Extreme Vetting

Extreme Vetting July 1, 2019

You probably know what vetting is, but what is the most extreme vetting possible?


The word vetting typically refers to the performance of background checks as part of a screening process. This takes place before a decision on whether that person is qualified or trustworthy for such a position. Most employers require a background check, but the more important the position is, the more thorough the vetting is. The vetting could also be for the purpose of allowing someone to travel to another nation, hopefully reducing the security risk of that nation, so when someone is vetted, they are carefully scrutinized. There is a careful and deliberate check of past actions, or specifically, whether there’s a record of criminal activity. Vetting is like an inspection of someone’s life in order to establish their credibility and reliability. Politicians’ past lives are closely examined to see if there are any improprieties since they are running for or holding office, but that “vetting” is not always reliable because it’s done by the media, and there is no shortage of fake news today, but vetting gathers all the fact in order to see if someone qualifies or not, so what is the most extreme vetting possible? Clearly, it is entering the kingdom of God.


It’s easy enough to put your trust in Christ, so why aren’t more doing it? There are multiple reasons people are not willing to leave their life to follow Christ. The Parable of the Sower gives us three different reasons for why people reject the gospel. Jesus said, “The sower sows the word” (Mark 4:14), and the seed is the Word of God. For some, when “the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them” (Mark 4:15). Then, “these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away” (Mark 4:16-17). Finally, there are those who “are sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19). All we can do is sow the Word and leave the rest up to God, but it at least takes sowers and the seeds (the Word), however only the Holy Spirit can germinate the seed.

Background Check

When I have shared Christ, I can’t remember the number of times when people thought they’d do okay on Judgment Day. They believe they’ve done enough things in their life to outweigh the bad, but that’s a faulty scale they’re using. They are measuring their own righteousness (self-righteousness) against people who are generally worse than they are. Often I hear, “Well, I’m not as bad as John Smith,” but the idea of comparing ourselves with others is wrong. The Apostle Paul said that when people “measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” (2 Cor 10:12). They must measure themselves only by Christ’s sinless, holy perfection. Anyone that thinks of themselves as a “good person” has a view that’s contrary to Scripture (Mark 10:18). God’s Word says, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom 3:10b), and to make sure there’s no room left for that person who thinks they’re the exception, Paul says, “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Rom 3:12). “Not even one” rules everyone out…except Jesus Christ. For those who think they’re close to heaven’s gates, the Bible says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). With language like “all” and “not even one,” we know there are no exceptions. No one has and no one ever can enter the kingdom based upon their own meritorious work (Eph 2:8-9). Scripture tells us that “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:27).

Extreme Vetting

God “did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all” (Rom 8:32a).

We need to destroy the notion that good works can get us into the kingdom. As we just read, it’s not possible. Paul writes that God “did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all” (Rom 8:32a), so if God did not even spare His own Son, why would anyone think He’ll spare them because they’ve done a lot of good things? Pastor Voddie Bauch said, “It amazes me that we believe this: that God would crush and kill His own Son, but let you slide.” The Apostle Peter wrote that “it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God” (1 Pet 4:17)?  The outcome will not be good at all. You can read just how useless our works will be when we face God, outside of Christ (Rev 20:12-15). Rather than think they’re a good person, the unsaved person doesn’t realize that they “are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom 2:5). Either after death (Heb 9:27), or at Christ’s return, God “will render to each one according to his works” (Rom 2:6), and by their not repenting and trusting in Christ, “those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Rom 2:8). Is it any wonder then that when Christ does appear, the unsaved will “will wail on account of him” (Rev 1:7). They will finally acknowledge Him as Lord and God, but it will be too late for them to be saved. The Word of God promises that every knee ever created will bend and they will bow at the appearance of our Lord, Jesus Christ (Rom 14:11; Phi 2:10-11). It doesn’t matter whether you believe or not…your knee will bend!


Unless you have put your trust in Christ, you are outside of Christ, and those outside of Christ will face God’s wrath. You must have the same righteousness as Jesus Christ, so today is the best of days to repent and believe (2 Cor 6:2). This is what Jesus asks (Mark 1:14-15). There is such extreme vetting to enter the kingdom that we cannot enter it without being seen as righteous as Christ, but thanks be to God, Jesus made a way through His own shed blood. How can we stand before God on the day we meet our Maker? Paul says that it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). If you do not have Jesus’ own righteousness, you cannot stand before God. Repent and believe, and put your trust in Jesus Christ. He is the One and only way (John 14:6). There is no other (Acts 4:12).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is an ordained elder of the Brethren Church and a Pastor and Prison Minister in the State of Kansas, but also a writer at Christian Quotes and What Christians Want to Know which address questions about the Bible. He also plants ministries like nursing home ministries, Outreach for the poor, and other evangelistic activities, and check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

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  • Theodore A. Jones


    • Susan Jane Elohim



      Who am I in Jesus?

