Is Exclusivity The Unpardonable Sin, Part 2

Is Exclusivity “The Unpardonable Sin”?

Part 2, Spiritual Leavening

Chapter 24 Preview: Here is continuing unmistakable Biblical proof that simply belonging to a “sect” is quite literally “heresy”! Jesus’ harshest words were undeniably those directed toward the most obsessive religious ideology of His generation—exclusivist sects. Why does sectarian “doctrine” so often make people arrogant? Why are there so many sectarian “ministries”? And what is more important—stroking the egos of a hierarchy or the acquisition of their wealth and power? Jesus charged that these “hypocrites” greatly love public praise but have absolutely no concern for the spiritual well being of anyone!

Jesus “defined” “the leaven of the Pharisees” as hypocrisy and sectarian (heretical) doctrine. Of course Paul later made a symbolic distinction between “old leaven” and other leaven representing “wickedness”. Still, we should not overlook the fact that Jesus only singled out the two sins having to do with what a person says as being particularly noteworthy.

Luke 12:1 Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, He began to tell His disciples first of all, “Beware of the [leaven] of the Pharisees, WHICH IS HYPOCRISY”.WEB

Beware “the doctrine of the” popular sects!

Matthew 16:6 ... 12 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the ‘Sadducees’ [literally: ‘righteous’, I’d say self righteous].” 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread .... 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the DOCTRINE of the Pharisees and Sadducees. NKJV

Jesus told these puffed up airheads that it was their “fruits”—that is, their interpersonal behavior that mattered to God, rather than their heredity or race.

Matthew 3:7-9 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance! 9 Dont think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ [meaning “We are a superior race”!] for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. WEB

Purge out malicious wicked theology and replace it with “sincerity and truth”!

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. NKJV

(It should not go unnoticed that Paul said to celebrate “the feast” of Unleavened Bread.)

Colossians 2:18–23 Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the angels, [a then current sectarian fad] dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly PUFFED UP by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, [not just some sect] being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth. 20 If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to [sectarian] ordinances, 21 “Dont handle, nor taste, nor touch” 22 (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and DOCTRINES OF MEN? 23 Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but arentof any value against the indulgence of the flesh. WEB

Jesus said that righteousness is a prerequisite for entering the Kingdom of God! Righteousness is the positive sum of our words and deeds and thoughts.

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does [Yehovah’] require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? WEB

Most ministers convince people that they need the blessings of “the true church” to enter God’s Kingdom. People are led to believe that they cannot attain salvation without theocratic assistance. Yet the scripture says:

Philippians 2:12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. WEB

People believe that they must be dependent on supposed “ministers” to make their life decisions rather than to learn Godly principles so that they can mature. If a parent to child relationship is expected by a “minister” then realize that you really have a “master”. You should expect to be in charge of your own life. A true “minister” is your servant—not the other way around!

Matthew 20:25-27 But Jesus summoned them, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 27 Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant .... WEB

If you have a master other than Jesus ...

Many church groups try to complicate the simplicity of Jesus’ salvation so that people put their trust in a “minister” rather than in God himself. I know of a fine young man who at 23 years of age was “commanded” not to date a very gracious young woman because they both came from broken families! In essence the sins of the fathers were being blamed on the children. Both families attend the same corporate church. There are many far worse examples that could be cited but this one was “close to home”. The young man quite remorsefully broke off the relationship for several months before someone whom he respected greatly in the congregation mustered up the courage to explain to him that that “minister” had greatly overstepped his bounds and had become his master, rather than a “servant” or “slave”.

Symptoms of “ministers” trying to become your “masters” usually present themselves in the very names that they would have you call them!

They want to be called “Reverend”; yet that is what God is!

Psalms 111:9 He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever: holy and REVEREND is His name. KJV

Or they want to be called by a title that God reserved for Himself and your true parent.

Matthew 23:9 Call no man on the earth your FATHER, for one is your Father, He who is in heaven. WEB

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which [Yehovah] your God gives you. WEB

Or they insist that you use the very word from which “master” is deriver: “Mister” so and so.

Why not forget about revering men and simply become a “Saint” or a Disciple, by keeping God’s Ten Commandments?

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the SAINTS, THOSE WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of God, and the faith of Jesus. WEB

Yes, you can learn from others, but be certain that that person is not trying to replace God!

Fools in Hell?

If you indicate to someone, directly or otherwise, that they would be a fool (or any equivalent term) not to join your “church”—arentyou “in danger of hell fire”?

Matthew 5:20–22 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. WEB

The Church of Your Choice

By “simply” joining “the Church of your choice” you are essentially agreeing to be exclusivist! You are asserting that the Assembly of the Saints (if indeed they are) that you have chosen to fellowship with are distinctly better than other Saints whether by differences in teachings or form of church government or some other criteria. Why should we formalize and venerate divisiveness?

However, let me say right now that I am not opposed to someone fellowshipping with people in a sectarian group, so long as they dont pretend that they believe that that group is all there is of “the true church” or “the best church”, or the “Philadelphian church” etc. A friend said: “True Philadelphians dont go around calling themselves Philadelphians”!

You might be the best medicine for some few of them. Chances are tho, that they will eventually exclude you, at least to an extent, for not being exclusivist yourself!

Jesus only built one Assembly! It is not incorporated or patented or found in exclusivist clusters.

