The Heresy of Inclusivism

I will begin today by asking you a question about salvation. Actually, I want to give you a quiz. Do you mind if I give you a little quiz? It's the little teacher in me, maybe. Here's a quick, little quiz. I'm not going to click the answers. You don't have to shout out the answers. Just answer in your own mind. There are no trick questions here. Just answer yes and no regarding what the Bible tells us about salvation. Number one, is salvation only through Jesus Christ? I told you it's not a trick question. Number two is, to be saved. To be saved, must you believe Christ's gospel? Number three, to be saved, must you be baptized and received God's Holy Spirit? Number four, to receive salvation, must you have faith in Jesus Christ?

Number five, the last question, to be saved, must you repent of sin? Now, do I need to repeat any of those for anybody? No, no. We're not going to exchange answers, because I think the answer is you already know, and you probably have them all correct. The answers, will the clear words of God's Holy Scripture tell us that the answer to each of these questions is yes. They're all yes. They're all yes. Each of these is necessary for salvation according to God's authoritative and holy scripture. Notice how I added that?

There's a reason I added that. Would you believe that more churches of the world actually are teaching that you don't really need to know Jesus Christ, that you don't really need to believe His gospel to be saved? And they've been doing that, some of them. Well, if I could trace it back to about 100 AD, but if you want to go to what's going on in our day and age, it goes back. It really took off in the 60s, in the 1960s. Since its inception, the Church of God, the Church that Jesus Christ established, began in AD 31. Since its inception, the Church of God has had to contend with false teachers. Let's turn. Will you turn with me, please? Let's go to 2 Peter chapter 2. 2 Peter chapter 2. And just one scripture to point out that this was a problem with false teachers and heresy and things people are saying that were not correct, according to God. In 2 Peter 2 verse 1 through 2, Peter is warning the Church. He's warning the brethren at that time. And of course, it's in scripture. It's a warning for us today and in the future. He wanted to warn us all about false teachers and their destructive heresies. Their destructive heresies. And so Peter writes here verse 1, but there he's referring back to the Old Testament times, but there are also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies. Notice this next one phrase here. Even denying the Lord who bought them. Don't know about Christ as the work of salvation. And bring on themselves swift destruction, and many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. Other translations say, because of whom the way of truth will be slandered, maligned. Another good word to bring to mind. Malign twisted, perverted. Members of God's Church today must be aware of what's going on in the world. Because what goes on in the world, we're not to be of the world, but we are in it. And sometimes what is going on in the world, even in the churches of this world, it can begin to seep in to our way of thinking, and we must be on guard against that. Specifically what I want to talk with you about today, I want us to receive this warning message that we must be on guard and to contend with the spiritually deadly belief about salvation called inclusivism. Inclusivism. And I will spell that word for you now because I'm going to be saying it quite a bit, and I don't want you struggling with the spelling. Inclusivism is I-N-C-L-U-S-I-V-I-S-M. Inclusivism. I guess if you want a thumbnail definition, it's the idea of trying to get everybody easily into salvation. But I'm going to define it more specifically here in just a bit. And so this destructive heresy called inclusivism is increasingly popular today. It is a theological belief that claims that one does not always need to know Jesus Christ. One does not always need to know his name or his gospel or other things vital for salvation in order to be saved. Inclusivism essentially denies Jesus Christ, which Peter, we just read here in that verse, Peter warns against. And yet this heresy is promoted by many churches of the world, and it seems like it's being promoted more and more vigorously in recent years. We need to hold fast what scripture tells us about salvation and not allow ourselves to be led astray by this spiritually destructive heresy. And so the title of today's sermon is the heresy of inclusivism. The heresy of inclusivism.

Now before we dive in and examine this false teaching, let's first reaffirm together scripture's instruction regarding salvation. Let's see what scripture says about salvation. Let's go to the Word of God. What is what is God's Word? The inspired and authoritative God tell us about Jesus Christ and his role in our salvation. Well, first and primary, it's Jesus Christ is the only Savior. Jesus Christ is the only Savior. Salvation is only through Jesus Christ. Let's look at a few verses here. They're familiar, and I may kind of go through them a little more quickly than some of you may be comfortable with, but I just want to hit the highlights of these scriptures. Let's remember John 3 verse 16 through 18. I say that and I'm probably going to read them all with you anyway. John 3 16, John 3 16, actually through verse 17. This one you know, you see it often along the roadside. Let's also read John 14 verse 6. John 14 verse 6.

