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(Editor’s Note: This concludes an article calling African American men to seek power not in religion, but relationship with the living God and Creator who reveals Himself to man.)
For Those Who May Yet Honor God’s Word!
The empowering of blacks or any other people in and of itself is not wrong. What can be wrong is where a people seek power. In the case of blacks, we have sought and not found it in all manner of self-destructive efforts including lashing out. Nor have we found it in politics, economics, education, the media or social movements as a permanent holding. Finally, we have not really found it in manmade cultural religion either (Christian or otherwise) or the idolatry of heritage and self-worship.
Ultimate, eternal power only dwells and therefore can only be found in the Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and earth! King David wrote: “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God,” (Psalm 62:11, NKJV). Hence, prior to this declaration, he counsels his soul to “wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved,” (vs. 5-6). Further, after testifying God is his glory, rock of his strength and refuge, he then exhorts everyone to “Trust in Him at all times,” (vs.7-8a).
This God, the One and only true and living God (Isaiah 43:10-13; John 17:3), can be known intimately and has revealed Himself to man from the beginning of the creation. Adam knew Him and Enoch in the sixth generation of his descendants walked with Him until “he was not, for God took him,” (Genesis 5:24, NKJV). Noah knew Him and was warned of the flood He was bringing to judge sinners. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew Him and were given a covenant of promise which their descendents violated, but God kept and thus, the Jews are still with us to this day!
After 430 years in slavery, these sons of the three patriarchs were brought out by a man whom the Creator revealed Himself personally, even Moses His servant! At a burning bush that was not consumed, the One who called Himself “I AM Who I AM” promised this Moses he would lead His people out because He was going to be with him in display of His glorious wonder working power (Exodus 3:1-20)!
While Moses was God’s faithful servant in all His house, in these last days, He has finally and fully revealed Himself to all the world through His Son, Jesus Christ, the builder and owner of His house! Him He sent to make atonement for the sins of the world by the sacrifice of Himself on a Roman cross in order to deliver humanity out of spiritual slavery and eternal despair. Also, in the aftermath of His triumphant resurrection from the dead, He has brought willing sons who relate to Him by faith into the glorious destiny God has prepared for them (Hebrews 1:1-3:6)!
The destiny God has called believers to in Christ is not just for some far off future and place. Confusion about this fact led to many black men departing from the faith not long after slavery ended, but white oppression continued. The black church’s fixation with a future going to Heaven as the only final hope for coping under the harsh oppression of Jim Crow segregation, belittling and physical violence was and is hard for men (who God designed to rule and take action) to handle. Yet, David did tell his soul to “wait silently...” So what gives here? Not for Heaven, but David counseled himself to wait for God alone!
Therefore, men, you are not powerless as a strong man of God in the image of Christ! The living out of your glorious destiny begins right here, right now on the earth as you put your trust in Jesus Christ! For Christ came to empower you to stand against all your foes among whom, the devil is the chief. This fallen angel is behind all the evil works of the earth including every form of oppression. But Christ has destroyed him and all his works (Hebrews 2:14-15; I John 3:8) assuring your victory!
So, when you wait on God, what do you do? First, since you are His, you already have the needed grace and strength of Christ to endure what you face (II Corinthians 12:7-10). Secondly, you seek a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit and His eternal power within to respond to what you struggle against without in a Christ-like manner (Ephesians 3:13-21; Colossians 1:9-12)! Indeed, we are to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,” (Ephesians 6:10, NKJV). Lastly, you put on all of the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18) while you wait on Christ to bring about His triumph into your situation. As a people, we have seen such triumphs in events like the end of slavery and the gains of the Civil Rights Movement or don’t you recognize in all humility and thanksgiving these were of God?
Now, I want no one to misunderstand me. God is preparing us even new heavens and a new earth! However, He has supplied us with the riches of our eternal life with Him here and now on this earth through Jesus Christ! Wonderfully, joyfully we have this treasure in these earthen vessels that God may be glorified through us! When our preparation (and understand because we are sons, suffering is part of it, Hebrews 12:1-11) is completed, we shall enter and be in the Lord’s presence forever (II Corinthians 4:7-5:11).
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