      • Theodore A. Jones

        What is the law referenced as the “law of sin and death” and what is the “law of the Spirit of life “? You don’t comprehend either.

        • Well said, Theodore! She doesn’t comprehend anything.

          • Theodore A. Jones

            That she doesn’t is readily evident.

          • Susan Jane Elohim

            Lol….what you are siding with atheists now while you criticize the Pastor and other Christians? A man who actually obeys Jesus by performing the Great Commission and all you have is one verse to correct him with to confuse everybody while you refuse to explain it?

            Please start thinking…..Why does Hebrews say the Old Testament is obsolete?

            Did you know that Catholicism propped up that Old Testament side by side with the New Testament as if it was co-equal with the New Testament. They even set themselves and the pope up up as the high priest of a new Levitical order. Why are they wearing fancy robes and living in palaces when the scriptures say the servants of God will not lord it over each other?

            The Levitical order is over and done with. God replaced it with the royal priesthood that He calls the Melchizedek order.

            That is a spiritual step up for the world.

            So why are you regularly correcting someone obeying God? You’re more obedient than the Pastor? I don’t think so. Why don’t you find a mission trip and stay on it a long time then maybe you will have some appreciation for his obedience.

            Think about it.

            Have a blessed day!

          • Did you know that it’s not only Catholic priests who are committing paedophilia, but also Protestant ones including “born again” pastors? There needs to be very close vetting of these mongrels, many of whom claim that Jesus lives within their heart. What a lot of hogwash!

          • If God changes not and the OT is now obsolete, then how can any of it the any word from God?

          • If the OT is obsolete, then the OT view that homosexuals should be executed is now mistaken, is it not?

          • If the OT is obsolete, why did Jesus say that not one jot nor tittle would pass from the law till all is accomplished?

          • If the OT is obsolete, why did Jesus say that till heaven and earth passes away, not one jot not tittle would pass from the law till all is accomplished?

            Why did Jesus say that he had not come to abolish the law or the prophets? Does this sound like Jesus thinking that the OT is obsolete?

          • You’ve made the OT obsolete and Jesus’ words null and void, so how can you say that you are a follower of Jesus? Why go on pretending?

          • Rational Human

            The levitical order and the temple cult that they ruled over kept right on after Jesus death, without any interruption, and is only gone because the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 AD. If God eliminated the levites and replaced with something else, why did it take 40 years, and only happen when the Romans crushed the Jewish rebellion and destroyed the temple.

            The fact is, jesus, assuming he actually existed, made no impact on Jewish culture at all. They barely noticed his existence. The thing you worship is a human construct, in human books, consisting mostly of the contrived ravings of a poseur who never even met this Jesus. Whatever the Jesus cult was at the beginning, was later hijacked by Paul and recast in his own image. This is your religion. You worship a book, and a Johnny come lately, not Jesus.

          • Susan Jane Elohim

            Google “What are the Noahide Law and are they Biblical” on gotquestions dot org and read it.

            Then google “The Ten Commandments are not for Gentiles?” and read it for a Jewish viewpoint.

            Then google “What is the law of Christ” on gotquestions dot org.


        • Susan Jane Elohim

          Oh really. You are a one verse zealot. You don’t explain anything in detail you just pound one verse so what do you know?

          • Maltnothops


        • Susan Jane Elohim

          The law was given by God to show sinners they are sinners. Nobody ever kept it perfectly from the heart except Jesus Christ and that is why we can be justified by our faith in him. If you fail on one point of law you are guilty of the whole law and condemned cf. Galatians 3:10.

          James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

          Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
          Jer 31:33 But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts [in the spirit, not in the letter], and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

          See above: Not according to the covenant (the Old Covenant) that I made with their fathers.

          You’re going to have to assemble the scriptures again or consult someone who has.

          Look at these:
          Does Romans 2:13 mean that we are justified before God by keeping the Law? Answer from Christian Apologetics Research Ministry

          The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit
          This paper will show that “the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2) is as superior to the ten commandments as Matthew 5 is to Exodus 20 and as meat is superior to milk.


          In Romans 2, Paul is calling the Jewish believers to task for judging the Gentile believers who “have not the law, but do by nature [the “divine nature” of 2Pe 1:4] the things contained in the law” (Rom 2:14).

          You read those or go investigate the scriptures on your own.

          God Bless!

          • If the law was given to sinners, perhaps you should be preaching to those evangelical pastors who are committing paedophilia or who are committing adultery with members of their congregations.

          • Jack Wellman

            So true. If the Law could save us, Jesus suffered & died for nothing.

          • Susan Jane Elohim

            Good to see you are still around, Pastor.

      • So there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. tell that to the Fundamentalist pastors who claim to be led by the Holy Spirit, yet commit paedophilia. They say that Jesus lives within their heart.