Have you ever thought about the powerful inclusive nature of Christ versus the powerless nature of the divisive world that we live in? We were recently faced with a local club membership situation that surreptitiously excludes certain people from their membership. Our reaction to that was that we did not want to be part of anything that wasn’t whosoever in its’ policies and practices.
The scriptures tell us that, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). There is so much power and truth in those few words. First, it says whosoever. That includes everyone. It does not exclude anyone due to their gender, skin color, nationality, political party, financial status, religion, age, weight, eye color, number or type of sins committed, or anything else we use to separate and exclude people from our circles of influence. You can not be good enough to qualify or bad enough to be disqualified. In fact, the Lord specializes in taking the foolish things of the world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). He is famous for taking a person like Paul, that persecuted Christians, and using him to write two-thirds of the New Testament. His power is perfected in our weaknesses.
Secondly, the scripture in Romans 10:13 has only one qualification for belonging to this “Whosoever Club”. It says, “whosoever shall call“. The membership requirement is that you must call. Your grandparents, parents, relatives or anyone else cannot call for you. Over and over again in the Bible the scriptures tell us that we need to seek, knock, ask, hunger and thirst after, if we want to find, have doors opened, or be filled. It is a personal choice and action on our part. It is a heart and faith issue. God lays before each of us life and death but we still have to choose life. We have to show a sincere desire to want a relationship with the Lord. We have worked with many addicted people over the years and the bottom line is that they have to want to be set free. No good drug/alcohol program will accept any addict into their program unless that person wants to be set free. It’s a waste of time. The definition of “whosoever” in one on-line dictionary is “anyone that wants it”. It is that simple and yet that profound.
Thirdly, the scripture in Romans 10:13 says that the benefits of belonging to this “Whosoever Club” is that you “shall be saved”. Most people do not have a clue what that includes. Most people associate the word “saved” as pertaining to going to Heaven and escaping Hell only. It does include that but that word means so much more! The Greek word interpreted as “saved” in Romans 10:13 is “sozo”. The definition of sozo is to save, to deliver, to protect, to heal, to preserve, to do well, and to make whole. Anybody out there need any of those supernatural benefits? I know I do and I thank God every day that His Word came alive in me in April 1982 when I realized I was a whosoever that needed a savior.
If you are not a member of the “Whosoever Club” we invite you to read Romans 10:8-13 and just join by the confessions (words)out of your mouth. The blood of Jesus Christ has already paid your membership dues. You will be made a new creature and your heart will be changed. Your eyes will see things you have never seen before and you will understand things you never understood before. It is a free gift from God and part of the membership package. He has a plan for your life and believe me, it is a very good plan!!
In His Service,
Rev. Ed & Cheryl Henderson
New Life Network, Inc.
www.newlifenetwork-org-staging.smwnm894-liquidwebsites.com
