All inclusive inclusivity
Being inclusive is a popular idea right now. No one wants to feel left out right? From the beginning, the God of the Bible has always been INCLUSIVE beyond any other idea that has ever come down through the halls of human history. The God of the Bible and the news of Jesus is the most inclusive idea in human history.
Come and see.
It is clear that the nation of Israel has come under intense attack because of the way they look very “exclusive”. It is rather presumptuous that a tiny nation in the middle east formed from one small family should claim to know the “One True God”. God Almighty, the creator of everything, the one and only, who was and is, and is to come. The God who preexisted the universe has revealed himself to
Abraham Isaac and Jacob? What?!?! If this is true then every other religion is wrong at some point and God is calling them to see, know, and consider that he is God and there is no other. I once heard a would-be intellectual compare the Bible’s account of God to a tribe who believed that the earth was created from a cosmic coconut. Nope, not in the same reasonable or intellectual categories. Everything in the Bible is so spiritually sophisticated that the development of technology and knowledge in the world has far from made the Bible outdated, rather it has proved its veracity again and again.
Just think, back when all the nations of the world thought the earth was flat the Bible proclaimed that the earth was a sphere suspended in space.
“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.” (Isaiah 40:22-23 NIV)
“He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.” (Job 26:7 NIV)
This is no “tribal god” Hmmmmm so maybe Abraham and Isaac and Jacob did meet and follow the one true God in covenant. “But how is this inclusive?” You may be asking, I am glad you brought that up again! From the beginning, when God first made an agreement with Abraham, God declared that through Abraham all the families of the earth will be blessed (see Genesis 12). God’s plan from the very start of the nation of Israel was to bless ALL the FAMILIES of the earth. That includes you and me! and then look at this other passage from the Bible.
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for ALL peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds ALL peoples, the sheet that covers ALL nations; he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from ALL faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from ALL the earth.
The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is OUR God; WE trusted in him, and he saved US.
This is the Lord, WE trusted in him; let US rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (NIV emphasis mine)
Smile, be happy! Death has no claim on you, the place that the prophet Isaiah was speaking from on behalf of the Lord Almighty was the very hill (mountain, not quite like our mountains) where Jesus died and said it is FINISHED! There is room for you! Jesus paid for your sins and mine, he swallowed up death forever, repent of your dead works, change direction in life and obey his ways, not ours! There is life and hope for you in Jesus Christ. See how inclusive God has always been? He has always been out to do good to ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH.
But it comes at the cost of following him, not following our own whims and ideas. I would challenge you to study any idea out there as compared to the love of God in Jesus Christ and see if any other idea or religion so clearly spells out salvation and hope for the whole world. Only Jesus is like this, follow him.
(Eddie Davis is the pastor at the Church of the Nazarene, 900 W. Line St., Bishop, BishopNazarene.org. “We want to invite you to come to life in a relationship with Jesus with us.” Service times are at 10:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Sunday.)