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Judge Not! Why Not?

Published November 17, 2014 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: church discipline, Judge

You hear it all the time. You’re in a group, talking about some shameful thing somebody else did and you hear it: “You shouldn’t be judging, you know.” Or they might say it like this: “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” An admonition always sounds better when it’s spoken in the King James.

But, why shouldn’t we judge another person? I’m not talking about judging another person for the purpose of punishing them in any way. I mean judging another person for the purpose of assessing their character; to determine their trustworthiness or reliability. Or to determine if they’re being truthful in word or deed. Or to determine whether or not they would make a compatible friend or spouse. I would argue it’s vital to judge other people for the right reasons.

But what does the Bible say about the issue of judging? A lot of people (even non-believers) think they know what the Bible says because they have a vague idea that this verse in their someplace:

Judge not, that you be not judged. (Matthew 7:1 NKJV)

It always surprises people to know that the Bible actually encourages Christians TO judge. Let’s talk about that.

The problem of American culture

The American culture lends itself to the idea that nobody should judge anybody else. Ours is a radically individualistic culture, which is an admirable quality, sometimes. Who isn’t impressed with the individual who triumphs over the odds and succeeds where others have failed? We read about the heroic men and women who opened the West; who blazed trails alone so that others could follow. There is a lot to recommend healthy individualism.

But at the same time, there is an unhealthy aspect to out-of-control individualism. Children, from their first day in school, are taught that they are the center of the adult universe. They are bombarded by words and images that teach them to love themselves, to “be true to themselves.” Ours is a generation that has created a younger generation obsessed with themselves. Think about it. Entire traffic patterns are altered twice a day – once in the morning when the kids are on their way to school and once in the afternoon when the kids are coming home. The world really does stop just for them. Laws, policies, and regulations are written and passed ostensibly “for the children.” Whole industries have popped up and thrive today because parents, rightly or wrongly, live in mortal fear that their children might bump their head or scrape their knee or catch a cold.

Part of this “radical individualism” is a feeling that nobody should be criticized or judged; not them personally or their ideas, no matter how wacky they sound. So what if so-and-so’s lifestyle is a little different than mine. The way they live is just as valid as the way I live. Again, children have been successfully brainwashed to tolerate just about anything and to criticize nothing. Moral relativism is a way of thinking in America today; it has taken hold of hearts and minds so that we accept things previously unacceptable and we “judge not lest we be judged.”

This very secular idea of tolerance and acceptance of everything has also taken hold of hearts and minds in the church. It’s subtle, but it’s happening. When was the last time you heard a rip-roaring sermon against the evils of some sin? In bygone years, sin – any sin – was a popular topic. Now you’ll be more likely to hear a sermon on “How to be a better spouse/parent/employee.” Sin is rarely preached against because, in 21st century America, most Christians don’t what sin is. Most church members wouldn’t recognize sinful behavior unless it effected them personally. Christians have been slowly and subtly programmed by their culture to tolerate and accept anything and anybody without judging.

Biblical judgment

This brings us right back Matthew 7. Let’s look at verse 1 in context with what follows:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1 – 5 NIV)

These verses are part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and what Jesus is concerned about is “censoriousness.” That kind of attitude goes against the law of the Kingdom and was one of the absolute worst faults of the Pharisees. A hyper-critical spirit has no place in God’s Kingdom, and that was what Jesus addressed. His concern was that believers who possessed a righteousness far and above that of the Pharisees might let that righteousness lead them into the very sin of the Pharisees, thereby setting themselves up as judges over everybody else. There is an incident in John 7 that shines a bright light on the horrible attitude the Pharisees had about “everybody” else:

“Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” (John 7:48, 49 TLB)

That’s the attitude Jesus forbids. The Pharisees thought “this mob,” or regular Jews, knew “nothing of the law.” These religious leaders gloried in their false holiness and thought they were superior to the other Jews.

Jesus is most certainly not contradicting the Biblical imperative of exercising proper judgment. Here are a few verses about that:

Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:24 NIV)

A Christian ought to judge correctly. Judge what? The Pharisees had judged Jesus by appearances. He healed somebody on the Sabbath. He appeared to be breaking the law of the Sabbath. What they didn’t see was that Jesus was the Lord of Sabbath. They judged Jesus incorrectly. He wanted them to judge Him correctly. We have to judge individuals correctly, not basing our judgment on what we hear or observe only, but on facts that are verifiable and irrefutable.

