Never Place a Question Mark Where God Has Placed a Period.

If you have ever passed a United Church of Christ church sign, then you have probably read the enigmatic words, "Never place a period where God has placed a comma." It seems that this is a universalistic message claiming that everyone will be in heaven...or something like that. It seems to be claiming that Christians (at least evangelicals and Roman Catholics) have traditionally (Roman Catholic pre-Vatican II) misunderstand Jesus and God. God is a pluralist, and He welcomes all who are not exclusivists. Is this what the Bible says?

Here is a clearer message from Scripture: "Never place a question mark where God has placed a period." Many today, under the banners of "soul-competancy" and "the priesthood of all believers," (matters in which I believe, but which are often misconstrued and misapplied) attempt to make interpreting the Bible a matter of mere opinion--a sort of postmodernistic understanding (if that is right for you...ok, but I don't believe that about God). Many will say that there are matters in the Bible that are not sufficiently clear (i.e. gender roles, Calvinism vs. Arminianism, inclusivism vs. exclusivism, is homosexuality condemned in Scripture?). Now, while I believe that some issues are not worth dividing the church over, to say that the Bible is ambiguous--in other words, God has not spoken sufficiently clear on such matters--is really to commit the age-old sin that we were taught from the beginning: "Did God really say...?"

The serpent from the beginning has challenged humans to question God's Word. This is no more than challenging God's authority--challenging His very right to be God. It is a sin of pride and unbelief. Rather than submitting ourselves to Scriptures' teaching (i.e. God's), we either claim some sort of agnosticism or flatly contradict what is clear. It is usually not a matter of being unable to decide what the Bible is saying, but rather an unwillingness to subject ourselves to God. When we do so, we are calling God into question, giving Him a vote of 'no confidence' as the cosmic Lord, and calling Him a liar.

When it comes to salvation history, God has certainly placed a period. He has spoken finally and definitively in Christ, His Word (cf. John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1-2). All of God's promises are yes and amen...in Christ. All peoples are welcome in Christ; but we must turn from our rebellion against God and trust in Jesus Christ alone. We (I am especially speaking to the church) need to stop arrogantly questioning what God tells us (that is, failing to receive it as true, for God is true) and accept what God says to us as final and authoritative...period.

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Gospel of Inclusion?

CNN recently reported about a megachurch pastor who preaches a [so called] gospel of inclusion. Bishop Carlton Pearson, who was a conservative evangelist, now claims that gays are accepted as they are by God. This is not the time to comment on the modernistic and strange practices of this preacher seen in the video, but rather to show the flaw in his new way of thinking.

Pearson comments, "You never see anywhere in Scripture where Jesus rejected anyone, period." Perhaps he spoke rashly, but if one reads Matthew 24, it is very hard to come to the conclusion that Jesus is not rejected the religious leaders of his day for their sinful practices, yet self-righteousness. Another occasion, that may shed light onto the issue of homesexuality, which is clearly condemned even in New Covenant Scripture (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:10). Such will not "inherit the kingdom of God." What does Paul mean by this statement in 1 Corinthians 6:10? Perhaps Jesus' rejection of a rich young man will help us to understand.

The young man came to Jesus asking him how he may enter eternal life--that is, how he might be part of the kingdom of God. Jesus' answer is clear: obey the commandments. The young man believes he has kept them, so Jesus adds one more command that He did not mention: "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Luke 18:22). This is clearly a claim upon the man's heart--a claim upon His allegiance. Jesus' command seems to be an elaboration on the 10th commandment: Do not covet.... Why is this commandment so important? Because no one can serve two masters: either God will be your master, or something/someone else will be, and that is idolatry.

At this command, the young man was saddened, and we see in Mark that he went away from Jesus (Mark 10:22). Now, someone may well argue, "But Jesus did not reject the man, this man rejected Jesus." But Jesus certainly knew that this man did not understand his own sinfulness (that is why he could say he had kept the commandments), and He knew that the man was rich, and that he loved his riches more than God. Jesus does not blatantly reject the man, and it is not His desire to have to reject him--just as Jesus does not want to reject any, even the Pharisees. After all, Jesus had compassion on this man. But He also realized how difficult it is for those who have a love that is contrary to the kingdom to enter the kingdom, such as the rich, because they must reject that which they have loved--that which is an idol to them.

Those who reject the kingdom, who do not repent of their self-love and self-idolatry, will ultimately be rejected. God will not allow anyone to love anything, whether their parents, their children, wife, or even their own lives, more than Him. Jesus tells His disciples, if they deny Him before men, He will reject (deny) them on the day of judgment. Those who reject the kingdom of God, God's sovereign reign through Christ, will ultimately be rejected (cf. Matthew 8:10-12).

The gospel of Jesus is radically inclusive. Jews and Gentiles now have equal access to God--by faith in Christ. Men and women have equal access and equal value. Slaves and free, rich and poor, old and young, etc, all are welcome (Galatians 3:26-29, Ephesians 2:11-22, 1 Timothy 2:4-7). Yet we must not go further than Jesus. We must not exclude those whom Jesus includes, and we must not include those whom Jesus excludes. Those who will not surrender to God remain under the reign of sin, and so will face God's righteous judgment. These truths are more than clear in all of Scripture.

Certainly in Pearson's thinking is a misunderstanding of sin. Anything that is contrary to God's revealed will is rebellion against God--whether it's homosexuality, lying, hating (which must be understood in Biblical terms, not our modern misconstruing of love as being synonymous with full acceptance/tolerance), or idolatry of any kind. Our transgressions are the evidence of the presence of sin--the power of this present evil age which sets itself against the kingdom of God. While we pursue perfection, yet we do not attain to it in this age. The Christian life is not one of perfection, because the power of sin still remains in us, though its power has been decisively broken in the cross and resurrection of Christ (cf. Romans 6, Colossians 2:8-15). Rather, the Christian life is one of repentance--acknowledging our sin and willingly turning from it because God, by the Holy Spirit, is at work within us, applying Christ's work to our hearts, giving us the new life of the kingdom (cf. Ezekiel 36:22-32, John 3:3-5, etc). God will not, and cannot tolerate sin, for it is an affront to His holy, righteous character.

Yet Paul exhorted his young protege, Timothy, much as wChristians are commanded today: faithfully live and preach the whole Word of God (2 Timothy 3:14-4:2) Yet he also warned him in a way that continues to be true for us today: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths"(2 Timothy 4:3-4). Friends, don't go down that path. To all who read this, turn from your self-seeking, self-worshiping sin, and embrace the kingdom of God by trusting in Christ as Lord.

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