The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement emerged in 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The movement grew significantly in 2020 after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others at the hands of police. This led many Christians to ask: How should we view the BLM movement from a biblical perspective?
At its core, BLM advocates for racial justice and bringing attention to racism and inequality. As Christians, the Bible compels us to care about justice and defend the oppressed. God tells us “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). So from that perspective, Christians should care about and support the underlying goals of BLM.
However, the BLM organization also promotes beliefs that conflict with biblical Christianity. The statement of beliefs on the BLM website affirms its support for LGBTQ+ relationships, sex outside of marriage, and disrupting the nuclear family structure. These stances clearly contradict biblical teaching.
So how then should Christians navigate these competing dynamics when evaluating BLM? Here are several factors to consider:
Affirm the value of all human life
The Bible teaches that all people are created equal in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). As Christians, we must affirm that black lives matter to God. He values and loves people of every race, ethnicity and background. We should therefore support the premise that black lives have inherent God-given worth and dignity. As the Declaration of Independence states, our Creator endowed all men with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Stand against racism and injustice
The Bible condemns partiality and injustice. God “shows no partiality” (Romans 2:11) based on external qualities like race. And he commands us to “do justice” (Micah 6:8). So Christians should strongly oppose racism, and work to overcome injustice in society and institutions. Peaceful efforts to raise awareness of racial inequalities are laudable provided they are not done in an anti-biblical manner.
Clarify what real justice is
While we should champion social justice, Christians must clarify that true justice is rooted in biblical truth. Social justice movements often operate based on worldly philosophies that equate fairness with economic egalitarianism, radical equality, or other ideas that contradict Scripture. Christians should articulate how the Bible defines justice in moral versus economic terms. Justice means holding all life sacred, not sanctioning sinful acts in the name of equality.
Uphold law and order
The Bible tells us to submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7). As such, Christians should never condone riots, violence or criminal acts even when done in the name of seeking justice. While we may support peaceful protest and civil disobedience, we must also uphold the rule of law and condemn efforts to subvert order and peace in society.
Challenge ideas that conflict with biblical truth
Christians should refute messages and ideologies promoted under the BLM banner that blatantly contradict Scripture. Racial reconciliation should be founded on biblical unity, not “progressive” perspectives of human flourishing that undermine God’s design for sexuality, family and other aspects of His created order. We must object to any form of racial justice that seeks to supplant the truth of God with worldly thinking.
Show grace amid complexity
This issue calls Christians to balance competing concerns. We should avoid knee-jerk reactions either fully condemning or condoning BLM. There is complexity here deserving of reasoned, thoughtful engagement. We must show grace to fellow Christians with different views on how best to seek racial justice while still standing firm on biblical principles.
So in summary, Christians should support the premise that black lives have intrinsic worth and dignity. We must oppose racism and injustice. However, we should also articulate a distinctly Christian vision of justice according to biblical truth. And we must show grace to those with different views while still upholding Scripture as the authority.
Affirming the value of black lives does not require blanket endorsement of all BLM activities or beliefs. Christians can stand against racism while challenging aspects of BLM that promote unbiblical views. When it comes to this complex and nuanced issue, God’s truth must remain our moral compass.
The Bible on the Value of Human Life
A foundational starting point for Christians thinking about racial justice is that all human lives reflect the image of God. The Bible teaches that God created mankind in His own image (Genesis 1:27). As image-bearers of God, all people have sacred, inherent worth and dignity.
The value of human life transcends ethnicity, social status, gender or any other external attribute. All lives matter to God because He created humanity and declared His creation to be very good (Genesis 1:31). Even after mankind’s fall into sin, humans still retain the image of God (James 3:9). So demeaning or abusing others based on race is an affront to their Creator.
This biblical teaching was foundational for early Christian opposition to infanticide, gladiator fighting, and other forms of state-sanctioned violence in Roman society. The innate value of human life also inspired Christian efforts to abolish slavery and reform prisons. Respect for life at all ages and stages remains a hallmark of biblical Christianity.
So from the outset, Christians should affirm the spirit of “black lives matter” in the sense that God indeed values the lives of blacks as well as all people. Anything less than full respect for the sanctity of human life is unbiblical and unjust. Christians must categorically reject racism or selective valorization of certain ethnicities over others.
The Bible Condemns Favoritism and Racism
Scripture clearly condemns racism and the showing of partiality based on external factors like ethnicity. The Bible declares there is “neither Jew nor Greek” and that in Christ “there is no distinction” between ethnic groups (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11). When Peter showed favoritism toward the Jews, Paul called him out, reminding him that God shows no partiality among people (Galatians 2:11-14).
Likewise, Christians must not show favoritism either toward or against any ethnic group. “God shows no partiality,” the Bible reminds us (Romans 2:11). As Peter realized, “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35). So racism has no place within biblical Christianity.