In one of Paul’s letters, Paul encourages an entire congregation to judge one member who was blatantly sinning, thereby harming the whole church.

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? (1 Corinthians 5:12 NIV)

This is a highly significant verse. It tells us Christians shouldn’t be in the business of judging the sinful behavior of the world. We want to do that, though. We want to tell our neighbors to “stop taking the Lord’s Name in vain.” We want to tell them to stop some sinful practice that offends us when we ought to be telling them to get saved! The world sins; that’s what it does. Judging them is up to the Lord. We, rather, are to judge each other within the church. That’s what Paul wanted his friends in the Corinthian church to do: pass judgment on a sinning brother. However, that judgment was not for the purpose of punishing him. It was for the purpose of straightening him out.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1 NIV)

John urged his reader to “test the spirits.” That’s a fancy way to say, “make a judgment.” John is warning the reader to make a judgment about somebody claiming to be a fellow Christian. John uses the phrase “test the spirits,” but it’s not really spirits he’s concerned about, it’s the honesty of somebody claiming to be a fellow believer. Our tendency is to believe; to take that person at their word, because a Christian wouldn’t lie, right? If they say they are a Christian, then they must be. Well, John cautions his reader and us to make sure – to make a careful judgment – that they really are what they claim to be.

This kind of judgment, by the way, is for our benefit. As Christians, we should make every effort to guard our hearts against false teachers or abuse from some faux believer. It’s shocking how easily even the strongest believer can be led astray by some smooth talking false teacher or pseudo believer.

As far as Jesus was concerned, judgment is absolutely essential in a healthy church:

“If a brother sins against you, go to him privately and confront him with his fault. If he listens and confesses it, you have won back a brother. But if not, then take one or two others with you and go back to him again, proving everything you say by these witnesses. If he still refuses to listen, then take your case to the church, and if the church’s verdict favors you, but he won’t accept it, then the church should excommunicate him.” (Matthew 18:15 – 17 TLB)

You may not see the word “judge” in these verses, but it’s precisely what Jesus is talking about here. This is something every church should do when necessary, but rarely does. We’re so afraid of offending somebody instead of offending Jesus by not doing what we’re told to do! How many churches are forfeiting God’s richest blessings because they are not doing what these verses teach? Nobody likes church discipline. As a pastor I can attest to that! I’d rather have a root canal done on a Monday morning than deal with church discipline. But church discipline – not tolerating sinful behavior – is what glorifies God. We’ve got it backwards just like the Corinthians. We think tolerance glorifies God. It does not, as least as far as sin is concerned.

So go ahead and judge. But do it in a way that glorifies God and benefits other believers. In fact, you should start with judging yourself, first.

For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God’s own children. (1 Peter 4:17 TLB)

The Kingdom is Like…

Published November 13, 2014 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: kingdom of heaven, Parables, stories Jesus tells

Jesus loved to ask questions. In fact, the Gospels record some 100 of them. It was a favorite teaching technique of His, and it would make for an interesting Bible study to look at all 100 of those questions. But telling parables is what our Lord is primarily known for. He seemed to have a story for any and every occasion.

The Kingdom of God was a subject that the Jews were very interested in but didn’t quite understand. Our Lord had to resort to parables to help them understand the concept. Let’s take a look at some parables that concern the Kingdom.

John 3:5

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” (NIV)

Nicodemus was a Pharisee who recognized that Jesus was different. It was to him that Jesus spoke some of His most famous words:

Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. (John 3:3 NIV)

To even just “see” the Kingdom of God, a person has to be regenerated; re-created. Jesus’ notion of being “born again” is common enough to us, but those words were revolutionary in Jesus’ day. Nicodemus didn’t have a clue what Jesus meant. In verse 5, Jesus expanded His concept from being “born again” to being “born of water and the Spirit.” Jesus mentions “water,” and there are different ideas as to what He meant, but if we look at how the word “water” is used throughout John’s Gospel we see that it refers to the old order of the Law, with it’s baptisms, purifications, and cleansings (refer to 1:33; 2:6, 7; 4:6, 7; 5:2, 3; 7:28 – 39). Remember, according to Jesus’ own words, He came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it. The old order – the ceremonial use of water in Judaism – hadn’t ended. So, what Jesus was getting at with Nicodemus, the Pharisee, was something like this: the Pharisee was actually on the right track with his theological beliefs, but he wasn’t going far enough. He knew the Law, he followed the Law, but what he lacked was a spiritual transformation brought about by, not the letter of the Law, but the Spirit of the Law.