John 14 verse 6, quoting, it says, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So now he's talking about the relationship, this personal relationship that God wants us to have with him, the Father, and also his Son, Jesus Christ. It's only through him. Acts 4 verse 12. Acts 4 verse 12.

Acts 4 verse 12, Peter is speaking. He says, nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name, referring to Jesus Christ, nor other name under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved. There's no wiggle room here, is there? We must be saved through Jesus Christ, his name, his authority, all that his name represents. Finally, 1 Timothy 2 verse 5 through 6. 1 Timothy 2, 5 through 6. When we read these scriptures together, it really emphasizes, in a very powerful way, how Jesus Christ is our Savior, the only Savior, the only way available to salvation. 1 Timothy 2 verse 5 through 6. Paul's writing to Timothy, he says, So the time Paul began testifying then, and he's still being testified about now, and to be testified on through the kingdom and on through to the time of the resurrection of all who have died. These scriptures are clear and explicit, aren't they? Jesus Christ is the only Savior of mankind, the only way to salvation. We cannot have a right relationship with God, that personal relationship with God or Father. We cannot be reconciled. We cannot be forgiven for our sins unless we know Jesus Christ, and through faith believe that He willingly paid our death penalty for our sins so that we might receive salvation, eternal life. It's very clear. Now, what must we do? What is our part in salvation? Is it just to believe? What must we do to receive God's gift to salvation and to be delivered from our mortal existence? We want to live forever. That's that aspect of eternal life, salvation. We need to remember our part. Salvation is a gift from God through faith. We must have faith in Jesus Christ. Let's look at some more scriptures here. Again, we're building the foundation of what the scripture tells us about salvation. We've talked about Christ's role, and now we're looking at our role, our part. What must we be aware of? Ephesians 2, verse 8 through 9. Ephesians 2, verse 8 through 9. Ephesians 2, 8 through 9 tells us that we cannot earn salvation. We cannot earn salvation because it's a very wonderful thing. It's a gift. It's a gift from God. It's a gift of God's grace. Ephesians 2, verse 8, For by grace, Paul writes, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. And that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. All our boasting should be in Christ and what God has done for us. Now let's turn to Romans 10, verses 9 through 14. Romans 10, verses 9 through 14.

Romans 10, verses 9 through 14. Although it is true that we cannot earn salvation, it is a free gift from God, we do have something to do in order to receive it. We have to be ready. We have to be ready to receive it and willing to receive it. We have to do some things in order to receive that gift. We must, as we're going to read here, we must express our belief in faith in God and Christ. And here in verse 9, Paul says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart—here he's speaking about conviction—and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Now this scripture, taken out of context and read all by its lonesome, could seem to say that one only needs to say the equivalent of I believe Jesus is Lord. Now that is true, and that's part of what we must confess, but there's something more we must be doing. We must do more than just say I believe Jesus is Lord, and then poof, as it were, we're saved. That's not quite the way it works. You see, one cannot express sincere conviction of belief in faith in Christ without having been taught the truth about God, without knowing who God is and who is Christ, without knowing who we are.

