Buff Scott Jr.
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Fate Of The Unreached
[Part III]
[Part III]
What could possibly be required of a man when he responds to the only truth or revelation he knows or can know? Are we ready to exclude him from Paul’s decree that “those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Rom. 2:7)? The man in darkest Brazil, as we noted in Part II, does good. He seeks glory, honor, and immortality as best he can, based on the only revelation to which he has access—creation. Paul says God “will give him eternal life!” Read it again. Let us not forget that God does not require the impossible of any man. Allow me to express it in this fashion:
Considering God’s enormous mercy, it seems to me that eternal condemnation for lack of obedience will not be relegated when opportunity to obey was not available.
Jesus touched upon this kind of situation when He taught there is no guilt when one is unavoidably blind of certain truths. The self-righteous Pharisees were chiding Him in their usual way. Following the healing of a blind man, He said He had come into the world that those who do not see may see, and that others who see may become blind. The Pharisees asked Him, “Are we blind, too” [of certain truths]? Note carefully Jesus’ answer. “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:35-41).
We cannot pass this premise by without reflecting upon it closely. If I understand Jesus’ intend correctly, He seems to be saying, “There is no condemning guilt when one is unavoidably blind of certain truths and facts.” When a man has no occasion to hear of and submit to divine injunctions, yet has faith in the Lord of creation, as touched upon in Romans 1, and the heart is sincere, there is no convicting guilt credited to his account.
In a related passage, Jesus announces, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin” (John 15:22). The pagans in Romans 1, however, were guilty because God had “spoken to them” through the things He made (creation), yet they rejected Him.
But some may be asking, Will God take vengeance upon those who do not obey the gospel of Messiah Jesus? Of course He will. Heaven’s testimony affirms as much (I Thess. 1:8). The question is, however: Are there exceptions to this divine piece of legislation? I am compelled to answer in the affirmative.
I submit that this heavenly principle or truth encompasses only those who have been or can be exposed to the Gospel message. The severely retarded are excluded. The mentally incompetent are spared. Infants and small children are omitted. These three classes alone testify that the celestial legislation is not all-inclusive. I will even assert it is all-inclusive of those for whom it was meant, and I’m referring to those who are competent and have the opportunity to hear the Good News and embrace it. It cannot apply to or include those persons who are incapable of comprehending the Good News. But is there a fourth class? Let’s see.
The three classes referred to above have insufficient capabilities. They are not expected by man or by God to yield to celestial decrees. I offer a fourth class: Those who are devoid of opportunities. These persons cannot be expected to obey what they have not been nor cannot be exposed to, unless God requires the impossible. Please keep posted to the principle that my premise includes only those unexposed persons whose hearts are honest and receptive.
We all are aware that millions of American Indians lived and died without any opportunity of hearing the name Jesus and responding to His message of salvation. I like to think in terms that some of them responded to the truth they knew or had discovered through God’s creation. If some of these Indians served and honored God through the avenue of nature or created things, but could not honor and glorify His Son because of insufficient opportunities, will His blood not reach them through the avenue of mercy and grace? After all, His blood reaches those who are incapable because of mental incompetence through the avenue of mercy and grace.
I am confident mercy and grace will also compensate for the “good Indian” who honored God through nature, but could not accept Jesus and submit to the Good News because of insufficient opportunities.
As was noted earlier, the Gentiles in Romans who had never been exposed to special revelation in the form of scripture, knew God and could have glorified and given Him thanks through His handiwork, “but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” These Gentiles or pagans could not have transgressed Jewish law, or the special revelation God gave the Jewish nation, for they were strangers to the Covenant. “And where there is no law there is no transgression” (Rom. 4:15). They transgressed the revelation of creation.
PIVOTAL QUESTION— In Part IV, I will have a pivotal question for my readers. A big part of this subject revolves around that question. Look for it within a day or two. You might wish to hold your questions until you have viewed all Parts.—Buff.
Considering God’s enormous mercy, it seems to me that eternal condemnation for lack of obedience will not be relegated when opportunity to obey was not available.
Jesus touched upon this kind of situation when He taught there is no guilt when one is unavoidably blind of certain truths. The self-righteous Pharisees were chiding Him in their usual way. Following the healing of a blind man, He said He had come into the world that those who do not see may see, and that others who see may become blind. The Pharisees asked Him, “Are we blind, too” [of certain truths]? Note carefully Jesus’ answer. “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:35-41).
We cannot pass this premise by without reflecting upon it closely. If I understand Jesus’ intend correctly, He seems to be saying, “There is no condemning guilt when one is unavoidably blind of certain truths and facts.” When a man has no occasion to hear of and submit to divine injunctions, yet has faith in the Lord of creation, as touched upon in Romans 1, and the heart is sincere, there is no convicting guilt credited to his account.
In a related passage, Jesus announces, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin” (John 15:22). The pagans in Romans 1, however, were guilty because God had “spoken to them” through the things He made (creation), yet they rejected Him.
But some may be asking, Will God take vengeance upon those who do not obey the gospel of Messiah Jesus? Of course He will. Heaven’s testimony affirms as much (I Thess. 1:8). The question is, however: Are there exceptions to this divine piece of legislation? I am compelled to answer in the affirmative.
I submit that this heavenly principle or truth encompasses only those who have been or can be exposed to the Gospel message. The severely retarded are excluded. The mentally incompetent are spared. Infants and small children are omitted. These three classes alone testify that the celestial legislation is not all-inclusive. I will even assert it is all-inclusive of those for whom it was meant, and I’m referring to those who are competent and have the opportunity to hear the Good News and embrace it. It cannot apply to or include those persons who are incapable of comprehending the Good News. But is there a fourth class? Let’s see.
The three classes referred to above have insufficient capabilities. They are not expected by man or by God to yield to celestial decrees. I offer a fourth class: Those who are devoid of opportunities. These persons cannot be expected to obey what they have not been nor cannot be exposed to, unless God requires the impossible. Please keep posted to the principle that my premise includes only those unexposed persons whose hearts are honest and receptive.
We all are aware that millions of American Indians lived and died without any opportunity of hearing the name Jesus and responding to His message of salvation. I like to think in terms that some of them responded to the truth they knew or had discovered through God’s creation. If some of these Indians served and honored God through the avenue of nature or created things, but could not honor and glorify His Son because of insufficient opportunities, will His blood not reach them through the avenue of mercy and grace? After all, His blood reaches those who are incapable because of mental incompetence through the avenue of mercy and grace.
I am confident mercy and grace will also compensate for the “good Indian” who honored God through nature, but could not accept Jesus and submit to the Good News because of insufficient opportunities.
As was noted earlier, the Gentiles in Romans who had never been exposed to special revelation in the form of scripture, knew God and could have glorified and given Him thanks through His handiwork, “but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” These Gentiles or pagans could not have transgressed Jewish law, or the special revelation God gave the Jewish nation, for they were strangers to the Covenant. “And where there is no law there is no transgression” (Rom. 4:15). They transgressed the revelation of creation.
PIVOTAL QUESTION— In Part IV, I will have a pivotal question for my readers. A big part of this subject revolves around that question. Look for it within a day or two. You might wish to hold your questions until you have viewed all Parts.—Buff.
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