To be born again means letting the Spirit change you. Just observing the rituals of faith gets you nowhere. Nicodemus had started, but he needed to go deeper. A lot of people are like that today; people who live right and obey the laws of man and God think that’s enough. But it isn’t nearly enough; it’s just a starting point. If a person like that wants to “see” the Kingdom of God, they need to go much deeper.

Matthew 21:28 – 32

But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work on the farm today.’ ‘I won’t,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father told the youngest, ‘You go!’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t. Which of the two was obeying his father?”

They replied, “The first, of course.”

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “Surely evil men and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom before you do. For John the Baptist told you to repent and turn to God, and you wouldn’t, while very evil men and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to repent, and so you couldn’t believe.” (TLB)

Talk about insulting! This little, innocuous story was a terrible slap in the face to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. Jesus said they were no better than the second son who lied to his father. The first son didn’t really want to obey his father; he didn’t want to get his hands dirty. But the more he thought about it, he decided to obey and get to work. He may have been reluctant, but in the end he did the right thing. The second son lied outright to his father. It was clear that Jesus placed religious leaders in the same category as sons who lie to their father.

Like the teaching about being born again, this little story applies down to this day. Many people have joined the church and appear to be religious and they think they are Christians; they think they are really born again because they are doing the right things and believing the right things, but they are not true believers – they are not really born again – unless there has been a transformation in their lives.

When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17 TLB)

The “evil men and prostitutes” recognized how bad they were; they saw their sinfulness and did the right thing: they came to Christ for salvation. They may have come late, but at least they came. At first they didn’t want anything to do with God, but they came around eventually. But these religious leaders, while they looked good on the outside (“Sure I’ll work in the field!”) inside there was nothing.

When a sinner repents and accepts Jesus as Savior, He changes them from the inside out. Like Nicodemus eventually figured out, a person is born again with they are made spiritually new. Only that person will see the Kingdom.

Mark 4:26 – 29

“Here is another story illustrating what the Kingdom of God is like: “A farmer sowed his field and went away, and as the days went by, the seeds grew and grew without his help. For the soil made the seeds grow. First the stalks pushed through, and later the heads of wheat formed, and finally the grain ripened, and then the farmer came at once with his sickle and harvested it.”

Mark is the only Gospel writer to record this story. The very simple truth of this story is that the growth of the Kingdom of God is something that man doesn’t understand. It’s a mystery. It’s a mystery how God rules and reigns over the hearts and lives of man. It’s a mystery how the Kingdom influences every sphere of human existence.

The farmer does his job; he sows the seed then goes about his daily routine. Mark wrote, “the soil made the seeds grow.” The Greek word used literally means, “automatically.” When the farmer does his job, the soil automatically does the rest. With no more help from the farmer, the soil does its job.

Now, of course, it is true that soil needs to be cultivated and fertilized. The seed doesn’t sow itself. The servant of the Lord certainly has responsibilities, but remember this:

The person who does the planting or watering isn’t very important, but God is important because he is the one who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:7 TLB)

That’s right. All the farmer can do is what he can do and then trust that the soil will do the rest. For the child of God, all he can do is what he is called by God to do and then trust that God will do the rest. Nobody understands how a sinner gets saved. It’s our job to sow the seeds of salvation, but it’s up to God to do the rest. Our job is to share our faith with the lost. The rest is up to God. We may wonder what good a word of encouragement can do in terms of the salvation of one who is lost. But you’d be surprised what God can do with simple phrases like, “I’m praying for you,” or a “God bless you.” Put a good word for God out there and trust that He will do the rest. You don’t have to understand the how’s and why’s. Just do it.