Matthew 16:18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. WEB

So when scripture mentions “the Church of God”, is it in reference to any existing humanly run organization? Actually, the Greek word translated as “church” is “ecclesia”, and it simply means any group of people—even a mob is an “ecclesia”. Only when ecclesia is associated or the words “of God” make “church” have any significance! So the “group of people of God” simply refers to anyone, anywhere, and at any time who is among those whom God has given His Holy Spirit. To deny true workings of the Holy Spirit in another commandment keeper who doesnthappen to fellowship with you is BLASPHEMY against the Holy Spirit!

Many do reluctantly “acknowledge” that there are some “second class” Saints in some of the “other groups”. To deny that would greatly discourage their “sheep” (i.e. maybe affecting their income) who have relatives in those groups. So when someone says, in essence, “My Holy Spirit is better than your Holy Spirit”, that person’s attitude is of Satan. Even Simon the Sorcerer acknowledged that he did not have that kind of Spirit!

Acts 8:18-20 Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me also this power, that whoever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! WEB

Divisions and Factions

The following scripture has been used as a club by corporate groups to force their members to believe only what they teach. We were informed, while Paul still walked the earth, to anticipate “divisions” among “the brethren” so that those who are “approved” by God could be recognized as different. The only way that we could possibly “all speak the same thing” is if we speak the things that Jesus spoke!

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no ‘divisions’ [literally: schisms] among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. WEB

Rather than view religious disagreements as a curse, we must learn to realize that they are a part of our spiritual boot camp and that the end result will be quite good. If our faith will not stand up to testing among people who are at least pretending to be Commandment keepers, how will it survive confrontations among those who openly despise God and righteousness? Unless someone is blatantly breaking the Commandments of God, there is no Biblical instruction to try to ostracize that person for having differing viewpoints.

James 1:3 ... knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. WEB

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. WEB

Paul cautioned us not to choose personal champions as “intercessors” between Jesus and ourselves. He specifically told us not to “choose up sides”. That is what “no divisions” means in this context.

Men “weed out” of “their” congregations people who try to challenge the thinking of even the smallest of details passed down to the peons from the spiritually “elect”. This type of exclusivity is what Jesus was describing in the following parable.

Matthew 13:24–30 He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds [or tares] also among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared also. 27 The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, didntyou sow good seed in your field? Where did this darnel come from?’ 28 “He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’ 29 “But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. WEB

This parable indicates that the good and the wicked are all mixed together—side by side, as is explained in the next few verses:

Matthew 13:37-40 He answered them, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the ‘darnel weeds’ are the children of the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age. WEB

Who are we to decide on who can or should be the members of the Assembly that Jesus built? Should you allow your name to be registered as a member of some “denomination” (literally “to name”), religious persuasion, faith, affiliation, faction, party, persuasion, cult or schism—or should your name simply be registered in heaven?

Hebrews 12:22-23 But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels, 23 to the general Assembly and Assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect… WEB

Casting out Demons

When a religious leader casts out demons or heals the sick, is that necessarily an indication that God is backing that individual, or might God be blessing a poor person despite their not seeing the hypocrisy of “their guy”? Notice in the next quote that Jesus did not deny that unconverted men had actually performed miracles in His name, which would have been an issue had it not been true!

Matthew 7:21–23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 ‘Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 ‘And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! NKJV

Were not even Pharisees successful in casting out demons at times?

Matthew 12:27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. WEB

A question that naturally arises is: Do these exclusivist organizations merely attract conceited people or do they cultivate Satanic attitudes? While we cant rule out that some begin their religious experience with a full complement of hypocrisy; we have Jesus’ proclamation that these groups are capable of making their “proselytes” into hellions!

Matthew 23:13–15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you dont enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of Gehenna as yourselves. WEB

Of all of the bad motivations that drove the Pharisees—their loyalty to the “corporation”—is one of the most revealing. They actually taught doing the things of God. I’d recommend reading all of Matthew 23 thru with today in mind, otherwise it will be of little value.

Paul also condemned the hypocrisy of the religious people of his generation. The fact that these people had not recognized that Jesus had been among them was nearly irrelevant because their hypocrisy had already condemned them:

Romans 2:17-24 Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth. 21 You therefore who teach another, dont you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldntsteal, do you steal? 22 You who say a man shouldntcommit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. WEB

Any sin that gets you thrown into the lake of fire would be an unpardonable sin. Of the “seven deadly sins” how many of them could be applied to the heresy of exclusivity? “Haughty eyes” [arrogant facial expressions] would certainly apply to exclusivity. If you attend a feast and people become quite aloof once they discover that you are “independent” then the “haughty eyes” seems to be a direct application. The middle seven can apply but the seventh deadly sin is a bulls eye: “he who sows discord among brothers”. Who is really sowing discord when a Commandment keeping Saint is shunned by a church?

Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things which [Yehovah] hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood; 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, 19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers. WEB

[Note that the Hebrew word translated as “discord” above means “strife” or “contention”, the first step toward sectarianism, division or hatred.]

Blasphemy against the spirit is when the works of God are condemned as evil. Whenever a Godly person is condemned solely for righteousness sake—how could that not be blasphemy?

Matthew 12:31-32 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come. WEB

Some scriptures are from the “New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.” “Bible text from the New King James Version® is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.”