Let's Not Whittle On God's “End Of The Stick”
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesSeveral times in my life, querists have asked me, “If an individual dies on their way to the baptistry, will they be lost?” If we were to say to the querist, “the individual is lost,” we often play into the hands of a prejudiced individual who wants such a reply as justification for rejecting, “those church of Christ people who think they’re the only ones going to heaven!”
If we say, “the individual is saved,” the same prejudiced person may think this is justification for “faith only” or some other false teaching. It’s far better to take the discussion back to the Scriptures, and make it clear that this is all we (or anyone else) can know about God’s business (John 5:39; Acts 17:11).
My answer to the querists who ask the above question, has always been the same. We have no right to “whittle on God’s end of the stick!” (Don’t get into God’s area of responsibility!). The truth is, God has promised remission of sins at the point of genuine submission to Christ in baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-7).
As God’s people, we have no part in setting up the rules, nor in making final judgments. That’s God’s jurisdiction, and thus His “end of the stick.” All we can do, is teach what God’s word says, trusting in the power of His word (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18) to generate in the hearer an obedient faith (Romans 6:17; Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 1:22).
It is presumptuous to assume that man can make exceptions, or do a better job of judging than God (cf. (Romans 2:2-5; Isaiah 65:1-7). We are completely “out of our league” in such matters. One preacher was heard to say, regarding the judging of anothers motives, “I’m in sales, not management” (and rightly so!).
The same attitude must be taken toward questions about sinning and dying before one can recognize, repent, and ask forgiveness for sins. Our “end of the stick” calls for a present active “walking in the light,” involving a present active confessing of our sins (1 John 1:7-9). The grammatical construction, as well as the general context, point to a habitual course of conduct; as in 1 John 3:5-9. Contingent upon this, God promises the blood of Christ “cleanseth (present active – continual cleansing) us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Only God can judge the validity of one’s baptism, and only God can judge the validity of one’s life (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Kings 8:38-39; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 7:9; Jeremiah 11:20; Jeremiah 17:10; Acts 1:24). We must not try to whittle on His “end of the stick.”
It seems significant, that in the very middle of these inspired statements, John says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). This means that Christians can be lost in sin if we are not willing to confess those sins, allowing the blood of Christ “to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7; 1 John 1:9).
There are times when, on the basis of one’s actions (“fruits” – Matthew 7:15-20; cf. Matthew 23:1-5a), we must judge one’s life – to determine those with whom we can have the kind of fellowship inherent in congregational activities (cf. Acts 19:1-5, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13). There is no way, nor reason, to avoid such judgments. But there is every reason to strive for “righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
Those judgments can only be properly rendered by the righteous standard of God’s word (Psalm 119:142; Psalm 119:144; Psalm 119:151; Psalm 119:172; cf. Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:25). Because we are unable to know the motives of men, we may reject one whom God receives, or receive one whom God rejects.
Final and irrevocable judgment is God’s “end of the stick,” and we must not try to “whittle on His end.” Remembering this, should keep us humble while rendering such required and necessary judgments (1 Corinthians 6:1-5).