And so much more. We have to know the truth about God and Christ, and we have to know the Gospel of salvation. What did Jesus Christ teach us? There's a whole lot more behind those words of saying, confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God is raising from the dead, and you will be saved. How are we going to know what to believe if we don't know what is taught? And so if we continue on now, let's go to verse 14, actually. Let's go to verse 14. And here, I know Dr. Ward's here with us today, but every time I read these scriptures, I hear his voice echoing in my head. And that's a good thing, by the way. Kettunni, verse 14, speaking about what is faith based on, what must we have, what must we know. Paul writes, verse 14, how then shall they call on him, call on God, in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? See, everything's connected. You have to know from Scripture. Verse 15, and how shall they preach unless they are sent? And you're suggesting that God sends these people out, these individuals out, men evangelizing, teaching God's Word in that sense. As it is written, Paul continues, he's quoting from Scripture, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. So he's warning there's some that aren't listening to the true gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report, and so Paul's making the point to know Christ, to know the gospel, door to be saved, you have to have faith. And faith, he says, going on verse 17, he says, so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. And we understand of Scriptures, it's this interaction of God's Spirit. God calls us, the Father calls us, and through our willingness, he points us to Christ. And God's Spirit works with us and then in us, eventually, if we commit to him, through that act of baptism, commitment. And so to receive God's gift of salvation, we must be taught the truth from God's Word so that we can choose. We have to make a decision. This is our biggest decision in life. We have to choose whether or not to surrender ourselves, excuse me, we have to choose whether or not to surrender ourselves in faithful obedience to God. We need to know and understand so that we can believe the gospel and obey it. That's what it says in verse 16. We have to know, we have to be able to believe the true gospel. By faith, then, we must hear God's Word. We have to believe it. We have to obey it. Now, second thing we must be willing to do is to understand and do it, that Christ's gospel of salvation requires repentance. It does require something of us. We have to change the way we love. We probably recall Mark 1 verses 14 through 15 in the book of Mark. The gospel of Mark, this is the first reference too.

Okay, I'm making you all clear your throats now, aren't I? Just a second. Okay. Yeah, thank you for the water. Mark 1, verse 14 through 15, you can jot it down. I think we're familiar with it. Verse 14 says that now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. Repentance is intimately connected to the gospel message. In Acts 2, verse 38, I think the last few sermons I've given, I keep coming back to this scripture. It's key. It's absolutely vital. Acts 2, verse 38 sums up the process each individual must choose to undertake in order to receive salvation. These are not things we can skip or gloss over in order to receive salvation. Acts 2, 38, Peter said to them, they just cried out, what do we do? How do we get right with God? And Peter said to them, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission, the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And you've heard us explain that this is summation. This is summation of the process of conversion, of changing the way we live, the way of the old man, that natural man, and taking on that new life to live the life as Christ set the example following Christ. To receive salvation, we must choose to become less like our old sinful selves and dedicate ourselves to becoming more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. And third, Christ's gospel, we are told in Scripture, must be preached and disciples must be made in all the nations. We have a part in that. Christ's gospel must be preached and disciples made of all nations. Let's look at Matthew 28. Let's turn and read together Matthew 28 verse 19 through 20.

And this is one of the places we find Christ's commission to His church. This is our duty as the church of God, part of the body of Christ. We have our part in this. Matthew 28 verse 19 through 20, the words of Jesus Christ, He tells His disciples then, He tells us still as His church today, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, Jesus said, I am with you always even to the end of the age, even to this time and yet ahead. Let's also read Mark 16. Let's go back to Mark 16, and we're going to read Mark's rendition of Christ's commission statement. Mark 16 verse 15 through 16, Mark 16, 15 through 16. Again, Jesus speaking, and He said to them, telling His disciples, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And so the church, yes, is to preach Christ's gospel of salvation. It's a gospel about eternal life. It's about repentance. It's about becoming a part of the kingdom of God, the family of God. It's coming to this earth. Christ is its king. We're going to help make our part in making disciples of all nations, all peoples. And those who believe the gospel must be baptized to receive salvation. That's our directions in this time prior to Christ's return. As I mentioned already, we understand the process of conversion. It begins with God the Father, John 6, 44. The Father calls us. In essence, He's welcoming us. We get curious. We get interested. He nudges, pokes us in the right direction to find out more, and we want to learn more. He'll keep working with us as long as we're welcoming. Eventually, He points us to Jesus Christ because it's only through Jesus Christ that we can have a personal relationship with God. That's what God wants with every human being, all in due time. In this age, we understand that God is calling some few to salvation, to be firstfruits. But we also know from 1 Corinthians 15, 22, 24, that God is in mind a time when all must be made alive. All must be made alive. And we understand that to look forward, looking forward to that future period called the time of the Great White Throne Judgment. And so the Father appoints certain individuals now to Christ through the hearing of His word. It's preached. They hear it. They hear the gospel message. They begin to build faith and belief in God. But each individual must choose whether or not He will believe and follow Christ until their end. It requires our belief. It requires obedience. It requires hearing the gospel, being baptized. These are all necessary requirements to receive salvation in the kingdom of God. And I'm drawing this from Scripture. Now, there are many other scriptures that describe what salvation requires. And we hear a lot of sermons about that as well we should throughout the year. Salvation requires our conscientious decision. We have to be directly involved in God's word and how we're obeying God and submitting to Him in faith. And so now that we've been reminded what salvation is only through Jesus Christ and it requires knowledge and understanding about Christ and His gospel and it requires belief and faith and repentance and obedience and being baptized and receiving God's Holy Spirit.

