KINGDOM EXCLUSION
More and more believers are coming into an awareness, that there is ‘something more’ to their salvation than just believing in Jesus Christ and be ‘saved’ and it all ends there. It cannot be to just get into the denomination of your choice and keep the organization going and wait until the Lord return. Some have become empty and dry having gone over the same familiar territories time after time and spiritual stagnation has set in, as a matter of fact some have even fallen into complacency/sin.
The Scriptures clearly teach that every man will one day give account for the deeds done in this life, but more important than all is that a Holy God will at the Judgment Seat reward every Christian according to his works whether they be good or bad. For too long we have glossed over the fact that the Judgment Seat which is a judgment for Christians, will be prosided over by a Holy God over Christians for their good as well as bad works.
2 Cor 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad .
KJV
I would like to draw two things to your attention here; first, the apostle Paul includes himself by the use of the word “we”, and second, a Holy God cannot give good rewards for bad works.
I have had many believers, including pastors sharing with me that this awareness has added power to their preaching and awakened carnal, casual, and even careless Christians to godly living. Kingdom exclusion teaches that carnal Christians, because of lack of dedication, will be “killed by the Lord’s fiery breath” at the judgment seat of Christ.
Heb 10:26-27
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
KJV
There are of course different positions taken by those of us who hold to the “Doctrine of Accountability,” ranging from – believing that the Christian’s whose works fail the test of fire, and as a result suffer loss; will not enter the marriage feast but be put out of the ‘banquet hall’ in the darkness where there is no light (Matt. 22:11-14). Some believe that the unprepared Christian will be shut out of the kingdom altogether. Paul the Apostle told the Christians at Ephesus (Eph. 5:5), “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” I don’t need to take time to prove that Paul was speaking to Christians, but I will! The first two verses are obvious that he is writing to Christians and then in verse three he writes, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.” He adds in verse 4, “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”
Then there is also the belief that those that do not make it in the kingdom will spend the thousand year of Millennium in Hell. They are the ones whose names will be found in the book of life (Rev. 20:15), whose tears will be wiped away in (Rev. 21:4).
Now, let’s look at the biblical support or lack thereof for Kingdom Exclusion. George Dollar said, “He’s [God] going to send all of the wicked, lazy unprofitable Christians…to outer darkness for one thousand years and there shall be gnashing of teeth.” Some preachers of Kingdom Exclusion believe that outer darkness is the heart of the earth while others such as Tony Evans believe it is a “lesser status in God’s kingdom.”
More and more believers are coming into an awareness, that there is ‘something more’ to their salvation than just believing in Jesus Christ and be ‘saved’ and it all ends there. It cannot be to just get into the denomination of your choice and keep the organization going and wait until the Lord return. Some have become empty and dry having gone over the same familiar territories time after time and spiritual stagnation has set in, as a matter of fact some have even fallen into complacency/sin.
The Scriptures clearly teach that every man will one day give account for the deeds done in this life, but more important than all is that a Holy God will at the Judgment Seat reward every Christian according to his works whether they be good or bad. For too long we have glossed over the fact that the Judgment Seat which is a judgment for Christians, will be prosided over by a Holy God over Christians for their good as well as bad works.
2 Cor 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad .
KJV
I would like to draw two things to your attention here; first, the apostle Paul includes himself by the use of the word “we”, and second, a Holy God cannot give good rewards for bad works.
I have had many believers, including pastors sharing with me that this awareness has added power to their preaching and awakened carnal, casual, and even careless Christians to godly living. Kingdom exclusion teaches that carnal Christians, because of lack of dedication, will be “killed by the Lord’s fiery breath” at the judgment seat of Christ.
Heb 10:26-27
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
KJV
There are of course different positions taken by those of us who hold to the “Doctrine of Accountability,” ranging from – believing that the Christian’s whose works fail the test of fire, and as a result suffer loss; will not enter the marriage feast but be put out of the ‘banquet hall’ in the darkness where there is no light (Matt. 22:11-14). Some believe that the unprepared Christian will be shut out of the kingdom altogether. Paul the Apostle told the Christians at Ephesus (Eph. 5:5), “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” I don’t need to take time to prove that Paul was speaking to Christians, but I will! The first two verses are obvious that he is writing to Christians and then in verse three he writes, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.” He adds in verse 4, “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”
Then there is also the belief that those that do not make it in the kingdom will spend the thousand year of Millennium in Hell. They are the ones whose names will be found in the book of life (Rev. 20:15), whose tears will be wiped away in (Rev. 21:4).
Now, let’s look at the biblical support or lack thereof for Kingdom Exclusion. George Dollar said, “He’s [God] going to send all of the wicked, lazy unprofitable Christians…to outer darkness for one thousand years and there shall be gnashing of teeth.” Some preachers of Kingdom Exclusion believe that outer darkness is the heart of the earth while others such as Tony Evans believe it is a “lesser status in God’s kingdom.”
