Include, exclude or occlude.

I have a choice to make relative to every other human with which I will interact in life and that choice is whether I should include, exclude or occlude them with regard to my ministry about Jesus and His family. The first two I routinely am cognizant of engaging in: inclusion and exclusion. It usually goes something like this: I like that person or they have shown some interest in my testimony so I will include them in my outreach. Similarly, there are others, I am ashamed to admit, that I have decided to exclude from an effort to reach. The excuses are pitiful and readily supplied and eagerly adopted by me: they're too poor, dirty, smelly, crazy, disinterested, worldly, misguided, criminal, famous, rich, ignorant, oriental, Arabic, Hispanic, young, old, etc., for me to reach out to. Even after almost forty years of claiming to live for Jesus, I still have to fight the fight of exclusion every single day! I am grateful that as I have grown older in the Lord and in years that I have been able to greatly disable Satan in the arena of exclusion -- but he continues to renew his efforts every single day and so I continue to fight every single day against being exclusionary. The church is not an exclusive club, as the world defines exclusivity. It is a place where all men are welcome because it is sin, mankind's, least common denominator, that qualifies one for entrance into the club. Exclusive? Hardly.

But it is occlusion that is most problematic. Here is a brief definition:obstruct: block passage through; "obstruct the path"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn. Because we have chosen to extend our authority beyond that of a simple farmhand sowing seed, we feel that it is alright for us to undertake to obstruct the entry into Christ of those we deem lacking or undeserving, those for whom WE see no hope. I recently was approached by a sweet person who was in tears because a relative had expressed to the leaders of a church that he wanted to be saved. He was told that he would have to complete a questionnaire and an interview with the church leaders before he would be "allowed" to have Jesus as his savior. The problem? In this case he had been married, divorced and subsequently had married again.

Now do not misunderstand me. Divorce is bad medicine. God hates it. But is it a sin that has more power than the Blood of Jesus? Does Satan, in this one area, have freedom to lay claim to a greater measure of power than that of the cross? I would think a long time before I would make such a brash statement as that!

Paul observed that the Gospel is impediment enough to the sinner and that we should not add our own list of encumbrances  upon the spiritual backs of those who want to escape the cruel grasp of sin and begin looking toward the prize of Jesus' heavenly call. I personally know ministers who, before immersing an individual, will determine whether or not that person's marital status is in keeping with their interpretation of the scripture. If it isn't they will refuse to perform the act of baptism, very effectively occluding the path to salvation, Jesus.

Is it not enough that a person commit to changing the way they live, think, talk, associate, act . . . all of which the Gospel requires, without me or any other man placing yet another, often insurmountable, hurdle before them? Jesus, though He sought relief, knew what He had to do. He had to go to Calvary. Who am I to pile on additional requirements: I haven't died to save anyone!

Inclusion is the best scenario and must become our nature. Exclusion is our nature, but we can and must overcome it. Occlusion is an insidious device which Satan uses through us to just simply make it too hard for people to get to Jesus. Occlusion releases me from the guilt of the  sin of exclusion. Occlusion makes bigotry appear logical and even, in some instances, righteous. Suffice it to say that anything I am doing of my own will that makes it more difficult for a sinner to become a saint is going to pain me severely in the final analysis and the unwavering light of judgment. Be careful, my friends, be very, very careful.