Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What about those who never hear gospel? | Prov 24:12 | Scribe | 85857 | ||
Romans 2:14-15 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) First of all the Lord knows whether a man really "knew it" or not because he knows the deepest parts, that part of the conscience and will of man and how that person did indeed sin against that knowledge. The scripture in Romans is a scripture that applies to all gentiles including the poor native in the jungle. He knows by instinct what is right and wrong. And when he has violated that conscience he has sinned. The fact that he has not heard about Jesus simply means he has not heard about the details of how God provided a remedy for sin. All natives in all jungles have violated their conscience at least once and have chosen to do what they knew was wrong.. therefore as it relates to their rightstanding with God on the basis of whether they have kept the inner moral instinct that they knew, their conscience will convict them as law breakers. Let me repeat ... their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another..In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. In that day what will their conscience do Excuse them or Accuse them? Without fail it will Accuse them. For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Now lets answer the question, "What if said jungle native realizes he is guilty of not being true to the inward knowledge of what is right and decides to spend the rest of his days seeking to do well." Now he has not heard of Jesus, but it is certainly the Spirit of Christ that has motivated him to do right. The man seeks to make restitution, for wrongs done. He is not necessarily trying to make himself acceptible before God, he is simply feeling bad about that which he did to his neighbor that he wants to try and make right somehow. So he goes to the neighbor and pays him 3 monkeys trying to ask forgiveness. He will find as a result of this sincere desire to do right that his conscience is quickened a little, and light or illumination will be granted him. The more he seeks to do right and with the knowledge he has, seek justice, such as take up for the abused around him, he will recieve more light. Soon God will direct the man to a village or something where as if by "accident" he will come upon a missionary who will point him in the way of Christ. Or such a man might even recieve a dream by God telling him what to do whereby he must be saved. Acts 10:2-6 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. There are many many scriptures that teach us that those that seek to do well will certainly be given the understanding of Faith and will be saved. They will not be saved because they do well, but their desire to do well will bring them into the light and will allow them to hear. Those that choose to do evil will be driven to darkness and their rebelion against their conscience will cause their conscience to eventually be seared so that they cannot hear. The fact that many jungle native, refuse to seek to do what their conscience tells them they ought to do, does not make them innocent but rather guilty. |
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2 | What about those who never hear gospel? | Prov 24:12 | John Reformed | 85924 | ||
Dear Scribe, I found this article on the net. It has a somewhat different perspective on our topic. The “Innocent” Native theory What about the “innocent” native or other people in foreign lands? Will they go to hell too because they don't believe in Jesus? The answer is yes! 1) The “innocent” native doesn't exist. All of us have done things that we know to be wrong and have done them anyway and have even done them with an “I don't care” attitude. So no one is “innocent”. 2) Salvation is by God's grace (undeserved favor). We deserve punishment for our sins because no one is “innocent”. We all choose to do that which we know is wrong and therefore all are guilty before a holy God. If God chooses to offer His grace (undeserved favor) to one and withhold it from another so that he faces punishment for his sin, He is totally just in doing so. One person is getting that which he doesn't deserve while the other person is getting exactly what he does deserve. Since no one deserves God's gift of salvation, God is free to offer it to whomever He chooses to or withhold it from whomever He chooses to. 3) God is sovereign (rules over everyone and everything) and He is able to get the message of the Gospel to that “innocent” native if He so chooses to do so. 4) Would you be concerned about some native's hut in Africa that was on fire while your house was on fire? Your immediate concern would be to get out of the house and save your own skin. In the same way, without Christ, you're headed for eternal destruction and you need to take care of your own life first. And if you're so concerned about the “innocent” native, then become a missionary and bring that “innocent” native the Gospel! The “innocent” native argument fails to prove the non-existence of God." John |
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3 | What about those who never hear gospel? | Prov 24:12 | Scribe | 85974 | ||
Good word. I like it. It is so true. Of course I would add that I am of the persuasion that the native is born with the ability to seek after God, God does not make him unable from birth to seek after God, he only would become unable by his own "I dont care attitudes" which would in time give him over to a reprobate mind. Acts 17:26-28 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. |
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4 | What about those who never hear gospel? | Prov 24:12 | John Reformed | 85989 | ||
Lets not leave out Acts 17:25, which states "nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;" "All things"! Every thing that man has comes from the hand of God. This would include the desire to throw oneself upon the mecy of God by the righteousness of Christ. Peter tells us that saving faith comes from God. 2 Pet 1:1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:" God commands men everywhere to repent, but repentence is a gift that God grants to those He has chosen. Acts 5:31 "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." I really find it impossible to believe that God could fail at anything which He has decided to accomplish. The Bible shows that for God nothing is impossible. Yet people persist in saying that the stubborn nature of man defeats the power of God! John |
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