Those Exclusive Christians

Christians and Christianity are often labeled exclusive. That term is the black ball in a world of tolerance. Any person or group who puts any limits or has any boundaries is accused of keeping people out. I know a lot of exclusive Christians. They prefer their own company, and hardly ever surface outside a church sponsored activity. The secular world scares them. If instructed to invite someone to a church function, they will find a friend who goes to another church.

Apparently many Christians would just like to enjoy being “in the club” and keep the circle small. I get that, that circle is quite comfortable and often safe. Why rock the boat? And though they understand we’ve been asked to share our faith, if someone really is searching, they’ll come to church on their own, won’t they?

Christians are not that different from most everyone else. Most of us like to find our niche and stay there. I’ve had a couple of friends who took great pleasure in stirring the pot, but I’m not of that ilk. I was as guilty as the next Christian when it came to staying in my lane. But then I moved back into the secular job force and it’s like I woke up. All around me were these great, kind, fun people who had never met Jesus, but who had met Christians that made them turn and run. I could never go back to church in the same way again. I tend to filter what I hear through “what would __________ think that meant?” or “How would _______ take that comment?”  Sometimes even the most well-meaning church can be very unfriendly, mostly, I believe, unintentionally. The words we use, often reminiscent of King James speak; the rituals we preform; the songs we sing and scriptures we read, are all foreign to someone who’s new. So yes, Christians can seem, and sometimes are, exclusive in their behavior.

But that is different from the belief as a whole. Even Christians misunderstand the message sometimes. Salvation, via Christianity, is offered to all.  The angels on that first Christmas morning proclaimed that the Good News would bring joy to all people (Luke 2:10). Everyone is welcome. In terms of salvation, the Bible is very clear that all are welcome. “to as many as come” “anyone who” and perhaps the most famous, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16)”  (Italics mine) The “world” and “whoever” are pretty inclusive words. Christians are taught that everyone is welcome to come.

This is why we’re such a ragtag bunch (often referred to as “hypocrites” by those who assume Christians should be better, more consistent). We are all sinners “saved by grace,” (see Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:4, 5), people, who have found God. Our subsequent behavior depends on how much of ourselves we offer God for change.

Christianity is open to anyone, and you don’t have to clean up your act before becoming one. There are no tests, no behaviors you need to conform to, no required changes. This too is contrary to how a lot of Christians portray it, but the Bible is clear, God takes us as we are, then begins His work. No one is “too bad” or “too far gone” to come to God and accept His gift. The reason is that we are all in need of a savior. The Bible teaches “all have sinned and fall short” (Romans 3:23), no one can claim sinless perfection (and if they do, the Bible says they are a liar). So as much as I’d like to be free of sin, in this life I can still behave pretty badly. The only difference between someone who is a Christian and someone who is not, is that the Christian has given their life to God, otherwise we’re pretty much the same.

Everyone is welcome, anyone can come to God, but in one area the naysayers are correct. The Bible is very clear that not all roads lead to God. The way to Christianity is quite exclusive. The way to God is through Jesus Christ only. That is the major stumbling block. Today we’re offered a smorgasbord of spirituality from Depak Chopra to Dali Lama to Scientology to meditation. We are told that any and all of these ways are open to us and will provide a way to see God. Some even teach that all we need do is get in touch with ourselves, because the divine is within us, in fact is us. But Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)

I went to a memorial service a couple months ago. The pastor was talking about how, contrary to popular opinion, Christianity is very inclusive. Everyone was welcome to become a Christian. She went on, however, to say that the way to Christianity was quite narrow. “Jesus didn’t say ‘I am a way, a truth, and a life.” Jesus didn’t present Himself as a choice among many, all of which provide the same conclusion. Jesus presented Himself as the only way to God.

Perhaps because it is so narrow it feels difficult. My one shot at being with God is Jesus? Interesting, in a belief that offers so much freedom because all the heavy lifting is done by God Himself, it’s so difficult to accept. People find all sorts of reasons to back away from Jesus. How could God become human, and why would He? Doesn’t that limit God, make Him weak? Yes, it did. Jesus was vulnerable to all manner of temptations and injustices, just take his death for example. But the Bible teaches, as awful as it sounds, that we needed someone to take our place. The wages of sin is death. Sin required a penalty with a holy God. So God took our place so we didn’t have to die eternal death (Romans 6:23)

Then of course, there are all the reasons to run from Jesus because Jesus’ followers are such: creeps, hypocrites, self-righteous, jerks. Yes, they certainly can be. So can the people pointing fingers. We all have the potential to be pretty awful at any point in time, thus the very need for a savior. And what about those Crusades? Those awful things done in the name of God? Again, yes, people have done heinous things under God’s name. That doesn’t mean God sent them. Oh, but what about the stories in the Bible when God did send them? OK, but if God is God, Creator of the Universe, Sovereign of the world, more than any world leader, He has the right, and assumably the wisdom, to do so.

We can throw out all sorts of reasons to not accept Christianity, but most often, if we are honest, it comes down to my desire to serve myself rather than a Sovereign Creator. We like our “freedom”, and tend to move towards religions that make it about us, hence the “divine within”. That’s a lot more convenient and self-serving. However, how is it working out?  Since we all have a propensity toward selfishness and the ability to hurt ourselves and others, we often come up pretty short and feel pretty empty.

Christianity offers hope, spiritual fulfillment, and satisfaction to all who would believe. When we stop looking for reasons not to believe and begin to bring honest questions to Christianity, that’s when we begin to find answers. This Christmas I challenge you to read a Gospel in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Find a modern translations (you can sample them all on-line) and start reading. Spend some time with Jesus.  Listen to what He says and look at what He does. Lay down your skepticism and just walk a little way with Jesus. You might be surprised at what you find. We Christians present a pretty limited picture, even at our best. Going to the source is always the best.

What a great Christmas present to give yourself, a sit down with the One who came to live with us for a while, the Reason we even have this season to celebrate, Jesus.