What Is Inclusivism?

This month, the Biblical Resource Group of Ethnos360 is revising an old paper about inclusivism. What is inclusivism? I’m glad you asked.

There are four basic views regarding how those who are spiritually lost may be redeemed. They are exclusivism, universalism, pluralism, and inclusivism.

Exclusivism – Salvation is found only through faith in Jesus Christ. A person must consciously believe in His substitutionary death and resurrection to receive eternal life. We believe that this is the view taught in God’s Word when understood in its plain sense (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

Universalism – All people will ultimately be saved, regardless of their beliefs or actions. This view contradicts Scripture (John 3:18, 36) and undermines the necessity of faith in Christ.

Pluralism – Many religions provide valid paths to God and salvation. This unbiblical view denies Christ’s exclusive role as the only way to eternal life (John 10:9).

Inclusivism – Jesus’ atoning work is the only means of salvation, but explicit faith in Him is not always necessary. Some might be saved through general revelation or sincere faith in another religion. This view diminishes the necessity of personal faith in Christ and is not supported by Scripture (Romans 10:9-17).

Most conservative Christians reject universalism and pluralism. However, some conservative Christians embrace inclusivism. The paper we are working on addresses the problems of inclusivism.

Inclusivists argue, “People groups unreached by the Gospel who have never heard about the Person and work of Jesus Christ do not need to actually hear and believe the Gospel. They can be saved by a sincere reception of whatever revelation they have such as conscience and creation.” 

They claim that a person is only responsible for the light they have. But if this were true, then the less light they have, the better. Why?

Because once they are presented with the light of the Gospel, they become responsible for accepting that light. If they reject it, they are condemned. But if they never hear the Gospel in the first place, they would not be guilty of rejecting it.

This is an extremely important topic as it relates to missions because our understanding of inclusivism directly impacts evangelism, the urgency of sharing the Gospel, and our obedience to the Great Commission.

Blessings,

Bob

* * *

Hanging in There

 

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl.

One was a wise and cheery soul;

The other one took a gloomy view

And bade his friend a sad adieu.

 

Said the other frog with a merry grin,

"I can't get out, but I won't give in!

I'll swim around till my strength is spent,

Then I will die all the more content."

 

And as he swam, though ever it seemed,

His struggling began to churn the cream

Until on top of pure butter he stopped

And out of the bowl he quickly hopped.

 

The moral, you ask? Oh it's easily found:

If you can't get out, just keep swimming around.

 

Hang in there!

 

 

Finding Assurance in God's Unfailing Love

We often hear that nothing in life is guaranteed. The Scriptures prove that to be untrue. God guarantees that if we trust Christ, nothing on earth or in heaven will change our eternal destiny. We are His forever.

Sadly, for the first 10 years of my Christian life I struggled with doubts about my salvation. I doubted the promises in God’s Word that He forgave me of my sins.

I am reminded of the story of Joseph and his brothers. After their father Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers feared that Joseph would seek revenge for the wrongs they had done to him. They sent a message to Joseph, begging for his forgiveness, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.”’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” When Joseph received their message, he wept.

Joseph’s heart broke because his brothers doubted his forgiveness and love for them. He had already assured them of his forgiveness, yet they still feared retribution. This story mirrors our relationship with God. When we doubt His promises of eternal security, it breaks His heart. Just as Joseph’s forgiveness was genuine and complete, so is God’s forgiveness through Christ.

God’s promise of eternal security is not based on our performance but on His unchanging love and the finished work of Christ.

For years I was on the treadmill of performance. I felt like I had to strive to perform in order to be accepted by God. But by God’s grace, I began to realize that my position in Christ is the only solid foundation for assurance of salvation.

When we trust in Christ, we are assured of our salvation, and nothing can separate us from His love. Let us rest in the objective facts of God’s Word and trust in His promises, knowing that we are eternally secure in Him. Miles Stanford put it this way: “Let the facts of your position overwhelm the feelings of your condition.”

Blessings,

Bob

* * *

The Quality of Faith Versus the Object of Faith

By George Cutting

How may I be sure that I have the right kind of faith?

Well, there can be but one answer to that question, namely, Have you confidence in the right Person?—that is, in the blessed Son of God?

