Inclusion in Christ

1 sermons

Inclusion in Christ is a central theme in Christian theology, emphasizing the universal embrace of God's love and redemption through Jesus Christ. As stated in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," highlighting the equal access to salvation and spiritual unity that believers experience in Christ. This concept is further reinforced in Romans 8:28, which assures believers that "all things work together for good to them that love God," and in 2 Corinthians 5:17, which declares that "if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" Through faith in Christ, individuals from diverse backgrounds and circumstances are welcomed into a new community of believers, where they are valued, forgiven, and empowered to live a life of purpose and meaning.

The Jerusalem Controversy

George Warnock

George Warnock addresses the Jerusalem Council's pivotal decision regarding the inclusion of Gentiles into the faith, emphasizing that salvation is available to all, regardless of their background. He highlights that early Judaism recognized the validity of Gentiles who embraced the covenant, citing

Amos 9:11

“"In that day I will restore the fallen tent of David. I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear My name," declares the LORD, who will do this.”

Psalms 89:35

“Once and for all I have sworn by My holiness-- I will not lie to David-- his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne before Me like the sun, like the moon, established forever, a faithful witness in the sky." Selah Now, however, You have spurned and rejected him; You are enraged by Your anointed one. You have renounced the covenant with Your servant and sullied his crown in the dust. You have broken down all his walls; You have reduced his strongholds to rubble. All who pass by plunder him; he has become a reproach to his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his foes; You have made all his enemies rejoice. You have bent the edge of his sword and have not sustained him in battle. You have ended his splendor and cast his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath keep burning like fire? Remember the briefness of my lifespan! For what futility You have created all men! What man can live and never see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah Where, O Lord, is Your loving devotion of old, which You faithfully swore to David?”

Luke 1:31

“Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!"”

Ezekiel 17:22

“This is what the Lord GOD says: 'I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches. Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.'"”

Jeremiah 12:15

“But after I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land.”