RPM-Landing
Repair-Prepare Ministries
We are a church-focused organization, aiming to repair divides caused by racism in order to prepare us for greater unity in Christ.
Gospel Fueled
The Scriptures:
Philippians 2:1-11
The Gospel & Our Mission:
How this passage applies to and correlates to our mission:
This is what the mind of Christ and the Gospel calls all White Christians to: To willingly choose to empty ourselves and become the servants of our Black Christian brothers and sisters, considering them better than ourselves and looking to their interests, not only our own.
Gospel Responses:
There are two ways that the Gospel expects White Christians would respond to the sin of racism and its residual effects and one way the Gospel expects all Christians would respond to inequality in the Church:
The Gospel is clear on how White Christians should respond to the sin of racism and its residual effects in the lives of Black people. Please consider responding accordingly today and join with us to where we are headed.
Philippians 2:1-11
- We should have the mind of Christ. (v5)
- What is the mind of Christ?
- Be of the same mind, same love, and in full accord. (v2)
- Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (v3)
- Look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others. (v4)
- How did Christ’s mind lead him to live?
- He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. (v6)
- He emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant by becoming like mankind, whom He came to serve. (v7)
- He served humanity by humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross. (v8)
- What were the results of Jesus' mind and living?
- God highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name (v9) so that:
- Every knee, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, should bow to Christ’s name (v10) and
- Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (v11)
- By doing this, Jesus provided a way for humanity's sin and its effects to be repaired so that all would one day be made right for those who call on Jesus as Lord.
- God highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name (v9) so that:
The Gospel & Our Mission:
How this passage applies to and correlates to our mission:
- Due to humanity’s sin, its relationship with God was irreparably damaged unless God chose, at great cost to Himself, to repair the damage we caused.
- God did choose to do this through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ:
- Jesus, being God and equal with God, chose to empty Himself and serve humanity by giving up all He had as God and becoming like mankind and humbling Himself to the point of death on the cross for our sin and salvation.
- He chose to give up all that He had for the good of those who did not have because in humility, He considered others better than Himself and looked not only to His own interests, but also to the interests of others.
- For those who see their sin and need for a Savior and call on the name of Jesus to be their Lord, all their sin is forgiven and all the effects of their sin will, one day, be made right.
- When one bows their knee to Jesus, who was exalted above every name and rules all things, He becomes their King, and He enables us, together, to live out His Kingdom and Gospel here on earth now.
- We, the Church, should emulate the oneness of the Trinity. As the Trinity was in full accord in their approach to saving humanity, we should be in full accord in our approach toward confronting both individual and corporate sin.
- Therefore, just as Jesus chose to let go of His equality with God, giving up all that He had as God, so that He could serve humanity by becoming human, and then giving up all that He had as a man, even to death on a cross, all for our good to repair our sin problem and prepare us for eternity with Him, we should let go of all we have as White Christians so that we can serve our Black Christian brothers and sisters by giving up all that we have in humility, considering our Black Christian brothers and sisters better than ourselves and looking not only to our own interests, but also to their interests, for their good to repair the ongoing effects of our spiritual ancestors' racism and to prepare for Kingdom life together here on earth.
This is what the mind of Christ and the Gospel calls all White Christians to: To willingly choose to empty ourselves and become the servants of our Black Christian brothers and sisters, considering them better than ourselves and looking to their interests, not only our own.
Gospel Responses:
There are two ways that the Gospel expects White Christians would respond to the sin of racism and its residual effects and one way the Gospel expects all Christians would respond to inequality in the Church:
- If a Christian has been racist and/or unconcerned about how racism has affected their Black neighbor, they should confess their sin, repent from their sin, seek forgiveness from those they sinned against, and then make things right for those they sinned against. (see Luke 3:8-11 and Luke 19:1-10)
- Whether or not a Christian has been racist personally, they should see the current plight of their Black neighbors, which was primarily caused by the racism of their White spiritual ancestors, and respond with compassion. (see Luke 10:25-37)
- Racism completely aside, if a Christian or church sees another part of the Church is in need, they should give so that there might be fairness and equality in the Church. (see 2 Corinthians 8:1-15)
The Gospel is clear on how White Christians should respond to the sin of racism and its residual effects in the lives of Black people. Please consider responding accordingly today and join with us to where we are headed.
PLEASE NOTE: When talking about these issues, we have given much thought on what language to use, and based our usage on broad feedback from the African American community. We recognize that not everyone will "like" the choices we've made, so we ask that you please extend us grace and hear our heart: our desire is for healing and unity in the Gospel, even if we don't say it perfectly all the time.