How Truth Excludes
Mike Willis
Mooresville, Indiana
Inasmuch as some have become disenchanted with our "narrow-minded, exclusive sect which thinks that they constitute the only saved people in the world," I think it might be good for us to remember or reconsider, whichever might be the case, how we became so narrow-minded. The entire basis on which we have stood in the past has been that truth demanded it. We have also noted that truth is exclusive in nature when we have preached in the past. To illustrate exactly what that means, let us consider these facts. Heb. 11:6 states, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." If this statement means anything, it means that those who are atheists are lost. Let the circle below represent all of the world. The shaded area represents those of atheistic persuasion of the world, including the millions in the communistic countries, who are lost.
Those following Ketcherside have broadened the circle of the saved in several ways. They included in their concept of the saved those who have perverted the worship and the work of the church as well as those who have perverted the purpose and action of baptism. Still they are legalistic.' They legalistically believe in something which they call baptism, excluding from their concept of salvation and fellowship those who do not receive it. (It is not Bible baptism since they have asserted that a person does not need to know the purpose of his baptism to make it valid.) They legalistically exclude from the saved all atheists and Jews. How such men can criticize others for legalism when they legalistically hold these beliefs and can consider themselves consistent while doing it is beyond my comprehension. I suggest that before anyone adopts the belief that we have been "narrow-minded, exclusive and sectarian," becomes enamored with the Ketcherside unity position, and begins preaching it, he seriously consider the exclusive nature of truth. Somewhere down the line every man will become legalistic or else he is logically to accept the doctrine of universalism. Truth Magazine, XVIII:4, p. 9-10 |