What is God’s perspective on inclusion?
We are trying to construct a more inclusive society. We are going to make a country in which no one is left out.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
It seems a day doesn’t pass when I don’t receive emails or read articles espousing the merits of inclusiveness. Often, these appear under the rubric “diversity, equity and inclusion,” a concept regularly hailed for its virtues by many in academia, business, the professions and government.
In my view, there needs to be a more robust debate concerning the merits of “diversity, equity and inclusion” in the context of its definition, practical application and cost. While each of these three words has emerged in the public lexicon as a result of real or perceived social concerns, a rigid implementation of this concept in the workplace can have counterproductive entailments.
While I may address “diversity, equity and inclusion” in future, a recent message from my pastor prompted me to comment on God’s perspective on inclusion. Specifically, let’s consider the following question. If inclusion is an obvious and universal good as per the opening quote, why would a good God who loves everyone (John 3:16) not include everyone in His family? After all, many today assert that people are essentially good, misbehavior notwithstanding. Surely, being as big-hearted and loving as He is, God should/would overlook our (minor) foibles?
This belief in basic human goodness reminds me of a startling revelation I had at age five. While unable to recall the catalyst, I clearly remember receiving it while playing in the recreation room of our home in Vancouver. In that moment, I suddenly realized that all I had to do to make things right with everyone including (my conception of) God was to be perfectly good all the time. Simple, right? As you might have guessed, I abandoned my impossible goal of attaining perfect goodness within an hour!
The problem everyone faces is God’s perfection including His justice and His holiness. From my book “More Than Your Business Card,” Holy means “exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.” When applied to the God of the Bible, the word holy is a weak container for expressing its full meaning. According to [A.W.] Tozer, “We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible, and unattainable.” Because of His holiness, God cannot abide the very presence of evil.
Happily for us, God solved this “holiness gap” by satisfying the seemingly contradictory demands of love, justice, and holiness through the birth, sinless life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. Everyone who accepts his selfless act of atonement for their misdeeds will have God’s righteousness imputed to them. By bridging the “holiness gap,” God thereby adopts everyone into His family provided they receive His sacrifice by repenting and surrendering to Him. Those who decide to continue living autonomously rather than accepting in a heartfelt way what Jesus has done for them will be excluded, since their lack of righteousness precludes their spending eternity with holy God.
How often in 2022 have you shared with others about the problem of our separation from God and His solution to bridging the gap?
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
