Should Christianity be exclusive?

We come now to the final kingdom of heaven parable found in Matthew 13, that of the cast net. As it is the last, it is literally descriptive of issues involving the waning days of the Church Age just prior to the Rapture.

The parable reads, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

The literalness of this parable and its relevance to modern day Christianity is that God reserves the right to judge between right and wrong, good and evil, righteousness and wickedness. As we talked about last week, God is just, and the quality of being just reserves to itself the right of refusal toward that which does not meet its standards. This in turn produces a state of exclusivity: All those who do not come to Christ on his terms are excluded from Biblical Christianity. While this may seem harsh, the reality is that only rebellion would turn up its nose at God’s offer of salvation through his Son Jesus Christ.

And just so we understand what we mean by the term exclusive, let us define what we mean. First, what it is not — exclusion of any people groups. God’s offer of salvation is open to every people group which we could possibly mention. When Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago, he was born in a stable and put in a manger, signifying that economic station was not a limiting factor. In John 3:16, one of the most beloved verses of all time, we find that Jesus came because of God’s love for “the world,” that is, nationality is no boundary for the love of God.

And in John’s first epistle we find that not only did Jesus’ blood atone for the sins of those who would place their faith and trust in him, “but also for the sins of the whole world.” In fact, in Peter’s second epistle we are told that God wants all to “come to repentance” even though not everyone will. Salvation is available to all; God excludes no one on the basis of physical characteristics.

However, God does make exclusion with regard to behavior.

My friend, while Paul tells us in his first epistle to Timothy that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” it is erroneous to believe that you can come to Christ and continue a sinful lifestyle. The call to salvation begins with the call to repent of sin, and repentance is a change of heart, mind and life such that the sin is given up. Idolaters no longer worship idols. Thieves no longer steal. Murderers no longer murder. Adulterers and fornicators turn and forsake their immorality.

Yet today, people clamor for acceptance despite their sinful lifestyles. This is the whole concept behind the rainbow movement and contemporary Christian music, among others, to be inclusive of every behavior which has in times past been condemned. However, no matter what is brought into the church and called “Christian” or what is formed into a church and called “Christian,” the message of the cast net is that God reserves final right of judgment and rejection.

Folks, while the message of many churches today might be to pack the pews and swell the membership rosters, in the end it is not church membership that brings salvation. In Matthew 7, Jesus tells of a time yet to come when many will say to him, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?” But these will sadly be disappointing, for Jesus will reply unto them, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Did you see what he said? They “worked” iniquity. This is a behavioral issue. This is not a loss of salvation issue, but a bunch of people who figured that they had the right to dictate the terms of their salvation to God the Saviour. What gall, and what a pity. But it will be too late once they reach this point.

Yes, Christianity is indeed exclusive. True, Biblical Christianity is not what you or I make it, but it is what a holy God has decreed it to be.

Ron Hamman is pastor of Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla; contact him at 357-4229 or ron.hamman@gci.net.