What the Bible Says About Equality

  1. Everyone is equally made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27; 9:6). Even the scientific world classifies the human species as Homo sapiens – one biological race of humans.

  2. Everyone is equally descended from the same first man and woman (Acts 17:26-27; Gen. 3:20). Everyone is related to everyone (from “one blood”-Acts 17:27). Science has discovered that every human being has the same skin color (a brown pigment called melanin), yet some are darker (black) and some lighter (white) depending upon dominant and recessive genes. Everyone is just different shade of one basic color, brown.

  3. Everyone is equally guilty of sin against God and deserves the penalty of death (Rom. 3:10; 23).

  4. Everyone is equally granted access to forgiveness of sin and eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ who alone is Savior and Lord (Acts 17:30-31; John 3:16; Rom. 10:12-13; Acts 10:34-35)

  5. Everyone is equally included in the same spiritual family in Christ (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:13-16) and called to accept one another (Rom. 15:5-7)

  6. Everyone is equally forbidden to practice favoritism (James 2:1-13; 1 Tim. 5:21) and judge others according to appearance (John 7:24).

  7. Everyone is equally called to grant compassion (Matt. 9;13), mercy (Luke 10:30-37), and to seek the good of others (1 Thess. 5:15; Gal. 6:10; Jer. 29:7).

  8. Everyone is equally identified as a murderer and without eternal life if they “hate” the spiritual brothers and sisters they claim to have in Christ (1 John. 2:11; 3:15-16; 4:19-21).

  9. Everyone in Christ is equally called to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-47).

  10. Everyone in Christ will equally share heaven together with people from “every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Rev. 5:9-10; 7:9-12).

Action Steps:

  1. Confess and repent of any prejudice that may have a place in your heart, whether thoughts, attitudes, words, or actions (Prov. 28:13).

  2. Renew your mind to view people as fellow image-bearers and avoid a primary focus on external appearances (John 7:24; Rom. 12:2-3; 1 Sam. 16:7).

  3. Commit to live by the royal law of God (James 2:8-9 – “love your neighbor as yourself”; Lev. 19:33-34; Exodus 22:21).

  4. Be like Jesus Christ who broke down sinful and cultural barriers in His ministry (He touched the unclean and leper; reached across ethnic and gender barriers with truth and grace).

  5. Ask God to grant you His compassion, love, courage, and sympathy as you seek to interact with others outside your normal relationships and cultural environment.

– updated July 2020

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