Friday’s study with sisters… the limitation of animal sacrifice… and the ultimate perfect sacrifice of Jesus… the Lamb of God… who makes all things new… has me considering what it means… to exclude others from the New Testament church…
Are we slighting His perfect sacrifice… when we either corporately or individually… see others as unwelcome…? not worthy…? based on their past…? their present…? their countenance…? appearance…? smell…?
He came to make all things clean… so who are we to decide who can come seeking His grace…? His mercy…?
“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
Acts 10:15 NIV
There are those brothers and sisters in Christ who live outside His Word… choose sin over obedience… and He calls us to confront them in love…
If they don’t repent… we are to exclude them from fellowship… corporately and individually… that they might see the error in their life…
But for those seeking… gathering… with hearts set on Him… can we really exclude…? because of tradition…? doctrine of men…? or personal offensiveness…? prejudice…?
Slighting the power of the blood of Christ… to make all things new… seems a dangerous thing…
Not a place I want to go… makes me pause… at my initial reaction… to those who enter worship…
I would much rather err on the side of grace… than judgment…
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 2:13 ESV
[Featured Image Photo seen on blog site by Nadia Supertino on Unsplash]
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