Exclusivity of the Gospel

Michael Green reminds us about the either/or nature of the gospel, using biblical descriptions that paint a contrast

We are either

• members of the kingdom, or outside its gates.
• reconciled to God, or rebels
• Lost or Found
• Invited to the wedding feast or left in outer darkness
• Building lives upon the rock or shifting sand.
• For Him or Against Him
• Sheep or Goats
• In the barn, or on the bonfire.
• on the Narrow way, or on the broad way.

That list of images shows that there is little middle ground, if any.  In considering our relationship to the Kingdom of God, we are either in it, or out of it.  As Christians, we can’t be both.  People who are not yet Christ followers are not both.

The list of metaphors is clear.  Perhaps we need to be reminded of people’s need for Christ to transfer them, as Paul writes in Colossians, from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of the beloved son.  Perhaps we need to remember what we Christians have been saved from.

People without Christ are

• Without hope in the world (Ephesians 2.12)
• Without God.
• Ignorant of God’s righteousness (Romans 10.3)
• Blinded to truth.

Let me ask you this?

When was the last time you thanked God for your salvation?  When was the last time you pondered what you once were or could have been if it wasn’t for God’s grace that saves you?