One thing we know for certain is that every single person one day will stand before God. Will they have an excuse? Will God accept "I never heard?"
Romans 1:20 tells us, "For the invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world (from the time of creation up till now), the invisible things of God, and please notice the clarity, are CLEARLY seen. So, there's no confusion! And then we see the comprehension: "being understood by the things that are made (referring to creation). Verse 20 ends by saying that "they are without excuse."
Not a single person will ever stand before God and say, "I didn't know," or "no one ever told me." Through creation, God testifies to man that there is a God. No one will have an excuse!
Psalm 19:1-4 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God. And the firmament shows His handywork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." So, we know that there's no language or speech that God's creation cannot reach.
God has His testimony draped over us every night as well as the sun beating down on us during the day, and it is all a testimony. Somebody had to create that, someone so powerful that they created the entire universe. Even the psalmist says that there is a testimony in the heavens that God is using to illuminate a person's spirit and their conscience to make them consciously aware that there is a God. They might not know His name, but He's out there!
John 1:9 tells us that every person born into this world is enlightened. Again, no one will have an excuse. God's Spirit is able to reach every person that comes into this world one way or another. If never hearing about Jesus or the gospel message could be used as an excuse, and God accepts that excuse and grants salvation, wouldn't it be beneficial is no one ever heard?
I am sure we all have thought about that, but it is hard to answer. We have a loving and just God wanting all to come to Him and be saved because He gave His only Son for the redemption of sins. Some may say no since the only way to the Father is through the Son but what about those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus?
All of us have a conscience and the knowledge of good and evil, some get to a point of no return and God gives them over to a reprobate mind, Romans 1:28. Some go so far into evil that their conscience is seared with a hot iron, 1 Timothy 4:2, they do not know good from evil. I do not know if you have ever met someone like that, but you can see cold darkness in their eyes.
If we read Romans 1-16 it is not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law for they, have it written in their heart and their conscience bears witness. Our conscience records all we have ever done or thought. I believe this is about those who have heard the gospel and those who did not have a chance to hear it.
Many take the great white throne judgment as for the lost only, but I believe this is for those who are not in the first resurrection, Revelation 20:4-6. My understanding is the great white throne judgment goes with Daniel 12:2John 5:28-29Matthew 25:31-46 and Revelation 20:11-15.
As it says in Revelation 20:15 all that was not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. So, to me, this is all the rest of the dead Revelation 20:5 if some were not found, some are found in the Book of Life. Some who lived before Jesus first came and some after Jesus came who never heard the gospel, their conscience bearing witness, will be found in the Book of Life. As we see in John 8:9Acts 24:16Romans 9:12 Corinthians 1:121 Timothy 3:9Hebrews 13:18.
One thing we know for certain is that every single person one day will stand before God. Will they have an excuse? Will God accept "I never heard?"
Romans 1:20 tells us, "For the invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world (from the time of creation up till now), the invisible things of God, and please notice the clarity, are CLEARLY seen. So, there's no confusion! And then we see the comprehension: "being understood by the things that are made (referring to creation). Verse 20 ends by saying that "they are without excuse."
Not a single person will ever stand before God and say, "I didn't know," or "no one ever told me." Through creation, God testifies to man that there is a God. No one will have an excuse!
Psalm 19:1-4 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God. And the firmament shows His handywork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." So, we know that there's no language or speech that God's creation cannot reach.
God has His testimony draped over us every night as well as the sun beating down on us during the day, and it is all a testimony. Somebody had to create that, someone so powerful that they created the entire universe. Even the psalmist says that there is a testimony in the heavens that God is using to illuminate a person's spirit and their conscience to make them consciously aware that there is a God. They might not know His name, but He's out there!
John 1:9 tells us that every person born into this world is enlightened. Again, no one will have an excuse. God's Spirit is able to reach every person that comes into this world one way or another. If never hearing about Jesus or the gospel message could be used as an excuse, and God accepts that excuse and grants salvation, wouldn't it be beneficial is no one ever heard?
Just my thoughts!
I am sure we all have thought about that, but it is hard to answer. We have a loving and just God wanting all to come to Him and be saved because He gave His only Son for the redemption of sins. Some may say no since the only way to the Father is through the Son but what about those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus?
All of us have a conscience and the knowledge of good and evil, some get to a point of no return and God gives them over to a reprobate mind, Romans 1:28. Some go so far into evil that their conscience is seared with a hot iron, 1 Timothy 4:2, they do not know good from evil. I do not know if you have ever met someone like that, but you can see cold darkness in their eyes.
If we read Romans 1-16 it is not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law for they, have it written in their heart and their conscience bears witness. Our conscience records all we have ever done or thought. I believe this is about those who have heard the gospel and those who did not have a chance to hear it.
Many take the great white throne judgment as for the lost only, but I believe this is for those who are not in the first resurrection, Revelation 20:4-6. My understanding is the great white throne judgment goes with Daniel 12:2 John 5:28-29 Matthew 25:31-46 and Revelation 20:11-15.
As it says in Revelation 20:15 all that was not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. So, to me, this is all the rest of the dead Revelation 20:5 if some were not found, some are found in the Book of Life. Some who lived before Jesus first came and some after Jesus came who never heard the gospel, their conscience bearing witness, will be found in the Book of Life. As we see in John 8:9 Acts 24:16 Romans 9:1 2 Corinthians 1:12 1 Timothy 3:9 Hebrews 13:18.
This is my understanding.
God bless,
RLW
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