Now we rehearse what salvation requires. I feel that I've done my part to fortify us with the truth so that now we can look and turn our attention to the heresy called inclusivism. Inclusivism. Are you ready? All right.

Inclusivism is a false teaching regarding salvation. For over 1900 years, Christianity—and I'm speaking of traditional Christianity—Christianity broadly accepted the authority of God's word—I say traditional Christianity, you know, the church and traditional Christianity. It was broadly accepted the authority of God's word in scriptures. It accepted the authority of the scriptures we've just read and rehearsed together. But in the 20th century, inclusivism began to have greater influence among some of the world's largest churches. So now let's define what inclusivism is more specifically.

And I have two sources, two witnesses, of what it's about. This first definition comes from a website some of you may be familiar with. It's called GotQuestions.org. GotQuestions.org. And in their article talking about inclusivism, here's what they say.

Inclusivism is the view that people actually appropriate God's gift of salvation only on the basis of Jesus Christ atoning work. Of course, atoning work he paid for our sins through his death on the cross. And so inclusivism is a view that people actually appropriate God's gift of salvation only on the basis of Jesus Christ atoning work, but that the sinner need not explicitly believe the gospel in order to actually receive this salvation. Continuing, inclusivism teaches that Christianity is the only true religion, including the belief that Christ is the only Savior of men, but that this salvation could be made available through means other than explicit faith in Christ.

So yeah, it agrees with what the Bible says, but what is it doing? It's adding some things. It's turning some things around in a very destructive way. Again, quoting, continuing here, the inclusivist believes that adherents of other religions and even atheists can be saved by responding to God's revelation in creation or through the elements of truth contained within their non-Christian religion. So if some of this is beginning to help you understand what's going on in the world about why they say you just need to believe, this is part of why they say that. Let me turn to another second source, a second witness, if you will. This is from the website monergism.com.

Now, it offers a similar definition, but it goes a little more detail. Inclusivism, quote, inclusivism is a theological position that holds that while Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, explicit knowledge of and faith in Christ may not be necessary for someone to be saved. Inclusivists believe that people from other religions or those who have never heard the gospel might still be saved through Christ even if they do not explicitly profess faith in Him, provided they respond positively to the truth and light available to them in their own religious traditions. Does that sound what we were reading in Scripture? Another quote from the same source, while affirming that salvation comes through Christ alone, and here it mentions a specific church that has really caused all this to happen, while affirming that salvation comes through Christ alone, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that people who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ or the church, but who sincerely seek God and strive to do His will, may attain salvation. Another quote from the same source, many liberal Protestant theologians in the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, and the evangelical, let me get that right, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA, have embraced inclusivism, and they contend that those who respond to God in their own religious context may be saved by Christ atoning work even if they do not explicitly know Him. Explicit faith in Christ may not always be necessary for salvation. That's their words. Two witnesses, not mine. So what are the essential theological beliefs of inclusivism? This is my summary. Although inclusivism upholds in any person who is saved is ultimately saved by Jesus Christ, one does not need to know Jesus Christ. One does not need to know Jesus Christ's gospel. One doesn't need to profess faith in Jesus Christ, and one does not need to be a Christian. All faiths and truths ultimately lead to salvation. Maybe that sounds like some bumper stickers you've seen coexist in all these things out there. Can we begin to understand why inclusivism is such a dangerous heresy?

Although it affirms that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, it essentially denies any real reason for people to believe in Jesus Christ or in His gospel of salvation. It's essentially doing what Peter warned us about. Second Peter 2, verse 1 through 2, we read at the very beginning here.