The seeds of salvation you plant today may not yield noticeable growth for years to come. But then it’s not up to you to make it grow; only God can do that. Don’t get discouraged in witnessing and sharing your faith. Don’t ever give up. Keeping doing the good work! John MacArthur wrote:

Since Scripture imparts salvation, effective evangelism depends on the faithful proclamation of the Word. God will prepare the soil and bring forth the fruit. We must be faithful to plant the seed.

Amen to that!

Matthew 13:24 – 30; 36 – 43

This parable is sort of a sequel to the one we just looked at. The farmer plants the seed, and the soil works its magic. Thing is, if you’ve ever planted grass seed then you’ve noticed that you get a lot more than grass growing. You get weeds. How does that happen? You plant grass seed and weeds grow. Yes, there’s plenty we don’t understand about the Kingdom of God, too.

Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer sowing good seed in his field; but one night as he slept, his enemy came and sowed thistles among the wheat. When the crop began to grow, the thistles grew too. (Matthew 13:24 – 26 TLB)

The answer to this thistle problem is found in the previous “parable of the sower.” Jesus already told us that only one-quarter of the sown seed ever fell onto good ground. The other three-quarters never produced anything of lasting value because those seeds fell onto bad ground. In other words, only one-quarter of the people who heard the Gospel responded in faith. The rest may have heard it, but they didn’t respond properly.

Well, it’s hard to tell the difference between the good wheat and the bad thistles. Not everybody can tell the difference between true believers (the 25% who responded to the Word) and the hangers-on (the 75% who didn’t). The farmer (the Lord) cautioned his men (true believers) not to yank up the thistles (the hangers-on). Why not? It’s because it’s very difficult to tell the difference some times. Those people who aren’t true believers may be false teachers, who from time-to-time actually teach something right. Or they may be people who honestly think they are saved when they aren’t, but for all intents purposes they look like genuine believers. And it may well be that if you try to pull up a thistle, you may end up hurting some wheat.

It may seem odd to you that the Lord would allow thistles – non-believers – to co-exist alongside wheat – true believers. But consider this. The Kingdom Heaven is here, now. It is co-existing alongside the world. As the Kingdom of Heaven grows; as lost souls find Jesus and get saved, the Kingdom grows. The visible part of the Kingdom is the Church. Yet at the same time, Satan, whose kingdom is temporarily the world, is doing his part to throw a monkey wrench into the works. He sows his seeds of false teaching into the Kingdom of Heaven and it produces false believers who infiltrate the Church.

You know, it’s a wonder the Church is still standing! Three-quarters of those who hear the Gospel don’t respond or they respond improperly. Others hear the false teaching and believe it. Let’s face it, there are a lot of thistles in the field these days. There are a lot of non-believers in the Church today.

Jesus wants us to know that He is well aware of the situation within His Kingdom, as it exists now. We true believers shouldn’t be upset or disturbed that the wheat and the thistles are growing together. One day, the Lord will do some gardening! That’s His job, not ours.

I will send my angels, and they will separate out of the Kingdom every temptation and all who are evil, and throw them into the furnace and burn them. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the godly shall shine as the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Let those with ears listen! (Matthew 13:41 – 43 TLB)

Yes, the “day of reckoning” will come. Our Lord will do His work and we have to watchful, aware, and patient until that day comes.

The Kingdom of God is a present reality. It’s here now, at least in spirit. One day it will be here in actuality. The decision people make today will determine their place in – or out – of the Kingdom. The seeds of the Gospel are being sown every day. People are hearing it every day. Let’s pray they make the right decision, while there is time.

The Pastor and His Congregation, 2

Published November 12, 2014 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Church Membership, Congregation, Pastor

What the Pastor Expects From His Congregation

In this series on stewardship, we’ve covered what God expects from all members of His Church. He wants them to be good stewards of the gifts – Spiritual gifts – He has given them. All members of the Church, from the top on down, have a responsibility to be faithful in this regard. We also covered what the congregation may expect from their pastor. The pastor has a responsibility to not only be a good steward of the gifts God has given him, but he must also be faithful to the souls God has put in his charge. Now it’s time to consider what the pastor expects from his congregation. Of course he expects each member to use their Spiritual gifts, but beyond that, he has certain expectations. These expectations are just as valid as those held by the congregation.

