06
Who Else Might Not Enter?
Richard WaialealeHebrews 3:18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
I can understand those that have a chance to believe in God, yet refuse to believe, will be judged by God in the end. But the question I hear at times is, what about the person in the African jungle who never heard of God, or the woman in the Asian village or the nomad in the remotest desert, and the Inuit in the forgotten tundra? What will happen to those that never had a chance to hear about God? (I take from David Platt;a book “Radical,” a few excerpts that helps me better understand this).
Paul claims in Romans 1:8 that God is revealing himself to all people. 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 and women are without excuse.
In other words, God reveals himself continually and clearly to all people. Every person on the face of the earthen every person throughout history - without exception - has knowledge of God the Father, because He has revealed himself to them.
Of course, not all people in the world say they believe in God. That leads us to todays reading in Hebrews (3:18-19).
So the question I asked in the begin about what will happen to the people who don’t hear of God or Jesus Christ?
Those of us who have heard about Jesus have had the opportunity to receive or reject the gospel, and we are responsible for our decision. Romans 4-5, faith in Christ is the only means by which we can be saved. For those of the Old Testament, Abraham and others in the Old Testament were saved by grace through FAITH in the coming Christ. Though they did not know all the details, they were trusting in the redemption God would bring through Christ.
The thrust of the New Testament is that Christ has come and that people must believe in his person and work on the cross for their salvation (Romans 10:9-10).
What about the billion people who never heard of Christ?
That is why, Christ commands the church to make the gospel known to all people. That's our job. Saving lives and winning souls to Jesus to the remotest parts of the world. That is why I believe God placed us on this earth, to make Jesus known to everyone.
Lord I pray that I make the Gospel known to wherever You send me. May I never reject Your offer to take Your Word to the ends of the earth. Amen.
