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FATE OF THE UNREACHED - Part II

Buff Scott Jr.

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Let’s talk about the
Fate Of The Unreached
[Part II]

The pagans in the first chapter of Romans were without special revelation. Nonetheless, God had revealed Himself to them through the things He created.

“Since what can be known about God was plain to them, because God had made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what He has made, so that men are without excuse. For although they [pagans or Gentiles] knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him” (Rom. 1:18-21).

These Gentiles had been given a revelation, but not a distinctive revelation in the form of audible or written messages. They were exposed to the divine nature through God’s creation. They could have even glorified God and given Him thanks, but they chose not to. Although without a unique manifestation, they could have served God. God can be seen through created things. He communicates through His splendid handiwork, for “God’s handiwork declares His glory.” His invisible qualities are clearly seen in His visible creation.

Every mentally competent person who has ever lived has been able to find God, for “he has set eternity in the hearts of men” (Eccles. 3:11). All men, everywhere and in every age, have been divinely infused with an awareness of an intelligent Creator and of life after physical death. On that principle, I must conclude there have been many “unexposed” persons who were receptive to the “revelation of creation.” And those who sought God’s face, as limited as it may have been, and who “by persistence in doing good sought glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life” (Rom. 2:7).

Since God has never required the impossible in any age, it seems to me He will show mercy and grace to those who seek His face, regardless of the revelation under which they have lived or may be living. Note the qualification: Those who seek His face. This is the key.

The man in darkest Brazil who responds to the only revelation to which he has access—the revelation of creation, although unexposed to scripture and has never heard the name Jesus, is glorifying God and will therefore be delivered by His mercy and grace. God’s creation is the only revelation he knows. He responds to that revelation by trusting in a Supreme Being and giving thanks to Him, as the pagans in Romans could have done.

I suspect you recall the story of Cornelius, a Gentile, as recorded in Acts 10. Being a Gentile, he was not one of God’s covenant people, yet he is referred to as a “righteous and God-fearing man”—even before he knew about Jesus and the new Way. Cornelius needed additional light. God sent the apostle Peter who revealed a special Light to him and his household in the person of Jesus.

Needless to say, many “Corneliuses” have died without coming in contact with that special Light. I entertain no doubt but that they were acceptable to God, even if they were not His covenant people. To put it another way: Wherever there are people like Cornelius, there are people acceptable to God.

Regarding the account of Cornelius, I defer to my good brother in the Lord, Leroy Garrett, now deceased, whose views on Cornelius have savored my thoughts.

“Martin Luther’s parents died Roman Catholics. On one occasion, a friend asked him if he believed his parents would be saved in heaven. Luther answered affirmatively. His friend reminded him that he was now opposing Catholicism while believing his Roman Catholic parents would be saved in heaven. The friend goaded him for a clarification of the apparent contradiction.”

Luther explained that his parents were receptive to all the truth they knew or could know at the time, indicating that God does not require the impossible. Luther gave a sensible response. When anyone seeks God’s face and consistently strives to conform to the only revelation he has, God “will give him eternal life” (Rom. 2:7).

NEXT TIME— In Part III, we will evaluate what our Lord said about the unreached. You might be surprised how vividly and clearly He covered it. Look for it next time. Please hold your questions until you have viewed all Parts.—Buff.​
 
Pretty good op, except for two points.
Since God has never required the impossible in any age,....​
God has always required righteousness and perfection, and humanity is incapable of both apart from Christ. It is quite literally impossible for any human to be perfect, and/or righteous.
The man in darkest Brazil who responds to the only revelation to which he has access—the revelation of creation, although unexposed to scripture and has never heard the name Jesus, is glorifying God and will therefore be delivered by His mercy and grace.​
The New Testament makes it pretty clear that the OT individuals to whom God had spoken His covenant promises understood something about Jesus. They were given a special revelation that was reported later, but the specifics of that revelation were not recorded in either the Old or the New. Abraham, for example, knew God would be His own sacrifice. David knew of the resurrection of the Messiah. These were not revelations detailed in Tankah or Torah, but they were, nonetheless revelations provided by God specially to those individuals.

There is, therefore, no reason to think God did not also provide additional revelation to others.

They simply were not part of the bloodline through whom the Messiah would be incarnated.

The alternative is there are a bunch of people around the world, over the centuries, who correctly understood and worshiped God.... but God left them unattended. Remember: Abram was not a Jew. He was a Babylonian. His story occurs after the fiasco at Babel. The two accounts provide a contrast, one of a bunch of people so filled with delusional hubris they think they can build a building that will reach God, and the other of an individual called to leave that mess. Abram is an example of someone had only creation until the day God (monergistically) called him and commanded him to leave. Even then Abram knew nothing other than the testimony of creation (and whatever oral tradition might have existed in Babylon). It was decades before God would reveal His redemptive, messianic purpose. For all intents and purposes, Abram was a Gentile.



You might also want to link these three parts to one another so those interested in reading the whole don't have to go searching.
.
 
Pretty good op, except for two points.

God has always required righteousness and perfection, and humanity is incapable of both apart from Christ. It is quite literally impossible for any human to be perfect, and/or righteous.

The New Testament makes it pretty clear that the OT individuals to whom God had spoken His covenant promises understood something about Jesus. They were given a special revelation that was reported later, but the specifics of that revelation were not recorded in either the Old or the New. Abraham, for example, knew God would be His own sacrifice. David knew of the resurrection of the Messiah. These were not revelations detailed in Tankah or Torah, but they were, nonetheless revelations provided by God specially to those individuals.

There is, therefore, no reason to think God did not also provide additional revelation to others.

They simply were not part of the bloodline through whom the Messiah would be incarnated.

The alternative is there are a bunch of people around the world, over the centuries, who correctly understood and worshiped God.... but God left them unattended. Remember: Abram was not a Jew. He was a Babylonian. His story occurs after the fiasco at Babel. The two accounts provide a contrast, one of a bunch of people so filled with delusional hubris they think they can build a building that will reach God, and the other of an individual called to leave that mess. Abram is an example of someone had only creation until the day God (monergistically) called him and commanded him to leave. Even then Abram knew nothing other than the testimony of creation (and whatever oral tradition might have existed in Babylon). It was decades before God would reveal His redemptive, messianic purpose. For all intents and purposes, Abram was a Gentile.



You might also want to link these three parts to one another so those interested in reading the whole don't have to go searching.
.
Josheb, thanks for your response. I think you will pleasantly enjoy Part III in a few days.
 
Every mentally competent person who has ever lived has been able to find God, for “he has set eternity in the hearts of men” (Eccles. 3:11). All men, everywhere and in every age, have been divinely infused with an awareness of an intelligent Creator and of life after physical death. On that principle, I must conclude there have been many “unexposed” persons who were receptive to the “revelation of creation.” And those who sought God’s face, as limited as it may have been, and who “by persistence in doing good sought glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life” (Rom. 2:7).
What do you judge 'mentally competence' by? Has it not occurred to you that the 'mentally incompetent' people are more precise and accurate on the nature of God's regeneration than any of us are? We are all idiots.
 
What do you judge 'mentally competence' by? Has it not occurred to you that the 'mentally incompetent' people are more precise and accurate on the nature of God's regeneration than any of us are? We are all idiots.
Answer to your first question: Reality. No, I do not agree with your "mentally incompetent" conclusion. Look for Part III soon.​
 
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