A job, yet not

Your pastor is in a different, sometimes difficult, situation. He has been called to your church by the Lord. It may seem otherwise. It may seem as though you and your congregation or your pastor search committee called him, but in reality, if your pastor is a man of God intent on being obedient to God, then he is your pastor because God placed him in your church. He is not your employee. Some churches treat their pastor like that, but he is not. In fact, his position is much higher than that of any employee.

Your pastor is God’s man. He stands between the living and the dead. He brings God’s message to you; in a sense he is a modern-day prophet. He brings your needs to God; in that sense he functions as a priest. And yet, he is neither a prophet nor a priest in the Old Testament sense of those offices. Every Christian may have complete, free and unfettered access to the very throne room of Heaven. Every child of God may enjoy the continual presence of God. However, it behooves every church member to recognize that God in His wisdom has placed certain officers in the church for their benefit. Elders and deacons serve both God and the church. The pastor is also in your church to serve God and you.

Dear brothers, honor the officers of your church who work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. (1 Thessalonians 5:12 TLB)

Mind you, your pastor has to keep this verse in his mind:

Don’t be tyrants, but lead them by your good example… (1 Peter 5:4 TLB)

God has placed the pastor over the congregation, but in the sense of a shepherd who is to care for his sheep. He is not the boss of the congregation and he shouldn’t treat those in his care like a tyrant. The relationship between pastor and congregation is a special, delicate one that can easily become unbalanced in either direction – pastors turn into dictators or congregations come to disrespect their pastor. A wrong spirit on either side of the equation will grieve the Holy Spirit and halt any work of God in that church.

To state the obvious, it takes a lot of grace for the pastor-member relationship to remain a healthy one.

A marriage analogy

In a sense, the relationship between the pastor and his congregation is like a marriage. When either a pastor or the people become dissatisfied with the other and attempt to take things into their own hands, you may be sure disaster will result. In the marriage ceremony, we say:

What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.

It is useless to tinker with or interfere with God’s plan, either in the marriage relationship or the pastor-member relationship. A third party often causes problems between husband and wife. And when any member or anybody else comes between the pastor and his congregation, problems will inevitably ensue.

The pastor expects you to be loyal

When the Lord leads your pastor to you; when after being interviewed and voted on and prayed over, all involved settle the issue and you as a congregation are duty-bound to support and stand behind your pastor in every way possible. Loyalty is not to be confused with lip service. While a congregation has every right to except certain things from him, no member of the church should criticize or persecute or demean and disrespect the pastor. If you have a problem with your pastor, talk to him about it, not to your neighbor. Talk to him, then shut up. Pray about the situation, if it remains unresolved. Never, ever belittle your pastor in front of your children or grand children or others. Those are future church members! Pastors come and go; over the life of your church, you’ll have good pastors, bad pastors, and mediocre pastors but – Lord willing – your church will remain and it looks bad when a church mistreats its pastor. Don’t taint the reputation of your church by treating a pastor badly out in the community. It may well be that particular pastor needs to go, but it needs to happen in an environment of love and mutual respect.

Your pastor is loyal to you. Many pastors are approached by other churches looking for a pastor “just like him.” Over your pastor’s tenure with you, he may have turned down and walked away from many other pastoral opportunities (some maybe very attractive!) to stay with you.

Your pastor expects you to pray for him (and his family)

This hardly needs to be expanded upon. Nothing happens unless somebody, somewhere is praying about it. What would happen if every member of a congregation felt as much responsibility to pray for the pastor and his work as they expect him to pray for them? Pray every day for your pastor. He needs it. His family needs it. There are stresses and pressures in the ministry unknown in any other profession.

The pastor expects you to encourage, not discourage him

Encouragement is not the same thing as flattery. Your pastor has more than enough to discourage him in the ministry; a word of encouragement is always welcome. Most members are very quick to “constructively criticize” him or tell him how to do his job, but what your pastor needs are your prayers and your encouragement. Don’t wait until your pastor has resigned to tell him what a blessing his ministry has been. Many a pastor has left a church never knowing how effective his ministry has been. Contrary to what some think, your pastor is human just like you are. You like to be appreciated, and so does he.

