I was so filled with joy to hear stories about your children walking in truth, in the very way the Father called us to live. 2 John 4
Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God. But whoever stays with the teaching, stays faithful to both the Father and the Son. 2 John 9 Message
In our last post we were examining Ultimate reconciliation and through the Word we refuted it as untruth. We began to examine the ideology of Historic Inclusionism. Is it the pure gospel of grace?
I believe that Pastor Ryan Rufus made the case so clear about this view. It saddens me to write this but this philosophy is rooted in error. The spirit of error was prevalent in the founder of the particular group this idea stems from. The passing of the leader in the late 80s made this group rethink some of its views. That is the good news. The bad news is they still have roots of error in their doctrines. In the 2000s they changed their name. In the renaming of their group they put the word grace in the title. So today those hearing this beautiful message of God's grace readily receive anyone who say they're proclaiming grace.
We need to more discerning than this. Here is why. Two different groups have web pages dedicated to "Christian Universalism". I don't want to link them. They are filled with error. On these web pages the moderators link this message of Inclusion to their own message of Universalism. We don't want to poison the gospel of grace with leading men to believe we are promoting Universalism or Inclusionism.
What about Historic Inclusionism? What are their main points? That all are righteous. This includes those who are not born again. That all are God's Children, that all men are in the Family of God. That all men have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. That all men have the new nature. The life of God is already within. Being born again is not becoming a new creation and receiving right standing with God and the Spirit making His abode within, but rather it is an awakening to your true identity. That every man is included in the redemption. So basically you're already in whether you like it or not.
Are these Biblical views? If you don't accept these as truth are you not walking in the "deeper" realms of grace? I get so fed up with foolishness in the name of the Lord. These ideas put men in so much bondage. Am I believing the message the way the "elitist" teach it? I saw this in faith teaching years ago. If you didn't believe ideas like faith means not having a job, or never taking medicine you just had a "faith" problem or a weaker faith. Let me be real truthful. I say it in love. All these Inclusionist views are plain wrong and a misunderstanding and twisting of the Scripture to fit a presupposed view. Sadly, I shudder to write this, but sadly a few popular grace proclaimers on social media (YouTube, Facebook, etc.) adhere to these views. Many ascribe to their views because it sounds so similar to real pure grace.
Do all men have the new nature within? Do they have the life of Christ within? What does the Word teach?
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:14-15 NKJV
If one possess the new nature and new life within they WILL be walking in this love. I have sad news for the followers of inclusion. Unsaved men do not have the new nature within. The new nature has the love of God shed abroad within it. Love will be evident.
In my personal life I worked in the Law enforcement community. I know of many thousands of people incarcerated and personally supervised many of them inside the prison walls of this nation. I know of one case where a man who with seven others found a random woman on the street and by force brought her back to their apartment and brutally raped her. Did he just have the New Nature (which possess the God kind of love) dormant within? Did the Holy Spirit inside this unsaved man just fall asleep while he assaulted and brutalized his victim? Doesn't seem like the new nature would follow this type of living.
Are all God's children apart from faith? What does the Scripture state?
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:26-27
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:12
These passages have the same theme. It is only by faith that we are the children of God. This alone disproves Inclusion as truth. Yet through extremely poor Bible interpretation and presupposed mindsets those in Inclusion will cite these passages as saying it does prove inclusion because the word all is used.
So because the word all is found in many Bible passage this give the Inclusionists the entire foundation of their philosophy. What they need to study is context and find the intended audience of the passages where the word all is used. If you study 1 John 3:1 it does use the Word all. Don't stop reading there though. Note it goes on to differentiate between all and the World. Who are the all here? The saved, those who received the Lord. Who are the World then? Those who have not received Him. Even though the word all is used it doesn't imply the unsaved are included. The World according the Apostle John is not included in the Family just because Jesus paid the price. We see there must be a response on the part of the unbeliever.
What about the unsaved already having the Holy Ghost within? What does the Word say?
But you do not live in the flesh. You live in the Spirit, assuming, of course, that the Spirit of God lives inside of you. The truth is that anyone who does not have the Spirit of the Anointed living within does not belong to God. If the Anointed One lives within you, even though the body is as good as dead because of the effects of sin, the Spirit is infusing you with life now that you are right with God. If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you. Romans 8:9-11
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"... Acts 19:1-2a
(I suppose Paul didn't consult the Trinitarian Theologians before asking this question. I am so intrigued to know of so many who know more than the Apostle Paul today...excuse the snarky tone)
How can it get any clearer? In Romans 8 the Apostle Paul keeps using the word if. If you have the Spirit within, you're alive to God. If you don't you don't belong to Him yet. So how could you already have the Spirit within but, then have Paul admonish you with instructions about if you don't? This view is so easily proven unscriptural. It also forces those who adhere to it to dismiss clear scripture that disproves their points of view.