It is not a question of the amount of your faith, but of the trustworthiness of the person you repose your confidence in. One man takes hold of Christ, as it were, with a drowning man’s grip; another but touches the hem of His garment; but the sinner who does the former is not a bit safer than the one who does the latter. They have both made the same discovery, namely: that while all of self is totally untrustworthy, they may safely confide in Christ, calmly rely on His word and confidently rest in the eternal efficacy of His finished work. That is what is meant by believing in HIM. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life" (John 6:47).

 

No Free Lunch!

Have you ever heard the saying, “There is no such thing as a free lunch”? Have you ever wondered where that saying comes from?

In the mid-19th century, American saloons had a clever way of attracting customers: they offered free lunches. These “free” meals typically consisted of salty foods like ham, cheese, and crackers—designed to make patrons thirsty and encourage them to buy more drinks at double or triple the cost of other saloons. While the lunch was “free,” the cost was hidden in the price of the drinks, leading to the popular phrase, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”

Today, people often use the term “free” when, in reality, what is being offered is not truly free. For instance, BOGO (buy one, get one free) is a popular marketing tactic used by stores to attract customers. But if you have to buy one to get the second one free, is it really free? It’s no wonder that when someone offers something for free, people become suspicious.

In contrast, when God offers the free gift of salvation, there are no strings attached. In Revelation 22:17, we read, “And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

The idea that salvation is a free gift is a doctrine known as Free Grace Theology. Some argue that the term “free grace” is redundant because, by definition, grace is inherently free. However, it can also be argued that, in a sense, the Apostle Paul coined this term. He effectively conveys the idea of free grace in his writings. In Romans 3:24, he says that those who have trusted Christ for salvation have been, “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Here, Paul underscores that justification—being made right with God—is a free gift of grace, not something we can achieve on our own.

In Romans 6:23, Paul writes that, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The use of “free gift” reinforces the idea that salvation is not something we can buy or earn; it is given to us freely by God’s grace. The term “free grace” emphasizes the nature of grace as a gift that cannot be earned or deserved. It serves as a reminder that God’s grace is given to us without any strings attached.

Blessings,

Bob

* * *

Keep the Gospel Clear

Keep the issue clear:

The issue is sin, and Who is going to forgive it.

Keep the direction clear:

It is from the Giver to the recipient. The gift of righteousness is given when you believe.

Keep the requirements clear:

It is salvation through FAITH.
There is nothing more!

―Dr. Charles Ryrie

What did Abel understand?

At this time of year, it’s good to pause and reflect on our many blessings. One of the things I’m very thankful for is the opportunity to serve with the Biblical Resource Group of Ethnos360. In addition to working on doctrinal papers for the mission, the Biblical Resource Group also responds to questions from our missionaries. An interesting question that came our way recently concerned the sacrifice of Abel in Genesis 4. Commenting on Abel’s offering, the writer of Hebrews noted: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous...” (Heb. 11:4).

It’s often said that hindsight is 20/20. From our perspective, we can see that many sacrifices in the Old Testament, including Abel’s, were foreshadows of what Christ would accomplish on the cross of Calvary. But did Abel understand what Christ would do at the cross, so far in the future from his own time? That was the question this missionary wanted us to answer.

Some assert that Old Testament saints looked forward to the cross in the same way we now look back to it. However, this simplistic perspective raises significant questions. Did they truly understand the person of Christ and the significance of His death on the cross?

Some theologians, who minimize distinctions in God’s Word, argue that salvation has always been identical in every era. They often assert that the conscious object of the faith of Old Testament saints was Christ Himself. For example, Charles Hodge wrote: “It was not mere faith or trust in God, or simple piety, which was required, but faith in the promised Redeemer… The covenant of grace, or plan of salvation, … has always had the same promise, the same Redeemer, and the same condition of membership, namely, faith in the Son of God as the Savior of the world.”

However, the New Testament paints a different picture. Acts 17:30 refers to the Old Testament era as “times of ignorance” compared to the greater revelation given in the New Testament. This suggests that Old Testament believers did not have a clear understanding of the person and work of Christ before the cross.

The understanding of the average Israelite concerning the Messiah during Jesus’ earthly ministry was quite limited. For instance, when Jesus spoke of His impending death, Peter rebuked Him. The disciples believed that Jesus was the Messiah but did not grasp that He would die. If they failed to see Messiah’s death when looking back at Isaiah 53, how could the average Old Testament saint have understood that Messiah would die?

Because of Calvary,

Bob

* * *

Astounding Facts about the Exodus

How many people were there?