Your pastor expects you attend services

This may well be the most important expectation any pastor has of his people. No preacher is at his best preaching to empty pews. Nothing discourages a pastor more and nothing makes him feel like a failure more than when his people can’t be bothered to show up on a Sunday morning. There is an urgent spiritual reason for being dedicated to your church, but here’s a practical one! You can turn a poor preacher into a good one by just showing up and supporting him with your prayerful presence. And not just on a Sunday. Mid-week Bible studies and prayer meetings and church-wide dinners are all opportunities you have to not only have fellowship with one another and with the Lord, but it’s also an opportunity to encourage you pastor and his family.

Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 TLB)

Your pastor expects you to be a worker, not a shirker

Closely linked to church attendance is this expectation. The work of the Lord needs more workers. A church doesn’t build itself. Children don’t teach themselves. The pastor and his wife shouldn’t be the only workers or soul winners in your church. Use your spiritual gifts without being coerced. Use your talents in church, if you have them. See something your church lacks? Don’t whine and complain, do something about it! If there’s a ministry lacking, just do it yourself, if you can. But check with your pastor first.

There’s no such thing as retirement in the kingdom of God. There’s always something you can do in your church, regardless of your age.

Your pastor expects decent financial support

If every member gave as he is able to do – as the Lord has blessed them – this would be a simple need to fill. Many church members think their pastor is overpaid. He works one day a week, after all. Consider some facts of life. The average pastor is in his profession, not necessarily because he wants to be, but because God has called him to be. Most preachers have natural talents that could earn them a much better income doing something else. God doesn’t call weaklings, but strong, capable men to do the work of His ministry. Think about Paul and Peter, men who were strong in character and conviction. One an intellectual powerhouse, the other a rugged fishermen, yet both doing pastoral work. How about men like John Wesley, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, David Lingstsone, Billy Sunday and Billy Graham. All men with single-minded devotion to the work of God, yet all men with differing talents, gifts, and vision, and all men who changed the world because they chose to be faithful to God. God chooses strong individuals to do His work. Your pastor deserves the best salary you can manage to pay him. He often has as much education as a doctor or lawyer has. He has to have reliable transportation. He has to attend conferences. He has bills to pay just like you do. And if he is a career pastor, YOU are his only source of income.

If the congregation has a right to expect the sacrifices of their pastor, which he gladly gives, then he has a right to expect the members to give as they are able to. Your pastor has given his life in service to God and others. Should the pastor sacrifice more for God financially than his people? No, he shouldn’t.

The pastor expects you to be people of vision

The pastor expects members of his church to be devoted to the church. He expects them to pray for the church. He expects them to support the church financially. He expects them to care about the future of the church. He expects them to have a vision for the church. He expects them to be soul-winners; people who share their faith with the lost, building both the Kingdom and their church, one soul at a time. Without this, the pastor is helpless. Members should be willing and enthusiastic evangelists for God and their church, out in the community, witnessing to the lost, and talking up the church.

Your church exists today because generations long ago cared about it, planned for its future, prayed for its future, sacrificed so that it would be around in the years to come, and had a vision for a church that would be here for future generations. This is significant, because without a vision for the future, a church merely treads water; it doesn’t really go anywhere. Part of that vision must be for members; new blood. The church of Jesus Christ must be always growing, reaching out into the community, drawing in new people who need what you have. What kind of person doesn’t want to be a part of a loving, caring community of believers? If you love your church, you’ll want others to experience what you experience every week.

The pastor expects his congregation to be as interested in, excited about, and devoted to the church as much as he is. Without that, his job is just a job.

Is Jesus Really the Only Way?

Published November 7, 2014 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Inclusivism, Jesus the only way, salvation

It’s a provocative question, that’s for sure. Yet it must be true because the song says it’s so:

Jesus is the answer, for the world to-day. Above Him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.

If we sing it in church, then it must be true, right? But what about those people who have never heard the Gospel? Would a loving God hold the oft-mentioned native on that uncharted island accountable for something he has no knowledge of? How does God deal with those who are unable to think or reason for themselves? What about children who die? These are important questions because the answers you settle on will influence your opinion of God, which in turn will influence how you pray and how you relate to Him on a day-to-day basis.

