Part 10 - Matthew 12:24-30 - GOD, YOU ARE SO NARROW MINDED AND INFLEXIBLE!
There's a fictional story of the soldier in the American civil war who did not want to fight with anyone. In an attempt to remain NEUTRAL, he dressed in Union pants and a Confederate jacket. Unfortunately BOTH SIDES shot at him.
Jesus says "Anyone who isn't WITH Me OPPOSES Me, and anyone who isn't working WITH Me is actually working AGAINST Me"(Matthew 12:30 NLT). There is no room for COMPROMISE or equivocation here. When Jesus says in John 14:6 (NLT) "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me", He means it! No other way! No other truth! No other life! At first glance this is such an exclusive, elite, INFLEXIBLE kind of statement.
No wonder people see Christians as uncaring when they hear these words used like a sledge hammer against any OTHER RELIGION or against anyone who does not believe in Christ. It implies that God is UNLOVING and rigidly bent on sending people to hell.
If God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), why won't He accept those who don't believe in Jesus alone? What about BUDDHISM? What about HINDUISM? What about ISLAM? What about OTHER RELIGIONS? Half the world doesn't want anything to do with Christ? Isn't God rather ARROGANT AND EXCLUSIVE? Narrow minded! WHAT IS JESUS SAYING HERE?
On examination of the Bible, Jesus statement is not emphasising EXCLUSIVISM so much as it is defining a REALITY. God so LOVED the world that He has to tell us that there is NO-ONE ELSE there to SAVE us! (see John 3:16). He is saying "I love you and I came to pay the price of sin for you personally so you could experience God's love." No-one else did that. No-one else will do that! No-one else could! No other gods are real! BUDDHA didn't come to save us. MOHAMMED didn't come to die for us or come back to life for us. SUICIDE BOMBERS don't die to save us but to kill us.
All the founders of modern day religions are either dead themselves or they are non-existent. The only good thing about all religions is that they are an attempt by us to reach out to God but they will not save us. At best they will lead us to Jesus. At worst they will distract us from the only rescue mission that we have available.
Jesus found a way for you and me to come back to God and enter into relationship with Him. It wasn't going to happen unless He came and died for us! Jesus is saying, "There is NO OTHER way, truth or life. Life is found in Me. Love is found in Me. The truth is that without Me, you are LOST!"
He draws a line in the sand. There is no SYNCRETISM with Jesus. No room for DOUBLEMINDEDNESS. Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile opposing beliefs by combining and merging different traditions and beliefs in "a great big melting pot" to have them come out in all pretty rainbow colours of equal proportion.
Jesus is saying in effect, "Make up your mind about Me, one way or another. Respond to Me! Stop vacillating!" And He loves you enough to give you a choice. As Joshua said of old "... CHOOSE today whom you will serve. ... But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15 NLT)
In 1 Kings 18:21 (NLT) Elijah said, "How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent." Jesus doesn't want us to remain dumb about what we believe.
When Jesus heals a demon possessed man, Jesus makes it clear that He is stronger than Satan, not on equal in terms of power and status. He says "the Kingdom of God has arrived" (Matthew 12:26-30). He is not only speaking of His heavenly kingdom (Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven) but of His authority as a King to rule over my life today and always. He is speaking of His victorious power over sin and Satan. And He is speaking of His love for us because there is no other kingdom of God in which we can trust in order to be saved.
God bless you Church as you refuse to compromise concerning your trust in Jesus Christ alone as your Lord and Saviour. Allow heaven's authority to be a reality in your life and experience Christ's love for you today. In Him God launched the only rescue mission that will ever be able to save you from your sin.
Pastor Ross
