Wednesday’s Word is coming to you on Thursday this week. I was out of town last week, I haven’t forgotten! Today is my husband Sherman’s 50th Birthday!! Please join me in wishing him a very blessed and prosperous jubilee year!! Husband, son, father, grandfather, friend, mentor, pastor and humanitarian! Happy Birthday, babe!! I love you very much!!
Our last Wednesday’s Word was INCLUSIVE read it here. This week’s word is EXCLUSIVE – excluding or not admitting other things; unable to exist or be true if something else exists or is true; excluding all but what is specified; restricted or limited to the person, group, or area concerned. It is from the Latin excludere, which means ‘shut out.’ We stated that the Gospel is inclusive in many ways: everyone has sinned (missed God’s holiness) Rom. 3:23. So all are in need of salvation. Each of us is invited to believe in and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, gain a quality of life on earth and access to Heaven. God loved the world so much He sent Jesus to die for all sin. Anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
I’ve always been a fan of “If…then” clauses. They’re clear, succinct and you know what to expect. “If you pay your bill on time, then you will not incur a late fee. If your payment is late, then you will incur the fee.” The Bible has stated and implied if…then clauses which seem simultaneously inclusive and exclusive. If…then statements are actually called conditional clauses. Some examples:
“And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” John 3:36 (I didn’t say it, Jesus did…)
In Christianity, as in every other belief system, YOU include or exclude YOURSELF
by YOUR belief/disbelief and YOUR subsequent choice(s). It’s NOT the picture on the right, where the bullies or mean girls are excluding someone because they’re different. We are ALL free to believe what we choose, even about the existence/or not of God, and the truth/or not of His Word. For a Christ follower, our faith is the foundation. No one has to believe what I believe, nor do I have to believe what they believe. I can tell you what I believe, but I can’t force you to agree or accept it. Even Jesus gives us freedom to follow or reject Him. But if we accept Him, we must do so on His terms because He’s God! and we’re not.
Christ followers believe that God exists (Heb. 11:6), that He sent His son born of a virgin to save mankind (Matt. 1:23), and that Scripture is inspired by God and designed to instruct us (1 Tim 3:16-17). We believe the Bible to be true and attempt to follow it as best we can. We believe we are not saved by our own goodness, but through faith in Jesus Christ’s salvation only! (Rom 3:22 NLT) We believe that God’s love is unconditional, but His precepts have conditions. He doesn’t want anyone to perish, but all to repent (turn from sin) 2 Pet. 3:9, and follow Jesus Christ wholly with their lives in love…and that includes me and you!
ulti-class community. We are a church for the hurting…because everybody wants to be F.R.E.E!
for WORSHIP at
Urban Artifact
1660 Blue Rock Street, 45223
in NORTHSIDE
GOSPEL BRUNCH at 12:00 NOON
$10.00