According to Numbers 1:45-46 there were more than 600,000 fighting men. Add to that an equal number of women, plus an average of four children per family (remember, the Egyptians were afraid because the Israelites were multiplying so rapidly, Exodus 1:7-10), and the population looks like this:

Men..................... 600,000
Women............... 600,000
Children........... 2,400,000
Total................. 3,600,000

How long a column would that make?

Marching 50 abreast, it would stretch for 40 miles into the desert. At a modest pace of 2 ½ miles per hour, the people would require more than 16 hours to pass by the same point.

How much food and water did the people require?

Just to provide the minimum ration of food and water for the people (not including provisions for their animals) would take the equivalent of 30 boxcars of food and 300 tank cars of water every day of their 40 year journey.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. –Phil. 4:19

 

Interpreting God’s Word

With the arrival of November, we look forward to Thanksgiving. We certainly have much to be thankful for. I am grateful that I only have to endure those annoying campaign ads for a few more days. I am also thankful that of the three hurricanes which made landfall in Florida, only one affected us in Central Florida. Even though the eye of Hurricane Milton came close to us, we experienced no significant damage to our property. I am thankful that Milton spared my fall garden for the most part, though I did have to replace a couple of tomato plants. Finally, I am thankful that the end of November also marks the end of hurricane season here.

The Biblical Resource Group of Ethnos360 continues to produce doctrinal papers. Our latest paper is titled "Key Principles of Bible Interpretation." It has four main sections:

1.      Interpreting God's Word

2.      Viewing Israel and the Church

3.      Understanding God's Purposes in History

4.      Embracing the Freeness of God's Grace

The paper begins with the following purpose statement:

This paper will explore some key principles of Bible interpretation, an area of study known as hermeneutics. Hermeneutics provides the rules and principles that guide us in correctly interpreting the Bible. It acts as a bridge, connecting the world of the Bible with our own. A correct understanding of Scripture helps us apply God's Word to our lives today.

The Biblical Resource Group has produced 27 doctrinal papers covering various topics such as Salvation, Calvinism, End Times, Bible Interpretation, and Theistic Evolution. Several people outside of Ethnos360 have asked how they might get access to these papers. The original doctrinal papers contain information that is only pertinent to our missionaries. However, we recognize that these papers could be an invaluable resource to a broader audience. Therefore, we revised the papers to accommodate that broader audience and reposted the 27 papers on the website of Sanford Bible Church for all to access. The web link to those papers is: https://www.sanfordbiblechurch.org/Resources.

If you go to the main webpage of Sanford Bible Church, click on "Resources." Then click on "A Collection of Doctrinal Papers." We hope you find them helpful.

Because of Calvary,

Bob

* * *

Allegorical Interpretation

The faultiest style of teaching is to corrupt the meaning of scripture, and to drag its reluctant utterance to our own will, making scriptural mysteries out of our own imaginations.

–St. Jerome (347-420 A.D.)

 

Hurricane Report

Hurricane Helene recently made a significant impact on our region. This powerful storm has left a lasting mark on the communities in its path. Here are a few details about this storm:

• Landfall: Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Perry, Florida, at approximately 11:10 p.m. ET.
• Wind Speeds: The hurricane brought devastating winds of up to 140 mph, causing widespread damage.
• Size: At roughly 420 miles wide, Helene is one of the largest storms on record to strike the Gulf Coast.
• Storm Surge: Areas between Panama City and Tampa experienced dangerous storm surges, with water levels rising between 10 and 15 feet in some locations.
• Impact: The storm has resulted in at least 25 fatalities and left over 3.2 million people without power across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
  
  

Thankfully, the hurricane only had minimal impact where we live. Last night, we experienced tropical storm-force winds of around 33 mph, with one gust reaching about 58 mph. When I went to chapel this morning, I noticed lots of leaves and a few small branches on the ground, but there were no trees or large limbs down.

This is fall garden season in Central Florida. I have a number of tomato and pepper plants that I started not too long ago. Some of the tomato plants are about two to three feet tall and are supported by bamboo stakes. This morning, I noticed that the stakes were bent at an angle from the wind, but the plants suffered no damage.

Hurricane season in Florida officially runs from June 1 to November 30. The peak of the season typically occurs from mid-August to mid-October. Right now there are two hurricanes in the middle of the Atlantic. But neither one appeared to be a threat to us.

Because of Calvary,

Bob

* * *

Can You Sleep When the Wind Blows?

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. “Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!” The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Moral: When you’re prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.