poisonous plants defile the soul and crowd out the precious flower of love. (13MR 79.2). > Then as the children of God are one in Christ, how does Jesus look upon caste, upon society distinctions, upon the division of man from his fellow man, because of color, race, position, wealth, birth, or attainments? The secret of unity is found in the equality of believers in Christ. **The reason for all division, discord, and difference is found in separation from Christ.** Christ is the center to which all should be attracted; for the nearer we approach the center, the closer we shall come together in feeling, in sympathy, in love, growing into the character and image of Jesus. With God there is no respect of persons. (1SM 259.2). > Genuine faith in Jesus leads to denial of self; but however high the profession may be, if self is exalted and indulged, the faith of Jesus is not in the heart. The true Christian manifests by a life of daily consecration that he is bought with a price, and is not his own. He realizes that an infinite sacrifice has been made for him, and that his life is of inestimable value, through the merits of Jesus’ blood, intercession, and righteousness. But while he comprehends the exalted privileges of the sons of God, his soul is filled with humility. There is no boasting of holiness from the lips of those who walk in the shadow of Calvary’s cross. They feel that it was their sin which caused the agony that broke the heart of the Son of God, and their comeliness is turned to corruption. Those who live nearest to Jesus, feel most deeply their own unworthiness, and their only hope is in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Like Moses, they have had a view of the awful majesty of holiness, and they see their own insufficiency in contrast with the purity and exalted loveliness of Jesus. RH March 6, 1888, par. 4 ===== Practical Ways to Break Down Prejudice ===== Remember that Jesus was sent as the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14), [[..:..:operating_principles:dtm:publishing_church_growth_model:gods_mission:start|God's Mission]] is to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. * Lay aside personal ambitions * Work together in harmony according to Biblical principles * Cherish truth in the heart * Medical missionary work * Visitation, expressing kindness and sympathy * Distribution of papers and tracts * Agree with the people on points wherever possible * Let the love of Christ shine through all efforts > Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; **old things have passed away**; behold, all things have become **new**. 2 Corinthians 5:17 > Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind **let each esteem others better than himself**. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for **the interests of others**. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of **no reputation**, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:3-7 > Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are **just**, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 > There is a most decided work that needs to be done in our churches throughout the field. There has been in many places a lack of cooperation and harmonious action, but if the workers will now **lay aside their personal ambitions** and prejudices, and will all **draw unitedly in Bible lines**, a change will be wrought among our people. (5MR 132.1). > The **truth cherished in the heart** will work out a blessed unity among Christ's disciples in the lower school of earth. (5MR 371.4). > In Many Places—As a means of overcoming prejudice and gaining access to minds, **medical missionary work** must be done, not in one or two places only, but in many places where the truth has not yet been proclaimed. We are to work as gospel medical missionaries, to heal the sin-sick souls by giving them the message of salvation. This work will break down prejudice as nothing else can. (Ev 515.3). > Removing Prejudice—The instruction given to the patients in our sanitariums is not to be presented in the form of laws that must be obeyed. The word was spoken: “Everything that can be done is to be done to bring the sick and afflicted to the way of truth and righteousness. **Medical missionary work** is one means of doing this. We do not know how much prejudice is removed as people are brought in contact with true medical missionary workers. As physicians and nurses strive to do for the suffering the work that Christ did when He was upon this earth, the truth for this time will find access to minds and hearts”.... (Ev 539.1). > Removes Prejudice—I have been shown that in giving attention to this branch of the work you remove a large amount of prejudice from many minds, that has barred the way to their receiving the truth and reading the publications setting forth the truth which we believe. This matter must not be passed over as nonessential; for nearly every family needs to be stirred up on this question, and their consciences aroused to be doers of the word of God in practicing self-denial of appetite. When you make the people intelligent on the question of **health reform**, you have prepared the way for them to give attention to the present truth for these last days. Said my guide, “Educate, educate, educate.” The mind must be enlightened; for the understanding is darkened just as Satan would have it to be, because he can find access through perverted appetite, to debase the soul.... (CM 133.1). > My brethren and sisters, **visit those who live near you, and by sympathy and kindness seek to reach their hearts**. Be sure to work in a way that will remove prejudice instead of creating it. And remember that those who know the truth for this time, and yet confine their efforts to their own churches, refusing to work for their unconverted neighbors, will be called to account for unfulfilled duties.—Testimonies for the Church 9:34. (ChS 115.1). > Reading prepares the way for the spoken word—I have been shown that few have any correct idea of what the **distribution of papers and tracts** is doing. The missionary work, in **circulating the publications upon present truth**, is opening doors everywhere, and preparing minds to receive the truth, when the living preacher shall come among them. The success which attends the efforts of ministers in the field is not due alone to their efforts, but in a great degree to the influence of the reading matter which has enlightened the minds of the people and removed prejudice. Thus many are made susceptible to the influence of the truth when it is presented before them. (PaM 118.1). > Sound Methods for Meeting Prejudice—Brethren, you who go forth to labor for those who are bound in chains of prejudice and ignorance, need to exercise the same divine wisdom that Paul manifested. When you are laboring in a place where souls are just beginning to get the scales from their eyes, and to see men as trees walking, be very careful not to present the truth in such a way as to arouse prejudice, and to close the door of the heart to the truth. **Agree with the people on every point where you can consistently do so**. Let them see that you love their souls, and want to be in harmony with them so far as possible. If the **love of Christ is revealed in all your efforts**, you will be able to sow the seed of truth in some hearts; God will water the seed sown, and the truth will spring up and bear fruit to His glory. (Ev 140.3). ===== Examples of Prejudice ===== * The Good Samaritan (Luke 10) * Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10, 15:8-9) * Paul ministered to the people he once despised * Jesus and... * Zacchaeus * Samaritan woman at the well (John 4)