Are there born-again members of our churches who are covetous? Then they will not have “any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ.” No reasonable believer believes Paul was speaking of going to Heaven, so he must be speaking of another place; could it be the Millennial Kingdom? Getting to Heaven depends on God being faithful to His Word but it seems that getting into the Kingdom depends on our fruitfulness. Getting to Heaven is a gift of God through faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8). The Kingdom seems to be a prize or reward for faithfulness (Phil. 3:14).
I Cor. 6:9-10 clearly states: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Is Paul saying that no covetous person or reviler will go to Heaven? No, Heaven is not in this discussion. He seems to be saying that carnal Christians will not be in the Kingdom.
There is no question among reasonable people that there will be degrees of position in the Kingdom. We hear preachers talk about faithful believers being “mayor” of large cities while others will only be “mayor” of small towns during the Kingdom reign. Luke 12:42-44 seems to teach that principle clearly. During the Millennium, many preachers who lord it over others and insist on always being called, “Rev.”, “Dr.,” "Bishop", or even “Pastor” could end up in a ‘lowly’ position in the kingdom, working under a Governor who was one of their lowly but faithful members! I don’t know anyone who teaches that every Christian will be a major ruler during the Millennium; after all, most Christian men cannot even rule their own households in this dispensation.
Luke 12:46-48 teaches that Christians will be held accountable for unfaithfulness. “The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, [cut him off] and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes [note, they both will be beaten]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Again, degrees of accountability are taught.
In Matt. 25:30, Christ warns about the unprofitable servant who buried his talent and when the lord returned on the accounting day, he had not invested the money and he was cast out. Christ said, “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The unprofitable servant will be cast into “outer darkness.” This is obviously not a good reward! And the term “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is too strong for someone that is just out in the dark and not allowed in the light.
Paul reminds us in Romans 8:17, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” There is no question that Paul is speaking to saved people here but not all saved people will be “joint-heirs” unless they “suffer” with Him. It’s a good thing to suffer then for Christ.
As saints, our position and future are secure, settled, and set; however, as servants we will be held accountable for our training, knowledge, skills, opportunities, and general faithfulness. Christ said in Luke 12:48, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” If it is scriptural to be excluded from your local Assembly for an unfruitful, ungodly, and unbiblical life, then is it unreasonable to be excluded from the Kingdom reign for those sins?
Furthermore, in Gal. 5:20, Paul warns, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Not only will murderers, drunkards, adulterers, not “inherit the kingdom of God” but also those who are unclean, angry, and full of strife.
Some famous Fundamentalists many of whom are Baptists, have taught Kingdom Exclusion to some degree or other. Men such as George W. Dollar; Tony Evans; Charles Stanley; Robert Ketchum (one of the founders of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches); Watchman Nee, famous author and Christian apologist who spent 20 years in a Chinese (Red) prison; Missionary/pastor Oswald. J. Smith; A.W. Tozer; Paul Rader; George Henry Lang; R.E. Neighbour; William Henry Griffith Thomas; Isaac Massey Haldeman; George Hawkins Pember; and J. Hudson Taylor. It might be worth our consideration and study not just because these famous, even great men believed in some form of Kingdom Exclusion, but the Bible teaches it.
Let us like the saints at Berea, search the Scriptures to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11).
The preachers who are appalled at the ungodly, undedicated, uncommitted lifestyle of some of their members in Churches that are seriously seeking the Lord and are preaching against such corruption are to be commended, (as that number is becoming quite few), not criticized. Therefore, whatever the position one takes on Kingdom Exclusion, I stand with them in condemnation of the astounding worldliness in our Churches. The faith, if we are going to be faithful; demands that we live a holy and fruitful life.
The preachers who are appalled at the ungodly, undedicated, uncommitted lifestyle of some of their members in Churches that are seriously seeking the Lord and are preaching against such corruption are to be commended, (as that number is becoming quite few), not criticized. Therefore, whatever the position one takes on Kingdom Exclusion, I stand with them in condemnation of the astounding worldliness in our Churches. The faith, if we are going to be faithful; demands that we live a holy and fruitful life.
Back in the days of the early Church, Polycarp (martyred 155 A.D.) taught Kingdom Exclusion, and Tertullian (died 240 A.D.) believed that unfruitful Christians would spend time in Hell. Cyprian (died 258 A.D.) Bishop of Carthage believed, as did others, that martyrs would be the only ones raised in the first resurrection or in a “prior” resurrection while all other Christians (who did not suffer and die as martyrs) would be excluded from the Millennium.
The Bible clearly states that it is our call to “seek the kingdom:”
Matt 6:33
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
KJV
Matt 6:33
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
KJV
Dear friends, if you believe in Kingdom Exclusion, and it is not really taught in the Scriptures; you have nothing to loose, but if you don’t and it is taught, you could well suffer loss and even be excluded from that soon coming Kingdom of God.
2 comments:
Thank you, sir, for the well written article on Kingdom Exclusion. I was completely unaware of these truths prior to 2008 and have since been ever so grateful to the Lord for continuing to graciously bring others (like yourself) who teach and hold to these truths.
Blessings,
Curtis
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