What about already being made righteous? What about being reconciled? What about God taking away the sin of the World? I believe 2 Corinthians 5 holds the key to understanding these truths.
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 NKJV
Do these passages promote inclusion? Again the word all is cited. So the Inclusionist comes to the conclusion that all means all humanity. Note Paul says He died for all. The Original KJV states it more clearer, that because He died for all it is clear that all were already dead. Dead in sin and trespasses. So Paul goes on to state that in order to receive the new creation you must be in Christ. How are we in Christ? It is when we receive Him. It is when we are born again. In John 3 Jesus Himself states we MUST be born again. He stated unless we are born again we will not see or experience the kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom? Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
So, Paul is not teaching inclusion. He is teaching the need for faith in God. What about reconciliation? What about Jesus taking away the sin of the World? What about 1 John 2:1? He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole World. Doesn't this prove historic inclusion? If you want to believe it does you will make these passages say so. Jesus in truth paid the full price at Calvary. He took away the sin. Is that salvation though? No, salvation includes forgiveness and reconciliation but it is not salvation. These are only a small portion of salvation. Salvation is receiving the Lord and Him in turn imparting His righteousness, giving you His Spirit within and you being remade a New Creation in Him, it is receiving adoption into His Family. Again, to be in the Family of God we must believe. What about reconciliation? You see there are two parties involved in any relationship.
God, has done all there is to do for us to be saved and righteous. He has forgiven sin. He has reconciled with us. He is no longer angry because the price for sin has been paid. This is all on God's side of the relationship. We need to now be reconciled to Him. Say my wife and I had a disagreement. We could both sit at the table to discuss it. She could be over it, hold no resentment, and already be reconciled to me. For me to experience the reconciliation I would have to be reconciled to her. It would be on my end to now receive the reconciliation offered. This is seen clearly in this passage when Paul admonished that we be now reconciled to God. How could we need to be reconciled to God if we already were?
One thing these historic Inclusionist deny is that they are Universalist. They continually say a decision must be made to go to Heaven. So the inclusion view is you're included and already in until you're out. How does this view adhere to the absolute Biblical truth of Eternal Security? It is therefore contrary to it.
Think of this. If we all are already in the Family, already righteous and already possess the New Nature within how could anyone saved or unbelievers then ever be lost? The truth of Eternal Security proves beyond doubt when one receives the New Nature within they are sealed with the Spirit. The Spirit is the guarantee of one's Salvation. To be in the Family means to have been adopted by Abba Father. So the unGodly, unsaved man who never "awakens" to the "truth" of his "true identity" (who remember, already has the new nature, the indwelling Spirit, and been adopted in the Family according to the Trinitarian Inclusionist) will what now be cast away in the end? How can one be unadopted and unsealed? When does the Spirit leave? So one can be included in the Family and partaker of the Divine Nature and then thrown into hell for not receiving Jesus as Lord? Really? The Word is clear only the unrighteous (the unbeliever who rejects the grace and free gift of righteousness) will be lost and suffer eternal damnation. It seems Trinitarian Theology tosses aside certain Bible truths to establish one of their main points, but then uses those same discarded truths to establish the other points of view they hold to. Trinitarian Theology is actually saying, your all in but not really. Because, you're "in" but can still be "out" in the long run. You see how confusing this Trinitarian Inclusionism is?
Lets not poison the flowing streams of God's pure gospel of grace. These ideas and philosophies are not the pure grace message Jesus has proclaimed to the World. The message to the lost is not wake up to who you already are. The message to the World is God loves you immeasurably. God is not holding your trespass against you. He is not mad at you. He has paid the full price for you. Simply receive Him freely. He will adopt you in His Family. He will make you a new Creation. He will never leave you or forsake you. Once you truly receive Him you will be never lost. Receive Him be reconciled to Him. This is the gospel of grace message we should always be proclaiming. This will set the captive free. Let's proclaim a pure gospel. Let's remove ourselves from a gospel of grace rebellion and be apart of a revolution that will alter lives for Christ.
I know these words were hard sayings. I pray these words do not make you cease reading my blog. I pray this enlightened you to the pure gospel of His grace. Your feedback is welcomed. Consider sharing if this has blessed you.