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.