So, let’s consider the question: Is Jesus really the only way?

This question is not a new one; it’s been around a very long time. Porphyry was an early critic of Christianity, and as a philosopher he made this observation:

If Christ declares Himself to be the Way of salvation, the Grace and the Truth, and affirms that in Him alone, and only to souls believing in Him, is the way of return to God, what has become of men who lived in the many centuries before Christ came? . . .What, then, has become of such an innumerable multitude of souls, who were in no wise blameworthy, seeing that He in whom alone saving faith can be exercised had not yet favoured men with His advent?

He wrote that in the third century, and since then, theological egg-heads have cooked up a number of answers. Let’s make a very quick survey of them.

Universalism

This answer says that all people – all people – will be saved by Jesus. Not a single soul will be damned. Universalists cite these verses to support their view:

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18, 19 NKJV)

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive…Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:22 – 28, verses 22 and 28 cited NKJV)

Among famous Christian writers and thinkers, Origen, William Barclay, and possibly Karl Barth would be considered Universalists. Remember, though, Universalism teaches that salvation comes to ALL through Jesus. They do NOT teach that there are “many paths to God.” Some how and in some way, Jesus will come through in the end and save all souls.

Inclusivism

This ill-named theory teaches that those who have never heard the Gospel – that unevangelized native on the desert island – may be saved if they respond in faith in God according to the light they have. Among the verses used to support this view are:

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself (John 12:32 NKJV)

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (Acts 10:34, 35 NKJV)

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:10 NKJV)

Justin Martyr, Thomas Aquinas, John Wesley, and C. S. Lewis are all famous Inclusivists.

Postmortem Evangelism

This idea teaches that the unevangelized will be given a chance to believe in Jesus after death.

Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. (John 3:18 GNB)

Christ also suffered. He died once for the sins of all us guilty sinners although he himself was innocent of any sin at any time, that he might bring us safely home to God. But though his body died, his spirit lived on, and it was in the spirit that he visited the spirits in prison and preached to them—spirits of those who, long before in the days of Noah, had refused to listen to God… (1 Peter 3:18 – 20a TLB)

But just remember that they must face the Judge of all, living and dead; they will be punished for the way they have lived. That is why the Good News was preached even to those who were dead—killed by the flood—so that although their bodies were punished with death, they could still live in their spirits as God lives. (1 Peter 4:5, 6 TLB)

Clement of Alexandria, who knew Peter and Paul personally, was an early proponent of this idea.

Universal Opportunity Before Death

This theory tells us that all people will be given the opportunity to be saved because God in His providence will see to it that they will hear the Gospel, even if that opportunity comes through an angel at the very moment of death.

Daniel 2 and Acts 8 are often cited as proof-texts for this view. Arminius and Norm Geisler espoused this view.

Restrictivism

This very rigid theology says that God does not provide salvation to those who fail to hear of Jesus and come to faith in him before they die. Jesus is absolutely the only the way; there are no options.

Jesus told him, “I am the Way—yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.” (John 14:6 TLB)

There is salvation in no one else! Under all heaven there is no other name for men to call upon to save them. (Acts 4:12 TLB)

And what is it that God has said? That he has given us eternal life and that this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son, does not have life. (1 John 5:11, 12 TLB)

A lot of Calvinists hold to this view, including the likes of Augustine, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and R.C. Sproul.

If, in reading these views, your eyes have glazed over and a heavy fog descended upon your brain, here’s one more that might suit you:

The Agnostic View (the Non-View View)

This view is prefect for those who don’t want to take a position. It simply says that we just don’t know all the answers; that God’s ways are beyond our understanding. In matters likes these, it’s best just to “leave it up to God.”

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? (Genesis 18:25b ESV)

A reasoned answer to the question

But for the rest of us who’d like to know, what is the answer? I suggest the following.

First, it’s clear in Scripture that some souls will be damned. There’s just no way to ignore this Biblical fact. Salvation through Jesus is God’s gift to man to reject. And some will. If there was another way for Jesus to save sinful man, then He wasted His time on the Cross. The Universalist position is hard to defend and harder to swallow.

