“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 has been made.”
– Romans 1:20
In last week’s article we answered the question: “Do all
babies go to heaven?” We discovered several verses in the Bible that imply that
the answer is “yes.” Babies, young children and adults with mental handicaps
don’t have the intellectual ability to understand their own sin or even the
simplest gospel message. So, it stands to reason that they will all fall under
God’s grace on Judgment Day. But what about the two billion people on Planet
Earth who have the intellectual ability to understand the gospel but never have
an opportunity to hear it? Where will they spend eternity?
The Apostle Paul tackles this question in Romans 1:18-20.
After having made the case in verses 16 and 17 that salvation is by God’s grace
alone through faith alone, Paul makes it clear that God’s wrath is being poured
out on those who have rejected God and chosen a path of godlessness and
wickedness. The New Testament is clear that Hell (eternal separation from God)
is a just punishment for those who reject God’s offer of grace through Jesus
Christ, break God’s laws and choose instead a course of selfishness and
rebellion. But could Hell be a just punishment for those who have never heard
of God’s grace or learned God’s laws revealed in Scripture?
According to Romans 1:20, the answer is: Yes. Wait a minute!
Is the Bible actually saying that those in India, North Korea, and Iran who
have never even heard of Jesus would be considered guilty for rejecting Him?
How could God do such a thing?
Well, God could do such a thing because He has made
provisions to reveal Himself and His most basic laws to every single person on
Planet Earth—even those who never hear the name of Jesus Christ. Consider
Romans 1:20: “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 has been made, so that men are
without excuse.” Long story short: God has made it plain to everyone on the
planet that He is real, He is powerful and His divine nature is good and just.
God has revealed Himself even to those who don’t have a single copy of the
Scriptures in their native tongue.
You see, there are two kinds of revelation: special
revelation and general revelation. Special revelation includes: 1) The Bible,
2) Jesus Christ, and 3) the ministry of the Holy Spirit. God has revealed
Himself (His character, His laws, His will and His means to salvation) in a
very clear and detailed way through His Word, through the ministry of His Son
and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in each Christian.
But millions of people on Planet Earth haven’t received this
special revelation. They don’t have access to a Bible. They don’t have an
indigenous Christian missionary to tell them about Jesus. And they have never
even heard of the Holy Spirit. However, every person on Earth has free access
to general revelation. General revelation includes God’s creation and science.
Even those who don’t have the opportunity to read the sixty-six books of the
Bible have opportunities every day to read the sixty-seventh book of the Bible:
nature. Yes, nature (i.e., God’s creation) is like a sixty-seventh book of the
Bible because it reveals at every turn the fingerprint of God.
God has blessed us with five senses that allow us to touch,
taste, smell, see and hear the handiwork of God all around us. The beauty of God is revealed in the
tapestry of color spread across the horizon with every sunrise and sunset. The power of God is revealed in the roar of
a hurricane and in the vast expanse of billions of stars scattered across the
night sky. The goodness of God is
revealed in the heart-melting coo of a baby and in the first fruit blossom of
spring. And the justice of God is
revealed in every soul’s yearning for what is right, just and fair. Yes, God’s
fingerprints are everywhere around us. Therefore, according to Romans 1:20,
those who reject God and His laws “are without excuse.”
Because God desires every person in every nation to come to
a knowledge of the truth and avoid eternal punishment (1 Timothy 2:4 and 2
Peter 3:9), He has provided a means by which any person on the planet can
discover these basic truths about God: He is real, He is powerful, and He is
good and just. But sadly, most people across the planet who have never heard the gospel turn their backs
on God. And this shouldn’t surprise us. After all, if Christians—who have the
indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit—are tempted to ignore God’s revelation,
how much more so are those tempted who are living in spiritual darkness?
It’s imperative that Christians throw them a lifeline. Every
person on Planet Earth needs to be given the opportunity
to hear the good news of Jesus and make a personal decision whether to accept
or reject him. Every person deserves to know the full truth about our Creator,
His plan for our lives and his offer of eternal life in heaven. Every man,
woman and child needs to be introduced to God’s grace that can cover our sin and
empower us to live lives that please God. From the heart of the American Bible
belt to the most unreached islands of Indonesia, Jesus Christ is our only sure
hope for this life and life eternal. So, God’s command to Christians is clear:
Stop keeping your faith to yourself, and get involved in world missions. Pray,
give and serve. The world desperately needs Jesus.
Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of
First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information,
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