What about the person without the Bible? What about those who have never heard of Jesus? Will they be held accountable for breaking God’s Law? Or Face God’s judgment? According to Scripture, “the work of the Law is written on their hearts.” And the Bible even gives multiple examples of God judging people and nations who have never heard God’s Law. Consider some of them… even before God gave Moses the Law at Mount Sinai God held men accountable for their wickedness against the work of the Law written on their consciences. 1) God flooded the whole earth and saved Noah’s family because “the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5). 2) The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were likewise annihilated for practices they knew were wrong (Genesis 19:7; Genesis 18:20-19:25). 3) And after the Exodus, God employed Israel to destroy the wicked Canaanites for their sin, just as He had indicated to Abraham 400 years earlier that He would give Israel the land after a period of slavery but they would have to wait “until the iniquity of the Amorite was complete” (Genesis 15:12-16).
“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 2:14-16)
Many will, no doubt, gnash their teeth at this aspect of Biblical revelation but it is plain and reminds us that when Christ returns, He comes not to bear sin, but to judge the world and bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Heb 9:27)
All the more reason to be vigilant in prayer for the lost and to send workers to every nation of the world to gather the harvest.
Thu, 05/21/2015