Now, if you go to these churches, you will not see Church of Inclusivism on their marquee. You may not even see the term in their documents, statements of belief. But when you read what they say and you listen to what they say and you pay attention to the fruits of their works, you're going to see that they are not practicing the gospel as defined and described by God's Holy Scripture. And again, as I'm going to repeat at the end, this is important for us because this is the way of Christianity in the world. We are not of the world. We're in it, but we're not of it. We do not want to get sucked into their way of thinking, which is contrary to Scripture. And it could be something as innocent as saying, well, that's such a... he's such a nice guy. He's such a nice Buddhist. Surely he saved. People say stuff like that. Well, I get the sentiment, but I can't accept the doctrine. I can't accept the theology. You understand where I'm coming from. I know a lot of nice people, great people, all sorts of different religions. One day when God calls them, I think they'll hear, and I think they'll listen. But does that mean right now there are different religions and things they do that they're going to be saved? I don't know that, unless they follow what Christ is saying, not unless God calls them, and so on. And so what this belief, this inclusivism, does, it's essentially one of the super easiest religions you can probably practice. People do not need to change their beliefs or religions. People don't really need to change their lives. If you don't need to know the Gospel, you don't need to repent. One doesn't really need to know God's Scripture. One doesn't need to have a personal relationship with God. One only really needs to be a good person and to follow their own truth and light to be saved and live forever. So now let's go back a little bit to Scriptures. Let's kind of take apart some of this thinking that is out there, this heresy. A question we might ask is, how can one be saved without knowing Jesus Christ? How can one be saved without knowing Jesus Christ? And how can anyone have a personal relationship with God the Father without knowing Jesus Christ? And the answer is, it's impossible. You can.

You can't. Let's turn to Romans 5, verse 8 through 11. Romans 5, 8 through 11. You can't have personal relations with God the Father without knowing Jesus Christ. I mean, that's a whole point of His coming and dying for humanity. Romans 8. Excuse me. Let me get that right for you. Romans 5, verse 8 through 11. Romans 5, verse 8 through 11.

And here we read, but God demonstrates His own love towards us. See, God loved us first, right? But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than having now been justified by His blood, He paid our death penalty for our sins, so we could be made correct, have a right relationship, be justified before God. Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him, wrath being God's judgment for not repenting of sin. Verse 10, for if when we are enemies, we are reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Reconciliation means we can have this relationship with God. Through Jesus Christ, we can talk to God, and God works with us. And we become part of His family. Christ sacrificed Himself for you and me and every single person, so that through faith in His sacrifice for our sins, we might be reconciled, our sins might be forgiven, we can make the right choice, and we might finally have that relationship with God. Whether or not we knew we needed it, when we know God's gospel and we start living in faith, we quickly begin to understand how much we need God in our lives. And it's really crazy for anybody to say, you don't need to know God, you don't need to know the gospel to have that relationship. In return, what does God need of us? God requires that we love Him. God loves us. He requires that we love Him. And we hear that so many times in the words of Jesus Christ, Matthew 22, Matthew 22, 36-38. You know, why do we keep God's commandments? Why do we, as people that don't know the gospel, don't know the truth, they might say, you know, you make your life so difficult. You don't need to do that. Thank you for your opinion, but not really. I will do what God tells me to do as best I can and with His help. Matthew 22, verse 36. A man asked Jesus, teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And Jesus said to Him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. How can you do that if you don't know Jesus Christ, if you don't know God? Let's also read John 14, 23-24. John 14, 23-24.

Again, this need from our Savior, the instruction from our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus answered and said to Him a similar question. Well, in the category, what must we do? If anyone loves me, Jesus said, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words, and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. Let's also, one more scripture in this set, 1 John 4.19.

1 John 4.19. Sometimes we hear this, but I want us to read it. 1 John 4.19. I'm here already. 1 John 4.19 adds this powerful reason for why we should choose to love God and why we need to know Christ in the Gospel. 1 John 4.19. We love Him. We love Christ. We love God, because He loved us. We love Him because He first loved us.