In Christ, believers from every nation and background are united as one family. The church should be a foretaste of this coming kingdom where all tribes, tongues and nations will worship God together (Revelation 7:9-10). So Christians should lead the way in modeling reconciliation, equality and unity across racial lines.
Racism fundamentally contradicts the truth that all people bear God’s image. Christians must soundly reject racist prejudices, attitudes of superiority, and the oppression of other ethnicities. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31). So believers should be on the frontlines of fighting for the equal dignity and justice owed to all people regardless of their skin color.
A Biblical Framework for Justice
In pursuing racial equality, Christians must articulate what true justice means from a biblical framework. Seeking justice is indeed central to following Jesus. God calls us “to do justice” along with loving mercy and walking humbly before Him (Micah 6:8). But we must clarify that justice is defined morally, not materially.
The world typically thinks of justice economically—equal incomes, equal ownership of property and elimination of disparities. But the Bible focuses on moral justice: protecting the weak, upholding the innate value of life, dealing impartially with others, stewarding authority justly. Economic outcomes are secondary. Justice in Scripture means procedural fairness consistent with God’s moral law.
This explains why Scripture condemns theft and oppression, but does not forbid economic inequality. The Bible exhibits great concern for the poor, but does not present wealth itself as intrinsically unjust. Inequality was present in much of Scripture without being condemned as unjust per se. Justice is right relationships, not equalized possessions.
A biblical view of justice also requires voluntarily sharing our resources with those in need. Scripture commands God’s people to care generously for immigrants, orphans, widows and the poor (Leviticus 19:10; Deuteronomy 10:18-19). But this righteous distribution of resources is to be carried out voluntarily, not by state confiscation. Economic justice is important, but grounded in moral rather than material concepts of justice.
In speaking on justice biblically, Christians should explain why ideas of justice that condone sexual immorality, legitimize violence, or overturn God’s creational norms must be rejected. Justice grounded in revealed truth will harmonize with God’s design for human community under His loving Lordship. Any form of justice that denies God’s moral law cannot offer true righteousness or social flourishing.
Racial Reconciliation Through Biblical Truth
Christians desire racial unity and reconciliation in society. But pursuing reconciliation biblically requires embracing difficult truths. Lasting progress cannot be achieved by denying realities about sinful human nature. Scripture offers sobering warnings about our inner capacity for ethnic hostility.
The Bible describes natural animosity between different people groups tracing back to the division of nations following the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Due to mankind’s fallenness, even church gatherings faced tensions between Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and non-Greeks (Acts 6:1, 1 Corinthians 1.22). Our tendency toward tribalism and ethnocentrism manifests itself in racial strife.
Thankfully, the Bible also provides the sole foundation for transcending these divisions: our shared identity in Christ. All believers are baptized by one Spirit into one body, regardless of outward differences (1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27-28). Christ tears down the “dividing wall of hostility” between groups through His sacrificial death on the cross (Ephesians 2:14).
The church displays God’s wisdom “through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” when people of every nation worship Jesus together in unity (Ephesians 3:10). This spiritual union empowers Christians to suffer, rejoice, struggle and hope alongside brothers and sisters of different races.
Biblical reconciliation does not demand forced diversity, guilt or denying that any differences exist. It rests on our co-identity in a Christ who himself brings reconciliation through the cross (Colossians 1:20). And it mandates speaking truthfully about sin and oppression, not just “positive” talk of harmony. As Alexander Jun has noted, “We need to let the Word of God diagnose the sin beneath our conflicts if we want to find true peace.”
Lasting reconciliation requires proclaiming the biblical gospel of God’s grace shown to all through Christ. Reductionist “gospels” offering cheap unity devoid of redemptive truth cannot heal deep wounds or alter sinful hearts. Christians possess the only message that reconciles all peoples in the depths of their souls. Even sincere efforts by the state cannot change hearts. Only God’s Word applied by His Spirit fuels change at the spiritual root of racism.
Christians Must Support and Uphold Law and Order
A biblical view of government requires Christians to uphold civil order and the rule of law. Scripture teaches that governing authorities are established by God (Romans 13:1). We must therefore submit to government and its laws as an act of obedience to God’s will, unless those laws directly contravene His moral commands. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities,” Paul writes (Romans 13:1).
This means Christians should never perpetrate or condone illegality – including riots, destruction of property and other lawless acts – even when fighting injustice. We cannot presume to subvert order and take matters into our own hands unlawfully. Christians must advocate for change through responsible civic participation. Maintaining the social order honors God’s sovereignty over human institutions.
However, the Bible does make provision for respectful, non-violent civil disobedience when government requires something directly against Scripture. When authorities commanded the apostles to cease preaching Christ, they replied: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Likewise, Christians today may engage in peaceful civil disobedience – accepting punishment for their unlawful actions – if government forces anti-biblical decrees.
