The Exclusive-Inclusive Gospel of Jesus Christ

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.  Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you.  Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.  1 John 2:22–23 (KJ21) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.  CONSIDER THIS It surprises me when people refuse to believe in Jesus and his love for them. Sure, from one perspective the gospel divides people. But the gospel also includes anyone who will believe. The division of the exclusive and inclusive nature of the gospel is crystal clear in today’s KJV version of the text. Let me reframe the healing nature of salvation by asking you to consider a couple of scenarios. Scenario #1: What if you had a certain kind of cancer that could be cured only with a specific kind of medicine? What if it had a 100 percent cure rate? And what if you had access to this medicine? What if the supply of this medicine was unlimited and that without this particular medicine, you would not survive the cancer? Would you take the medicine? Of course you would. Now, what if you found out about other people who had this cancer and did not know about its lifesaving abilities? Wouldn’t you do anything you could to make sure they got the medicine? Scenario #2: Jesus is the only cure for the cancer of sin. He is the only way to know the God of holy love. He will save anyone and everyone who receives him. Those who refuse him will die in their sin. Why is it that no one is ever offended by scenario #1 and yet many are offended by scenario #2? How is it that many consider scenario #2 somehow unfair while they consider scenario #1 as purely good news? Today’s text makes it clear: “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” John’s gospel records the very words of Jesus, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The gospel of Jesus Christ is totally exclusive, yet it is radically inclusive. Anyone who believes gets in on it. A lot of people still don’t know about him yet. One of the best ways to help others know Jesus is to share your own story of how he is transforming your life. In other words, let your light shine. THE PRAYER  Lord Jesus, you are the cure. Help me come to grips with and to own my diagnosis of sin cancer so you might apply the remedy of your grace and truth for my healing. Help me understand that sin will destroy me as cancer could and that you are the only cure. Give me a new story, not of mere remission but of total cure. I promise to share it with others. I ask it in your name, Jesus. Amen.