"The Bible says that God waits patiently for people (2 Peter 3:9) and that He's ready to show Himself to anyone who sincerely wants to know Him (John 7:17). What you can be sure of is that God's judgment is always fair and just (Acts 17:31) He would never send anyone to hell unjustly.
"In fact, God has gone out of His way to bring the news about Jesus to people who sincerely sought after Him. Luke tells us, in Acts 10, about a man named Cornelius who asked God to reveal Himself to him and show him whatever was necessary for salvation. God answered Cornelius' prayer by sending Peter to tell him about Jesus. When Peter told him, Cornelius believed." (From "Answers for Atheists, Agnostics, and Other Thoughtful Skeptics: Dialogs about Christian Faith and Life" by Dr. Beisner)
So God, who gives glimpses of Himself through His creation and who places desires in our hearts, will make sure that those who sincerely seek Him will hear the Gospel. And He already knows who they are:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will to the praise of His glorious grace. (Ephesians 1:7)
Nothing is more comforting than knowing God is all-knowing, all-powerful ... and ALL GOOD!
ADDENDUM: Originally I published this as a comment, but I wanted to include it in the post so these points wouldn't be missed:
So glad, Hannah, that Mark Schweitzer and Mr. Rabe tackled more of the issues your question brings up at the Open Discussion Night:
If the natives do go to hell without hearing the gospel, they have not been treated unjustly: they WERE sinners and they did deserve hell. There ARE no innocent natives.
Also, the foundational truth that God chooses a people for Himself "not because of works but because of His call." We can rest assured that those people, His chosen people, will hear the Gospel.
Romans 9 says it all: "When Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather, Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad -- in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call -- she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.' As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means. For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharoah, 'For this very purpose, I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' So then he has mercy on whomever He wills, and He hardens whomever He wills.
You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?' But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me like this?' Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? What if God desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory." (Romans 9:10-23)
God's glory has many facets. His glory is shown in rightly pouring His wrath on sinners. His glory is also shown in mercifully sparing other sinners.
Remember, what meant salvation for the Israelites at the Exodus meant death for the Egyptians chasing them. The picture is twofold: God's wrath poured on the Egyptians and God's mercy saving His chosen people.
Anyway... there's lots more there...
.jpg)
3 comments:
i don't think she cares anymore...but i could be wrong ...i've been wrong before...once
When was that?
So glad, Hannah, that Mark Schweitzer and Mr. Rabe tackled more of the issues your question brings up at the Open Discussion Night:
If the natives do go to hell without hearing the gospel, they have not been treated unjustly: they WERE sinners and they did deserve hell. There ARE no innocent native.
Also, the foundational truth that God chooses a people for Himself "not because of works but because of His call." We can rest assured that those people, His chosen people, will hear the Gospel.
Romans 9 says it all: "When Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather, Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad -- in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call -- she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.' As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means. For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharoah, 'For this very purpose, I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' So then he has mercy on whomever He wills, and He hardens whomever He wills.
You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?' But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me like this?' Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? What if God desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory." (Romans 9:10-23)
God's glory has many facets. His glory is shown in rightly pouring His wrath on sinners. His glory is also shown in mercifully sparing other sinners.
Remember, what meant salvation for the Israelites at the Exodus meant death for the Egyptians chasing them. The picture is twofold: God's wrath poured on the Egyptians and God's mercy saving His chosen people.
Anyway... there's lots more there...
Post a Comment