How can we have a personal relationship then with God founded in His love and in our faithful, loving obedience to Him without knowing Christ or His gospel? We can't. It's not possible to say otherwise is heresy. Inclusivism is heresy. Another question that comes up with inclusivism, how can one be saved without understanding what sin is and our need to repent? You can't. Scripture says it's not possible. We already read Mark 1.15. Jesus said, repent and believe in the gospel. That seems pretty clear to me. There's a direct connection about repenting and believing the gospel. Christ's gospel requires our repentance from sin. It's also we're here in 1 John. Let's go ahead and turn to 1 John 1. 1 John 1, 8 through 9. Salvation requires that we know what sin is and that we repent of it. We repent of it through faith in Jesus Christ. 1 John 1, 8 it says, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let's read on the next chapter, 1 John 2, 1 through 2. John writes, my little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, which we will because we're still human even after we're baptized and receive God's Spirit, and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world. I don't think that leaves anybody out, every human being.

But, inclusivism says, one does not need to hear the gospel to be saved. One does not need to know about sin. You don't need to know about sin or to repent. You don't need to be baptized. You don't need to be forgiven. You don't even need to receive God's Holy Spirit. Oh, that's part of the gospel message. Inclusivism says you don't need that to be saved. Inclusivism even removes the need for Christ as our advocate.

So, how can anyone be saved without hearing the gospel of Christ? How can anyone be saved without hearing the gospel of Christ? Scripture says it's not possible. It's not possible. And we don't want to forget that. As we read in Romans 10, 17, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You have to hear the gospel. The gospel is about Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. And you know how it is, right? Once you start studying what the gospel is, it's like that the biggest onion you've ever seen in your life. It's just one layer peeled back. It takes you to another layer, another layer. And I think I might almost say ad infinitum. There's always more to be learning about Christ, about our Father, about salvation, about our part in it. No hearing of the word of God, no hearing of Christ's gospel. We should understand that for us that would mean no true faith. That is not a true faith. That's something else. Peter calls it a destructive heresy. So again, we can understand why inclusivism is a dangerous heresy. Do we understand that now? I hope so. And whether you ever heard that word before or not, I think it clicks now with what we're hearing on TV. And you happen to hear a radio or church program on TV or the radio or people talking, things you read, you begin to understand why they are saying that. They are not being taught the truth from Scripture. Inclusivism is clearly founded more upon philosophical ground, which we would call human reasoning, rather than upon the solid rock and authority of God's holy Scripture. Inclusivism truly is a destructive heresy, such as Peter warns us about in 2 Peter 2, 1 through 2. We read it earlier. It's deadly spiritually because it essentially denies our need to know Jesus Christ. It almost denies the need for Jesus Christ, and we do not need to know His gospel in order to receive salvation. And so that's what it is. But I like to dig a little bit. Maybe you do too. Why? Why would people believe such things? Why would somebody somewhere come up with this idea, no doubt under influences, other than holy? Why would people come up with this idea? Why would people, especially church leaders, traditional churches out there in the world? And I think maybe in their heart, they're well-meaning. God's their judge. But why would church leaders and others bend and twist and even reject the clear and explicit wording of Scripture?

One reason, I think, is we see it more prevalent more and more today. One reason is many leaders, many people, don't actually believe or respect the authority of God's Word. They don't believe God's Word. They don't respect its authority. They're increasingly thinking it's just a compendium of wisdom from ancient times, and that we in the 21st century have become far too sophisticated to believe such things. So they don't believe or respect the authority of God's Word. And two, and I know this must be it too, also, they don't or can't understand God's actual plan to save humanity from eternal death. And I'll quickly add, neither did any of us until God the Father and Jesus Christ began working with our minds, till we heard the Gospel, till we began to believe, till He led us and worked with us by His Spirit, and then in us with His Spirit. We didn't understand these things too.

You know, there's something about, I think, part of this reasoning goes back why they don't understand. Some of it is willful. You know, we read earlier in John chapter 3, John 3, 16, right? I want to read 8. Let's read again John 3, 16 through 17, but add verses 18 through 19 this time. John 3, 16, it says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. That's part of His plan of salvation. But now look at verse 18. He who believes in Him, he who believes in Christ and God is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, the only way to salvation. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. I think, and maybe you'd agree with me, so much what people do today is because they don't naturally like white. I hate to think of it that way. We're kind of those things that like to scurry when the light's on. Humanly, maybe spiritually speaking, we don't like the light. We prefer the darkness. It's more comfortable. We don't want to know about sin.

