What does inclusion really mean?

Bulletins

Brian Nielsen
06/23/24 - General

Before anyone in our age promoted inclusion, Jesus preached it. In Luke 14:13-14 our Lord said, "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

Certainly, being part of what the world might call an exclusive, elite group is not encouraged in James 2:2-5 -- "For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, ‘you sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand there,' or, 'Sit here at my footstool,' have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love Him?"

No one wants to be more inclusive than God does. What is more important than this? "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) Key words here are "come to repentance."

We must repent in order to be included. Inclusion is NOT synonymous with "anything goes." God's word clearly tells us who will NOT be included in heaven. One of these lists is in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 -- "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." Anyone excluded by any sins can change their direction as the next verse, 1 Corinthians 6:11, says, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

Our Savior, whose sacrificial death gave us hope for salvation, wants to include His children but will not include sin as we see when dealing with the adulterous woman. In John 8:11 He told the sinner, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

But unrepentant sin cannot be included. Jesus didn't say this changed life would be easy: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

But oh, to be included with those who choose the narrow gate!

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Rom. 8:18)

(Scripture quotes are from the NKJV)