Even then, violent resistance which seeks to dismantle government itself goes beyond biblical parameters. Christians can advocate for change to laws, policies and institutions in a constructive manner. But anything involving force, violence or destruction cannot be morally justified. We seek change biblically by persuasion, voting, activism and non-violent disobedience when absolutely necessary – while still honoring authority.
So in the debate on racial justice, Christians must defend the legitimacy of protesting perceived injustices. But we cannot condone rioting or other acts of public disorder without undermining the Bible’s teaching to uphold governing authorities. Christians should pursue justice morally and legally, not through forceful anarchy which itself breeds injustice.
Evaluating Aspects of the BLM Movement
Given these biblical principles, how might Christians evaluate certain stances taken by Black Lives Matter? Here are some key areas where the official BLM movement promotes positions that conflict with Scripture:
LGBTQ+ Ideology
BLM openly supports LGBTQ+ relationships which Scripture clearly prohibits. The Bible consistently categorizes homosexual practice as sexual immorality – behavior that is against God’s will (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9). God’s design for marriage and sexuality excludes homosexual practice (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:24; Ephesians 5:31). So Christians must oppose any philosophy or agenda that legitimizes LGBTQ+ identification. While showing compassion toward individuals struggling with sexual confusion, we must hold firmly to biblical truth on God’s intent for human sexuality and not cave to cultural pressure.
Sexual Immorality
BLM states “We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk.” This seems to condone sexual fluidity and transgenderism. But the Bible presents two distinct genders as central to God’s purposeful design in creation (Genesis 1:27). Efforts to disrupt or nullify innate biological distinctions reject God’s sovereignty as Creator. Christians should stand against the spirit of the age that promotes subjective sexual identities not grounded in biological realities.
Disrupting the Nuclear Family
BLM’s statement of beliefs advocates disrupting the Western nuclear family structure. But Scripture presents the family as God’s central building block for society. From the beginning, God instituted marriage between male and female as the foundation for family (Genesis 2:24). The Bible upholds faithfulness in marriage and honoring mothers and fathers as authoritative figures (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 5:22-33). Undermining the nuclear family opposes God’s creational design for humanity’s societal thriving. While the church becomes our primary family in Christ (Mark 3:35), earthly families still fill a vital role that Christianity should protect.
Overall, Christians must categorically reject any philosophy that celebrates sexual immorality or delegitimizes the nuclear family. No expression of “social justice” can justify contradicting God’s truth and moral law. Here the Black Lives Matter organization promotes distinctly unbiblical views that Christians should firmly oppose on biblical grounds.
Showing Grace Amid Complexity and Disagreement
Navigating these issues as Christians demands wisdom, humility and showing grace toward fellow believers. Even those who agree on theological principles may differ on practical applications regarding racism, justice and how to assess BLM as a movement. This complexity calls for thoughtful nuance instead of reactionary oversimplifications.
Christians must recognize that facile answers cannot resolve every tension on this issue. Searching Scripture, prayer, collective discernment and deference to those directly affected should mark our engagement. Even amid disagreement, we should grant other faithful believers their own biblically informed perspective.
Nuance means acknowledging truths on multiple sides—grieving injustice yet upholding law; affirming intrinsic human dignity yet condemning sinful behavior. Christians may reach different practical conclusions on how to integrate these principles. But by sincere immersion in Scripture and humble listening to others, we can gain greater clarity together.
Above all, we must avoid contentious name-calling that divides God’s people. Our shared identity in Christ demands extending grace to fellow believers with varied views on applying biblical justice. Disagreement does not equal enmity. Where the Bible grants latitude on how to live out God’s truth, humility and charity should define all debates within the church.
Even amid complexity, God’s Word remains our source of moral authority. His light shines through Scripture to illuminate issues of justice, reconciliation, government and human value. By clinging fast to biblical truth as our guide, Christians can faithfully pursue racial equality grounded in spiritual realities larger than any single movement or trending philosophy.
Conclusion
The slogan “black lives matter” expresses a sentiment that Christians should heartily affirm. As image-bearers of almighty God, all people including blacks have sacred worth and dignity. Followers of Jesus should be the fiercest opponents of racism and the staunchest advocates for the oppressed.
However, the official Black Lives Matter organization mixes this vital moral truth with questionable political and ideological claims that conflict with biblical teaching. Christians need not endorse an entire movement’s agenda in order to support its denunciation of racism. We can stand boldly against racial injustice without compromising revealed truth.
With wisdom and discernment informed by Scripture, Christians can champion justice while challenging aspects of BLM that undermine biblical morality and the gospel itself. By clinging to God’s Word as our guide and showing grace amid disagreement, we can proceed faithfully as ambassadors of Christ—defending the sanctity of human life while heralding the only message that truly reconciles and reforms sinful souls.
