Who Do You Want At Your Party?

If you were going to throw a big party, who would you invite? Would you be very selective, sort of selective, or would you invite any and everyone? Would you invite those who are dying, those who disagree with everything, narcissists, or ‘extra grace required people’? My guess is that you would at least be sort of selective, but…

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, especially in the Beatitudes, appears to invite any and all to be in the kingdom of God. But was He really? He also said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV) Doesn’t that restrict the invitation to be only to those who believe in Him? Why did He say to the same crowd, “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven”? Matthew 5:20 (NLT2) He also said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 (NIV), as well as, “For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:14 (ESV)

Jesus’ invitation was for a particular group of ‘whosoever’ (John 3:16), making Him both exclusive and inclusive. I find it very interesting that Jesus didn’t tell people what to do as much as He laid before the people the most generous invitation to enjoy abundant life and left it up to each person to decide if they really wanted it. He predestines all those who choose His way to become like Jesus. (Romans 8:29) He doesn’t tell each person what he or she must choose to do. That is how much He loves ‘free will’. He ‘puts the invitation on the table’ to leave or pick up.

It is also very interesting that it is humans, even so-called ‘believers’, who tell others what they must believe and condemn them if they don’t see it their way. Isn’t that a form of mind control when we leverage condemnation or judging others to coerce people to do what they want done, even to become a Christ follower. Does that show respect to whoever you are telling them what they need to do? Do you value and respect their right to decide what they want to do? When you invite them to be saved, or do you value only what you believe to be true.

This door swings two ways.

Someone said, I already know more of what the Bible says than I practice. Knowing is not the same as doing. The sign above my office quotes Benjamin Franklin’s, ‘Well done is better than well said.’ How is it that we can condemn those who choose to continue to live a destructive lifestyle when they know better, when we know so much more than we practice? Could it be that is why Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? Matthew 7:1-4 (ESV)

I am SO, GRATEFUL for God’s mercy!! Aren’t you? But I must remember,  you must as well, that His mercy is selective too. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (ESV) Who ends up coming to Him is not based on His invitation; it is based on how the person invited responds to His invitation.  We must respect them enough to accept their decision. We can’t cherry-pick just the verses that make us feel good. We must look at the bigger picture in God’s Word.

Share