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NASB | Revelation 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Revelation 21:8 "But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." |
Subject: Will unbelievers be raised from Sheol? |
Bible Note: Romans 1 does not just talk about nature attesting to God's glory; it is an indictment of humanity because of their response to that revelation. It goes much farther than saying merely that God is obvious from nature. God is obvious, and man in his unrighteousness suppresses that truth. You are right that the revelation of nature does not teach us our need for salvation. Nature reveals God and His attributes. Man responds by not giving Him the glory, which leads to a downward spiral of sin, idolatry, and approval of others who commit the same acts (Romans 1:18-32). In addition, God gives us our conscience, which is an inward revelation of God's will. You are correct in stating that neither the conscience nor God's revelation in nature is the gospel. Revelation in creation and conscience cannot SAVE us (which agrees with Romans 10:14), but it does INDICT us and CONDEMN us, shutting us all up under sin. The gospel (i.e. the message of salvation) is not part of natural or "general" revelation (i.e. revealed to all humanity), but rather special revelation (i.e. revealed by the Holy Spirit primarily in the proclamation of His written Word). That preaching of the gospel is what Romans 10:14 is referring to. Those people who have not heard the gospel cannot be saved, because the gospel has not been preached to them. They are still condemned, however, because God has revealed Himself and his requirements of perfect obedience to all human beings, both outwardly and inwardly. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), whether they have heard the gospel or not. People do not go to hell for rejecting Christ; they go to hell for sinning against God the Father. And everyone falls into that category, and everyone knows deep, deep down at some level that they fall into that category. They are just denying the truth. I don't see how you could hold that I am on shaky ground with Romans 1. The chapter is very clear to those who will accept what it says. I would encourage you to go back and read Romans 1-3, without presupposing that there are people truly ignorant of God. If you can take the chapter in its entirety and show me how it doesn't apply to all humanity and its response to a clearly self-revealed God, I would love to hear your interpretation. --Joe! |