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So
Exclusive, It's Offensive!
by Cadet Matthew Kean
Since the
beginning of the postmodern era, with its central philosophy
intent on rebelling against the ways of its predecessor,
modernism, there has risen within the Christian church a
strong desire to alter our mediums, our methods, and our
message. At
first, it would seem that this decision to “swing the
pendulum” from the legal mindset that was so prevalent within
the Modern age to one that allowed more fluidity and freedom
was beneficial and perhaps necessary.
However, it didn’t take too long before this want of a
longer leash in exploring within the realm of theology and
ecclesiology began to dramatically affect our understanding of
certain non-negotiable truths.
In all honesty,
I have seen within today’s church (The Salvation Army
included) a rebellion against the New Testament’s description
of saving faith that is so blatant it baffles me as to why it
is still able to be labelled Christian at all.
Although originally the desire for freedom was
purposeful, somehow from it there has come a zealous attack on
any kind of restraint in regards to the governance of that
freedom. We no
longer allow anyone or anything to tell us when our
philosophical or theological theories cannot be raised to the
pedestal of belief.
In other words, the present-day Christian church seems
to be so opposed to any authority over the capacity of human
thought that it has almost completely rejected the
fundamentals by which Christianity is defined.
Often these
rejections of non-negotiable truths come subtly under the
guise of positive, forward thinking.
Terms get thrown around and re-invented in order to
shift emphasis from one truth to another and in turn cleverly
redefine major pillars of the faith.
It is noteworthy that these ‘shifts’ in emphasis within
doctrine and belief never happen blatantly, but they certainly
happen intentionally.
It is the result of a desire to lower the bar, so to
speak, that Christ so clearly lifted for those who dare to
follow Him.
Often, this lower standard tends to be portrayed as compassion
or sympathy for those who it inevitably excludes, but it is
nonetheless a farce.
As a result of
this easy willingness to negotiate with certainties and soften
hard bedrock there has risen a severe compromise within
Christ’s bride that has tainted and smeared our robe of white.
It frequently gets called the “inclusive gospel” or
“gospel of grace”. Whatever its name, the truth of the matter
is that it is a heresy that invests itself into the corruption
of what is perhaps the greatest truth presented within the
gospel of Christ.
That truth, of course, is that there are two kinds of people
in this world:
the once-born and the twice-born.
Jesus presented the world with this hard case when he
spoke to the great teacher of
Israel,
Nicodemus... “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
It is an
indisputable fact that those who are born of God are called to
be separate from the world.
One need only read the Master’s prayer in John 17 to
reach this conclusion, or, if it continues to be argued, read
the latter part of John 15 where Jesus speaks of the world
hating all who receive His word.
This attempt within the church to merge worldlings with
the redeemed is utterly futile!
They are forced apart by a chaotic clash between
wickedness and righteousness.
Any Christian who acts out of sympathy and empathy with
those who refuse to bend the knee in submission to the
Lordship of King Jesus is foolishly substituting grace for
personal preference.
We ought not to be trying to taking emphasis away from
the wretchedness of a sinful heart, but we should be
deliberately illuminating it with the only true Light.
In other words, trying to make the reality of the
sinner who is outside the salvation of God more comfortable by
equating their state with that of the saint redeemed is
counter-productive to the gospel’s agenda.
The gospel does not allow for anyone who will not
surrender to be included within the Holy family.
In fact, the once and twice-born create such a division
within this world, and Jesus Christ so consistently points out
this divisive truth, that the gospel of His salvation is very
exclusive – so exclusive it’s offensive.
It insists that anyone who will not give themselves to
the authority of Christ remains excluded and therefore
separate from His church.
How have we
allowed ourselves to remove this important distinction from
our idea of church, and even the gospel?
We constantly speak of harmony and equality, not merely
amongst those within the family of God, but also between the
church and the world.
If a preacher was to profess from his pulpit that there
is a heaven for those who believed, perhaps not much would be
said. But, if
that same preacher said there was a hell for those will not
believe, he would be ridiculed for being insensitive to
people’s feelings.
The preacher’s ridicule would not be because he
mentioned hell, but because he implied that people are going
there. Nothing is
more offensive than to draw attention to the distinction that
separates people eternally!
In the gospel
of Matthew, the 19th chapter, we are told that Jesus is
approached by a young man who is very wealthy.
Right now there is no reason to spend time on the young
man’s financial situation, but the point to be realised lies
in the fact that his conversation with Jesus ends with his
great disappointment.
He came to the Lord asking how to attain eternal life.
Jesus presented him with ultimately one solution to his
query: “Come, follow me.”
However, this young man was unwilling to give his life
to the offer Christ gave.
He wanted the benefits of Christ’s righteousness, but
he refused to submit all that defined him to His way and
authority. As a
result, this man left Jesus with a heart filled with sadness.
Why?
Because he remained outside the family of God; he remained
separated from the life of the Spirit; he remained among the
once-born – and therefore excluded from sainthood.
This must be
realised again by the
church
of
God.
Misunderstanding, or dismissing, the severe truth that
a relationship with Jesus Christ severs the world from the
redeemed inevitably forces both parties into a place of false
hope. It numbs
the sinners’ heart to the seriousness of their unsaved state
and it deceives the Christian so that he/she begins to believe
the gospel’s agenda is not so urgent.
The once-born are rotting in sin, surrounded by the
stench of death, and the twice-born must show them this is so.
Look at the great divide!
How vast it is!
But the gospel that excludes their wickedness is their
only way to life!
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