Second, it’s difficult to imagine to how a reasonable, compassionate God could hold a person accountable for something he doesn’t know or is incapable of knowing (in the case of infants, children and the mentally handicapped). That just doesn’t make sense. That seems to morph our loving God into a very cold Person indeed. Yet, that’s what Restricivists believe.

So, how do they reconcile their view with that of a God who wants sinful men to be saved? Well, to them, God’s foreknowledge is the key. God knows how that individual would have responded to the Gospel had they been given a chance. That’s a convenient out. But is it enough?

Third, you should have some problems with the idea of Postmortem Evangelism idea. It’s a little weird, and yet there are Bible verses that seem to support it. Can an unrepentant sinner get a second chance to make the right choice after death? Not really. These postmortem evangelism supporters would say that only those who have never heard the Gospel get that chance. That may give those who are left grieving comfort, but it’s difficult to buy.

What makes sense is what this passage says:

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:7 – 10 NKJV)

Whom did Jesus lead “captive?” Who were these “captives?” Many believe these “captives” were Old Testament saints, held in Sheol/Hades. During the time between His death and resurrection, Jesus wasn’t sitting around Heaven playing Bridge with Peter and Paul and the other apostles. He descended into Sheol/Hades (not Hell), announced His victory and preached salvation. The Old Testament saints recognized who Jesus was, believed, and He took the lot of them to Heaven.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:51 – 53 NKJV)

Those who didn’t believe were condemned.

A lot of Dispensationalists find this palatable. To them, it makes sense. It does make “Jesus is the only way” a statement of truth. Supporters say this isn’t happening today. It happened one time and one time only. Today, since the finished work of Christ, Sheol/Hades is no more.

And we are not afraid but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So our aim is to please him always in everything we do, whether we are here in this body or away from this body and with him in heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:8, 9 TLB)

Inclusivism seems to be the view that makes the most sense, even though it’s name is dreadful and misleading. It has nothing to do with universalism or pluralism. Inclusivists do NOT believe everybody will be saved. What they do say is that God in His Sovereignty and providence makes a way for those who have never heard to be saved.

And why wouldn’t He do this? Consider:

…a huge part of the human race has died never hearing the good news of Jesus. It is estimated that in the year AD 100 there were 181 million people, of whom one million were Christians. It is also believed there were 60,000 unreached groups at that time. By AD 1000 there were 270 million people, 50 million of whom were Christians, with 50,000 unreached groups. In 1989 there were 5.2 billion people with 1.7 billion Christians and 12,000 unreached groups. (John Sanders)

God is nothing but fair; He doesn’t play favorites. Think about this:

After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from all nations and provinces and languages, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white, with palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, “Salvation comes from our God upon the throne, and from the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9, 10 TLB)

People from “every tribe and nation” (KJV) will be found in Heaven. That is problematic for Restrictivists because there have been and continue to be people (“tribes” and “nations”) that have never heard about Jesus, yet they are represented in Heaven. A classic example of people who were never evangelized is a group that lived in southern Mexico between 300 BC and 900 AD, known as the Teotihuacans. Other tribes in the Americas (and throughout the world) disappeared prior to the arrival of missionaries. Since these tribes never heard the preached word, they will only be represented in heaven if Inclusivism is true.

God’s mercy trumps man’s doctrine

Finally, we have the Samaritans. We tend to romanticize them today, largely do to the fact that one of them was “good.” In fact, there was nothing good about the Samaritans. Their religion was pagan – a strange concoction of heathen beliefs and practices mixed with a smattering of Judaism. They despised the Jews as much as the Jews despised them. They had no use for Jesus and Jesus wasn’t kindly disposed to them, either. Yet, one time an expert in the law approached Jesus and asked what he needed to do to be saved. Jesus’ answer was in the form of parables, including the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus said that the Samaritan who had mercy was preferable to the Levite and Priest who did not. In God’s view, mercy always trumps doctrine. It’s foolish to think that God is bound by the ideas we have of how He works.

If we truly believe that God draws all men to Himself, then we should at least leave room for the Inclusivist and the Universal Opportunity Before Death views. At the very least, we should leave those who have never heard the Gospel to our loving, capable God. He can be depended upon to the right thing, in every circumstance.

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