Who is in and who is out of God's kingdom?

Texts: Acts 15.7–21 and John 15.9–11

John 15:9-11

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Let’s be honest. For too long, the Church has been obsessed with who’s in and who’s out. It’s been a bouncer at the cosmic nightclub, checking IDs, squinting at dress codes, making sure no “undesirables” slip past. We’ve spent centuries drawing lines in the sand, building fences, and crafting intricate theological obstacle courses. All in the name of God, of course.  But what about Jesus? What did he say?

 Before we answer that questions, let’s look first at Acts 15. The Jerusalem Council. A bunch of earnest, well-meaning folks, scratching their heads, arguing, debating. “Do these Gentile newbies need to be circumcised? Do they need to follow all the old rules?” A serious question, right? For them, it was everything. Purity. Identity. Who belongs to God’s chosen people?

 And then Peter stands up. Old Peter, impulsive Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times and then wept bitterly. He speaks with an authority born of grace, not rules. “God made no distinction,” he says. “He purified their hearts by faith.” No hoops. No hurdles. Just faith. Just love.

 And James, wise James, quotes the prophet Amos: “that all other peoples may seek the Lord.” All peoples. Not just the ones who look like us, talk like us, or believe exactly like us. Not just the ones who fit our carefully constructed theological boxes.

 They landed on a few practical guidelines. Don’t eat sacrificed meat, don’t eat blood, don’t eat strangled animals, and keep yourselves from sexual immorality. Practical stuff for living together, not obscure rituals for proving your worthiness. It was about making space, not building walls. It was about loving acceptance. It was about being the kingdom, not just debating its entrance requirements.

 Now, let’s turn to John 15. Jesus. Our Jesus. The one who walked among us, ate with outcasts, touched the untouchable. What was big message? Was it a detailed blueprint of salvation mechanics? A forensic analysis of sin and atonement?

 No. He says, plain as day, “Abide in my love.” Not "Understand the intricacies of my atonement." Not "Debate the timing of my return." "Abide in my love." And how do we do that? “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

 And what are his commandments? Are they the 613 intricate laws, that the Pharisees loved? No. He boiled it down to two. Love God. Love your neighbour as yourself. And then he gave us a new one: “Love one another as I have loved you.”  This is not rocket science, people. It’s heart science.

 For too long, we’ve made Christianity about believing the right things about Jesus, rather than living the way Jesus lived. We’ve majored in theological propositions and minored in compassion. We’ve built magnificent cathedrals to complex doctrines, while the hungry still starve, the lonely still yearn, and the marginalized still suffer.

 Yes, Christian tradition rightly points to the cross. Jesus’ ultimate act of self-giving love. A profound mystery. A powerful symbol of radical grace. But Jesus himself, in his own ministry, emphasized how we should live. He showed us the way. He is the way. The way of radical, extravagant, inclusive love.

 So, here’s the rub. Are we going to keep arguing over who’s in and who’s out, just like those earnest folks at the Jerusalem Council almost did?  Or are we going to follow their lead, and Jesus’ lead, and focus on expanding the circle?

 Are we going to get bogged down in theological gymnastics, or are we going to get on with the business of loving? Loving our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And loving our neighbour, all our neighbours, especially the ones society labels as “other” or “stranger,” just as Jesus loved us.

 This is where the joy is. This is where the abundant life is found. Not in proving our righteousness, but in pouring out our love. Not in being right, but in being light. 

 So, let’s go forth, not as bouncers, but as welcomers. Not as gatekeepers, but as bridge-builders. Let’s live out Jesus’ commandments of love. Let’s abide in his love. And in doing so, let the joy of the Lord be our strength, and a beacon to a world desperate for true, unconditional love. Amen.