Humanly speaking, naturally we don't. But it's only when we come to know Christ and the gospel that we see why we must learn to love the light, and we must learn to reject the darkness. Many people believe and live according to many false doctrines and teachings of traditional Christianity. Those teachings and doctrines are not biblical. They sound biblical, they have a bit of the truth, but then they go awry. And we're in that same boat, spiritually speaking. We didn't know these things, we didn't know truth, till God opens our hearts and minds. So I'm not, I don't want to be too harsh, because in time they will understand. God will make sure of that. Part of the problem with this belief system of this belief of inclusivism is that it's founded on this belief that the only opportunity one has to know Jesus Christ and to be saved is in the here and now. It's while they're alive. And what traditional Christianity typically means by being saved is, means that when they die they go to heaven and not to hell, because it's not a nice place. And they want to go to heaven and live for eternity. But the problem with this belief that now is the only time, this lifetime is the only time for salvation, the problem that has kind of led to inclusivism, perhaps, the problem with this belief is that a person must be saved before he or she dies. And so despite all the human effort for over 2000, nearly 2000 years now, despite all that human effort of preaching, of missionary work, and evangelizing, it's done a lot of great things. It's it's made our western civilization what it is in the good sense, the good moral sense. But despite all that effort, not every human being heard the gospel. Not every human being today is going to hear the gospel or hear about Jesus Christ. And it's probably going to be that for a while. Not every single human being has been or can be reached. And so their understanding of Scripture, it's a twisted understanding, it's not accurate, it's not true. Their understanding of Scripture tells, let's just say these well-meaning but spiritually blinded people, that those individuals who don't hear the gospel, don't hear about Christ, they are lost. They are condemned to hell.

And many kind and good-hearted people wrestle with trying to understand what happens. What happens to those people? They never hear the truth. You see, they look at the Scripture, and they don't see the answer. We know the answer because God revealed it to us. Not to us, we're not special. But when you work with the Spirit in us, that's what's made the revealing possible. And so many wrestle with trying to understand what happens to those people that never hear the gospel. What happens to those innumerable infants, those many children, and many others who through no fault of their own were unable to understand anything about Christ or his gospel. They're wanting an answer. They can't find it in Scripture. And what are people really good at? Coming up with solutions, even if they're wrong. And so many people question whether God is fair. And so they twist Scripture. They come up with beliefs that are not found in Scripture. And then they choose to live by it because it makes them feel good. It gives them an answer. And so it's no wonder, and you look at it that way, that many want to bend and twist and ignore the explicit ordering of God's Scriptures. And even among those who do reject the heresy of inclusivism, and there's churches out there that they stick to what the Bible says. They got a better grasp of it than some. But even those that do understand the restrictions of salvation, even they do believe God's fair, even though they don't quite understand how, they do know that God is going to save people. The unevangelized is what they call them. But they don't understand how. And for a lot of them, that's a great discouragement, and it can be upsetting to their faith. I want to quote something again from GotQuestions.org, and it addresses this aspect of their wanting to believe in something, but they can't see it. GotQuestions.org states that even the individual who rejects inclusivism—talking about those out in the world's Christian traditions—even the individual who rejects inclusivism wrestles with the question of what happens to those who never hear the gospel. Such an individual, quote, does not necessarily believe that the unevangelized person will be condemned for failing to believe in a Jesus that they never heard of. So they do have some hope. They know enough about God to know that God is not that cruel. But in the end—but they don't know the answer—so going on, it says, in the end, quoting still, in the end, we can be confident that God will not judge anyone unfairly, but then the editors state, God has simply not informed us of any backup plan he may have for those who did not hear the gospel in this life. And then they had this stunning statement. They say, we must assume that there is none. There's no backup plan.

I don't know about you. That is a very discouraging and disheartening statement. It kind of helps to inform us that they're crying out for faith. They're wanting to believe, but it's like children crying in the dark. They don't know exactly what it is.

But they're wanting to know. That's a good thing. And so many who reject inclusivism understand that those who never hear God's gospel cannot receive salvation because that's what scripture says. But they nonetheless have to believe they will be saved. They just can't explain how. And then Monergism says this, quote, these people call this perplexity the mystery of God's justice and mercy. The mystery of God's justice and mercy. We don't see the mystery because God has taken away the mystery. He took away the black blindness that black veil. He's removed and He's shown us from scripture. We didn't want to necessarily know, but God called us and we kept listening and He let us to understand. So why am I drawing our attention to this false gospel about salvation? Why should this matter to us, to you and me?

