There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Our God Is Exclusionary

In the spirit of compromise, men will find ways to agree to unite under one flag of acceptance of all types of gods, faiths, religions, and dogmas. The language will be used like “coexist” or “unified with diversity” and acceptance across the board that all men believe in the same God but call Him by different names. This allows the Jew, Moslem, Buddhist, Catholic, atheist, Taoist and every known form of religion to share the same world stage of acceptance. It is considered anti-religious to criticize another man’s religion. This is especially true within the confines of the Christian religion made up of over a thousand different kinds of faiths and churches bearing as many names as cereal boxes in a grocery store. Again, in the spirit of religious détente, all men seek to dwell together as one speaking the same language with the same god. In reality, an examination of the Bible will reveal the author of the book declared an exclusionary faith that eliminates all other religions and attempts by men to recreate the church of Christ defined by the New Testament covenant of grace. It is difficult to accept the teachings of those who deny Jesus is the Son of God in light of scripture. The Jews, Moslems, Buddhist, and Taoist do not accept that Jesus of Nazareth was the divine Son of God. Without this fundamental faith, Jesus said no man can be saved. An atheist does not believe in God so he has no use for the Bible.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, writes there is only one body which he earlier had described as the church. In a world filled with thousands of different kinds of churches, the word of Paul seems to fade into insignificance. Jesus did not come to earth so that men could choose the church of their choice or worship as they seemed fitting. The Lord came to die for one body which is His Bride the one church. There is only one church and that church is not defined by the dogmas of men. That one church is declared on the pages of the New Testament. God is exclusionary about the church. The apostle further states there is only one Spirit showing the unity of the Godhead as there is only one Holy Spirit. Many religions deny the existence of the Holy Spirit as a personal being like God the Father and Christ the Son but there is one Holy Spirit and the Bible is the manifestation of His eternal nature and character. Religions of the world offer men many different hopes through the teachings of their beliefs but Paul said the only hope of eternal value is found in the one hope of the one God. Calling on the name of the Lord is the only hope a man can have. There is no hope in the Mosaical law, dogmas of Catholicism, teachings of Confucius or Buddha or Muhammad or churches established by men in the last five hundred years. God is exclusionary when it comes to the Holy Spirit and eternal hope.

When a religion denies that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, there can be no hope and no promise of eternal life. Jesus Himself declared He was the only way, the only truth, and the only life and no man could come to the Father but by Him. If all men are united under a flag of compromise they have to exclude Jesus from the circle because He teachings all others are false. Paul writes there is one Lord and one faith because there is only one Lord and there is only one faith. Coexistence is impossible because Jesus said it was impossible. The fundamental truth of eternal salvation is predicated upon the knowledge that Jesus rose from the dead and sits at the right hand of the Father. His tomb is empty and has been for two thousand years. All the tombs of the Popes are still filled along with the burial place of Muhammed, Buddha, Confucius, Martin Luther, Joseph Smith and every author of religious division. God is exclusive when it comes to His Son Jesus Christ and the faith of the gospel. There is only one baptism because there is only one way a man can have his sins washed away. This is particularly difficult for many who believe in Jesus as the Christ to accept the necessity of baptism. The reason there is only one baptism is that there is only one door into salvation. Without the waters of baptism washing away sins, there is no hope and promise. And who declared the exclusionary nature of eternal life? The one God and Lord of all who bears His holy name as one to be revered as the only God and the only truth and the only hope of Heaven. God is very exclusionary because He is the only God. The Bible is the only body of truth given to men. It declares ONE GOD!