Will *everyone* hear? (was Re: Death Penalty)

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On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 20:39:04 -0800, you wrote:

>However,
>people of other languages and races DO have a chance at the gospel.
>Because they speak a different language that WE don't understand, we
>can't assume that they don't know God. God reveals himself to people
>regardless of nation or tongue. It's highly possible that people deep in
>the jungles of distant countries HAVE the true gospel and ARE saved.

Having followed this conversation for a little while and without the
time needed to respond properly, I have grown concerned.=20

We have heard the idea that God circumvents the temporal and somewhat
ineffectual ministry of evaangelism. In these imaginations, "God is
not as 'cruel' as some have supposed and therefore somehow implants
the gospel into minds through the preaching of heavenly angels, or
perhaps the beasts of the field (someone mentioned a donkey), in
remote areas."

But, strangely, many of my family before me, died and most assuredly
went to hell in their sins, and never heard that Jesus' name would
remit sin, even though a plethora Bibles was nearby at all times. My
sister laboured in missions bringing a gospel that would not save to
people who have been visited from generation to generation by others
who similarly prescribed a way that had no power or authority from
heaven. May I ask, I God such a respecter of persons that he allows
the people of the remote rainforests to have access to a gospel
preached by birds, and not contended against by panthers, while he
allows them of a more "godly society" to be destroyed in the midst of
Christiandom ?

Whether or not a person is religious, educated, poor, civilized,
remote, ignorant, or traditional ... he is in the same spiritual state
before he received truth, and has progressed not ONE inch toward
eternal life. There is a PROFOUND contrast between the redeemed and
the lost. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ bridges that gap.

The problem which the gospel answers is far more significant that
simply "rejecting the gospel". Let is remember, man is born in a
condition that is hopeless. Sin and inquity separate from God. It is
the SIN and not the HOLINESS OF GOD which is the problem. SIN makes it
IMPOSSIBLE to come into, survive and remain abiding in the presence of
God. The experience of transformation secured by faith in the power of
God is the divine work of God, and without that God the faith would be
useless. If faith is truly invested in GOD, and not in man's goodness,
then there is NO HOPE to be found in scripture for any alternative to
hearing the gospel, and obeying it, for GOD alone is the power of the
gospel, and the gospel alone is the power of God unto salvation. It is
the reconciliation of the hopelessly lost with the nonobligated
sovreignty of a Holy God.

When we send missionaries, we do not do so simply because we feel that
it is a good thing to do and therein protecting out souls from
judgement, (though we do have a motive of gratitude as well). If this
was the main motivation, and we could trust that God would bridge the
gap when we did not reach a soul, the profile of Apostolic people
would be very diffrent indeed. For we would be as the Roman Catholic,
whose premise of evangelism is often stated: "Feed the hungry, care
for the sick.. but do not preach the gospel clearly. If the gospel is
preached, the souls will become responsible for what they hear and
therein be condemned". Thus, we too would trust in a God who "is
merciful and will not ignorant Buhdists to Hell". Knowing apostolics
however, neither would we feed the hungry, we would stay home and say
that a tuesday night prayer meeting would cover the problem as we eat.

We must understand this clearly: There is NO KNOWN ALTERNATIVE to
receiving and following the truth of the gospel of the death, burial
and ressurection of the Lord Jesus Christ. To truly have FAITH in God
is to believe what he communicates to us, and NOT fabricate
imaginations concerning Him. We are instructed that there is inately a
problem in man, and to be born again is the ONLY HOPE of even seeing
the Kingdom of God.

Had there been such a habit of God sending the gospel by some means
other than the church to every person, before missionaries got there..
These people would be themselves sending out missionaries. The deepest
corners of the dark would be basins of divine light! The fruits of the
spirit would overflow from "Shangrilas" around the world. Hardly!
Wickedness and gross darkness that would shock the ordinary person
typically fermented in these places. The accounts of missionary work
are replete with confirmations of this fact.  No friend, that is a
wicked imagination.=20

The true gospel is delivered in the midst of a battlefield where every
kind of power is waring against it. In the very great complexity of
civilization, the battle rages on. On the horizons of modern world,
the same message saves the soul. And every soul that will be saved
must be reached by a preacher of Righteousness. Difficult as it is to
comprehend, and moving as it is to reflect on, God depends on his
church, and bride to be His compassionate, and self sacrificing body.

The gospel trumpet is sounding in every ear, as it must if a harvest
of souls is going to take place, but every trumpet must be sounded by
one who is equipped, positioned and comitted, and who is carrying his
cross. Questions like this arise from time to time indicating that we
must shake ourselves and return to the battle, and cease from vain
imaginations.

Now you ask, what about those in remote regions who do appear to have
received the gospel. Don't be confused: the name may have been
forgotten, but the seed of the gospel was planted there by some
disciple who was obedient to his call, and to God alone be the glory.
SOMEONE gave his life and therein brought life to those people. Here,
we need to know, IF you arent willing to GO. IF you arent able to go,
then it is YOUR burden to pray without ceasing, and to GIVE that some
soul might be sent. Here is where the duplicity comes.. Yes, if you do
not, someone else will... If there is no money for missions in your
pocket, then God will bless and prosper someone whose accounts are not
sealed up, preventing their blessing. If there is in your mind the
idea that there is some alternative to the gospel, be careful that God
does not add to you the plauges of the book on one hand, while on the
other taking away the part that you would deny someone else, expecting
them to be saved in idol worship or ignorance.=20

Removing the imperative of the gospel is a very serious matter. The
gospels leave no place for any other conclusion: Reaching our world
with the gospel is TOP PRIORITY, for souls are lost when we fail.

Lets stop dabbling  in "what if" theology... Im pretty sure the nice
people of my family who did not receive the gospel, pehaps because
people were too self-centered to allow themselves to be used of God,
died without hope. I KNOW that I would have

Take a -good look- at the Apostolic church in the pages of scripture.
Paul LIVED TO serve. His heart was to give his life for the salvation
of sinners. He simply said "I m a debtor and I am ready". The question
is not "what if I don't?" - that is answered. Souls will be lost. They
question is, "how do I compare to Jesus Christ ?"

If we wish to say "we are the church", we will have to accept this.

-mwb