One, we must guard ourselves. Part of the watchman's message is to warn the people, to warn God's people about dangers out there. And that's part of what this message, you might look at it that way today. We must guard ourselves. We must not let philosophy and empty deceit—that's what Colossians 2, verse 8, calls this sort of thing—we must not let philosophy and empty deceit, such as inclusivism, undermine our faith from scripture regarding salvation. And we must be very careful to avoid ideas which offer a heretical path that can never get anyone to salvation, that can never get anyone to salvation. We've got to hold fast to the authority and truth of God's holy scripture. And secondly, why should this matter to us? We are expected to be ready to give an answer. We have to be ready to give an answer. A time may come in our lives, perhaps sooner than we may know, when we might be able to share God's truth about salvation. And even the comfort that that can bring to those who worry about salvation of those who do not know Christ, who've never heard his gospel. We need to tell them the truth. They may not understand it, but I don't know about you. Well, I do know about you. We've seen how God likes to work with little We've seen how God likes to work with little seeds, doesn't he? Who knows a little seed thought from God's scripture about salvation, about the hope we have. We talk about the great white throne judgment. That's a powerful hope. We may underestimate it sometimes as we've come to be familiar with it. We must be ready to assure others that God truly, as it says in 1 Timothy 2, 4, that God truly desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Everyone will have that opportunity. Some of those who have a sense of God's fairness, they're right. But maybe they just need, maybe God will put them in our path one day, and we'll say something that might just be the ticket that God is wanting them to work with. And a third point, and I think this is very important as well. We must be grateful for the understanding God has given his church. That's why this should matter to us. We must be grateful for the understanding God has given his church. We need to be glad when we pray, go to bed tonight, and our prayers, or whenever it is you pray, be sure to thank God for the truth about his salvation, because so many people don't know it, and we didn't know it either at one time. Our Father of mercies and God of all comfort will make sure that each and every human being will have his or her fair chance to choose eternal life. And that does include all infants, all children. We don't exactly know exactly all the details how this is going to happen, but Scripture is truth. All infants, children, and others incapable right now of knowing and understanding Jesus Christ and his gospel in this lifetime will have their time. This is not the only time of salvation. We anticipate that future time annually, don't we, when we observe the eighth day, which points to the great white throne judgment. Brethren, part of being grateful for the understanding God has given us, think how grateful we should be for God's holy days, because it's God's holy days that unlocks the plan, that helps us to see and grasp, understand, and a very rather somewhat tangible way, but yet spiritually also we could see it. It begins to make sense. God's holy days are now widely unknown to most people, but they provide the basic outline of God's plan of salvation. That's salvation that incorporates every human being, every human being.

Passover explains why Jesus died for us. Days of Unleavened Bread talks about replacing sin with bread of life. How can you know that if you don't need to know with Christ or the gospel? Pentecost talks about the first fruits of God's harvest, the first fruits be resurrected at Christ's return. Feast of Trumpets, it's only six weeks away. Yep. Feast of Trumpets, six weeks away. It's all about this incredible, wonderful, or not so wonderful in some ways, but it is ultimately a wonderful turning point in human history. The Day of Atonement removal talks about the removing of sin's cause. Satan's going to be put away. The Feast of Tabernacles is all about Christ's reign over the earth. And then the eighth day, how salvation will be extended to all humanity, every human being. Can we be grateful for that? Oh yeah, I think so. So, brethren, beware of this heretical belief called inclusivism. You may never see that word posted anywhere in a church or in an article, but a lot of the falsehood about the salvation, that's what it's due to, this radical belief called inclusivism. Inclusivism offers no path to salvation. Knowing Christ and his gospel is absolutely necessary for salvation. So we must not allow heresy to water down or undermine our faith or our trust in God's clear and explicit teachings about salvation. And be truly grateful. Let's be truly grateful for God's love and his plan that incorporates all humanity. One day, all that is false and twisted and maligned will be gone. And people will know God's way, his pure, true, straight way to salvation and eternal life. But we must be ready now and in the future to share this wonderful good news with all about the coming kingdom of God.