That is the question. Is the gospel of Jesus inclusive or exclusive? Does the life of Jesus favor excluding all but the best or does it favor including as many as possible? Because if we are honest, there are scriptures that seem to indicate that only a select few will get in to the kingdom, right? Come on now. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13,14 It’s in there, can’t ignore it. “Wow P-Bob. How about leading with a scripture that directly challenges your premise?” Yes, I’m cool like that. I’ll say more on this later on.

In my last post, I dealt with how the church has abdicated it’s mission to be a city on a hill and a light to the nations. Back in 325 AD when Constantine made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire, the church had a decision to make. Would they become a tool of power? Or would they remain the sub-cultural, disruptive, non-violent, antithetical force in opposition to that power. Sadly the vast majority chose the former, and thus we arrive at what we have today. A church in perpetual conflict with itself. A church that can’t decide if they are all about law or grace. A church that is afraid of sin, as if Jesus did nothing at all. A church that remains largely exclusive, claiming that only a few make it to heaven, and the rest, well, the celestial garbage pile called “hell” awaits them. Some say the few are predestined. Some say we can choose. But for all the good the church has done (and it’s plenty) she remains stuck in the bondage of indecision, with those teaching exclusion being rewarded and those who dare to teach that Jesus actually succeeded, that sin was 100% dealt with at the cross, that we can love people purely and holy, that whatever the devil was has no more power over us, that we can all enjoy Papa’s presence all the time and it doesn’t depend on us jumping through all the right hoops, these are universally renounced by the exclusion side as heretics, false teachers, exalting sin, and being dangerous. My goodness! What have we come to?

I contend, that while there are definitely sections of scripture that seem to indicate that only a few make it in, the overwhelming majority of the New Testament is about inclusion. It’s about and ever widening circle of those who make it. As the understanding of the authors of the NT increased, there is less and less about exclusion and more and more about inclusion. It’s the overwhelming theme of the New Testament. Jesus came to end the law, inaugurate the New Covenant of grace, and remove ALL barriers between man and God. The rending of the veil in the temple is symbolic of this. No longer would there be anything standing in the way of humanity entering in to full and uninhibited relationship with the trinity. The only barriers are the imaginary ones in our minds. Otherwise, honestly, what differentiates the gospel from any other belief system in the world? If we have to make a series of right choices in the limited time we have on this planet in order to “go to heaven” when we die, how does that differ fundamentally from Islam or Hinduism or any other religion? The thing that makes the gospel better is that it’s better! Thanks captain obvious! But yes it’s true. The gospel IS too good to be true.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

How do you reconcile that scripture with the one I quoted above? There seems to be so much of this kind of thing. Here is how I reconcile them.

Jesus was a bridge between the Old and New Covenants. I believe a lot of these contrasting scriptures that seem to be in opposition, were really Jesus comparing the Old and the New Covenants. The Old covenant was exclusive and closed. It was only for the Hebrew people and the nation of Israel. And it was only a blessing if they kept the Mosaic Law. If they did not keep the law it would become a curse, which is exactly what happened. (Deuteronomy 8) But the New Covenant that Jesus came to inaugurate, was to be open and ever expanding.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 6-7

So we see that the ministry of Jesus was to bring a transition from the Old Covenant to the New. If you look at how Jesus lived, He was inclusive. He never turned anyone away. He deliberately preferred the outcast and misfits of the society he lived in. The religious leaders hated this about Him. To try to claim that the gospel is somehow exclusive completely misses the point of the life Jesus lived. Jesus came to show the Israelites his true nature, which is inclusive and welcoming, not distant and unapproachable.

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:1-3a

So I believe given this, and it is not by any means a complete treatment of the subject, that the New Testament is overwhelmingly inclusive.