Heard the Good News?
Ever wonder whether or not God would send someone to hell who has never heard of him?
For starters, God doesn't send anyone anywhere. God calls us, but each person has a choice. Concerning that question, however, the Bible doesn't deal with it directly. Instead, it talks about Jesus in rather exclusive terms. Take a look at Acts 4:12: "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven [other than Jesus Christ] by which we must be saved." Because the Bible doesn't talk directly about the problem, we must proceed with humility and caution. Still, we aren't left totally in the dark.
First, remember that God doesn't owe anyone a break. As the perfect, holy, righteous judge, he would be entirely justified in condemning everyone, for 'everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard' (Rom 3:23). But Jesus offers forgiveness to all. That's grace--we get what we don't deserve, instead of what we do deserve.
Second, Romans 1 (especially verses 18-20) makes it clear that God has created us with the knowledge of our Creator. This truth is evident in other passages as well. Check out Psalm 19:1-2: "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known." Yet many people suppress that knowledge.
For all people, Christ is the only one who has opened the way for us to be restored to God. Missionaries have been sent all over the world to spread this news to people of every nation. They strive to reach all previously unreached people groups.
Is that your passion as well?
No comments:
Post a Comment