HEATHENISM
Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, be
sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9)
You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to
learn Truth from the Word of God.
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth,"
(John 4:24)
THE UNSEEN SOUL
In remote mountains, jungles, and deserts, peoples of primitive culture
have lived for centuries far removed from the mainstream of commerce and
civilization. How can these individuals decide for or against the Lord Jesus
Christ? The skeptics ask, “What about the heathen who have never heard the
Gospel?”
Right away, we will correct at least one point in such a question: “What
about the heathen who have apparently never heard?”
This is not really a topic of debate. In this book, we are not primarily
concerned with satisfying skeptics, (Although any honest skeptic will find the
answers he needs). The answer to the question about isolated, heathen people
sheds light on God’s character, on the all-inclusive extent of His plan, on the
alternatives which the free will of man must face. As a category of basic Truth,
this study of heathenism is important to positive believers; it is not merely a
reason why there are those who are negative toward the Word of God.
In our approach to the subject of heathenism, we need to understand the
soul of man. In, (Isa 43:7) three Hebrew words connected with the creation of
man establish the origin of the soul.
Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My
glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made. (Isa 43:7)
First, “created” is the verb bara: “to create something out of nothing.” The
“something” created is not necessarily visible or observed. (Gen 1:27;
Gen 5:1-2; Isa 45:18) Second, “formed” jatsar: “to sculpt, to fashion.”
(Gen 2:7; Isa 45:18) And third, “made” is asah: “to construct out of existing
materials.” (Gen 1:26; Isa 45:18; Isa 57:16) Bara indicates that out of nothing
was created an unseen, immaterial part of man. This inner essence is identified
in passages throughout the Bible as the soul. We must turn back to the Book of
Genesis, however, to discover the difference between bara and asah in relation
to man’s soul.
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky
and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that
creeps on the earth." (Gen 1:26)
This statement of the plan of God uses asah to anticipate the creation of
man’s personality out of the essence of his soul. The noun tselem describes the
soul of man as a “shadow image” of Divine personality. Man has personality of
soul, just as God has personality; both personalities are real but invisible. The
three Members of the Godhead have identical essence; yet each is a different
Person — Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Similarly, all members of the human race
have basically the same essence of soul, but each is a different personality.
Man’s soul contains self-consciousness, mentality, faith, volition,
conscience and emotion. The mentality has two lobes. The left lobe, called the
nous or “mind” in the Greek, initially receives information and temporarily retains
what is not transferred to the right lobe; the right lobe, called the kardia or
“heart,” contains the frame of reference the memory center, the area for storing
vocabulary and categories, the conscience with its norms and standards, and
the launching pad for application to experience. The Trinity designed man “after
our pattern,” demuth, stressing that man’s personality stems from man’s soul-
essence, tselem.
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them. (Gen 1:27)
This refers to man’s soul, body, and spirit. (God the Father is the soul;
God the Son is the body and God the Holy Spirit is the spirit; and they are ONE
IN ESSENCE!) Here are the mechanics for the beginning of the human race.
The souls and spirits of both the man and the woman were created at one time,
but only the man’s body was formed, jatsar, on the sixth day of creation.
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Gen 2:7)
“Soul-life,” ne’shamah, or the life of God, is the spark that ignites life ---
that actually gives life. Adam did not become a living being until God breathed
into his soul the breath of life. This pattern continues for all of Adam’s
descendants: at the moment of physical birth, God imputes human life to the
Divinely prepared format soul, and the fetus becomes a real person. The first
man possessed both the soul and human spirit and was a trichotomous being.
(Body, soul, and human spirit) However, in the Fall, the human spirit was lost,
and man became dichotomous. (Body and soul only) Since that time, the human
spirit is activated only at the second birth — regeneration — which occurs at
Salvation. (Tit 3:5) The human spirit enables the individual to have fellowship
with God and to understand Spiritual phenomena. Notice the reason given in,
(Isa 43:7) for the creation of man’s soul: “For I have created him for my glory.”
When human freewill responds to grace in a non-meritorious way, God is free
to bless man without compromising His own character. Divine blessings to
undeserving man manifests the grace solution to the angelic conflict and
glorifies God. Therefore, it is essential that we examine briefly this ancient
conflict, for it has a definite bearing on our subject.
THE ANGELIC CONFLICT
Not only was man created to glorify God, but he was placed on the earth
to resolve the controversy between God and fallen angels. How long the conflict
has been raging is unknown. We do know that prior to the creation of man,
angels were originally in a state of perfection, just as man was. But when
Lucifer, the highest angel, revolted against God, one-third of the angels chose
to defect with him. (Rev 12:4) From this time on, there were two categories of
angels, elect and fallen. (1Ti 5:21; Isa 14:12-14) Isaiah recounts the five
arrogant “I wills” of that super-creature as he “walked up and down in the midst
of the stones of fire, “the throne room of God. (Eze 28:12-16)
"But you said in your heart, ’I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne
above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses
of the north. ’I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself
like the Most High.’ (Isa 14:13-14)
From this passage, it is clear that the angelic creation possessed volition
and thus could act independently of God’s will. The first sin committed by any
creature was one of negative volition. Satan and the angels who followed him
refused the plan of God. Therefore, some time in eternity past, a trial was held
in which Satan and the fallen angels were sentenced to the Lake of Fire. (Matt
25:41; Rev 20:10) From the fact that the sentence was pronounced before man’
s existence but not executed until after mankind’s time on earth, we can draw
two conclusions. First, Satan objected to his sentence as unfair; thus he
impugned the character of God and appealed the case. The titles ascribed to
the super-angel after his fall lead us to this first conclusion. “Satan” and “the
devil” mean “adversary, accuser, attorney” one who goes to court and appeals.
His obvious objection: “How can a loving God cast His creatures, (Fallen
angels, in this instance) into the Lake of Fire?” This complaint has been
disseminated in the human race; it overlooks the fact that God loves His
righteousness and justice!
Second, man was created to demonstrate to Satan that God’s character is
consistent, that His decisions are always perfectly just. (Psa 8:3-5; Heb 2:7) To
prove to Satan that God’s judgment was fair and compatible with His Divine
character, God brought upon the scene a new type of creature, lower than the
angels, whom He called Adam or “man.” Man’s body and the angels’ bodies
were fashioned differently, but inside resided the same tremendous free will. As
with angelic free will, man’s volition has two poles, positive and negative. God
placed man in perfect environment on the earth and provided for his every
need. But there had to be a test in order that his volition might function.
Therefore, two trees were planted in the center of the Garden. The first
tree, the tree of life, (Or literally, lives) from which man was allowed to eat,
represented positive volition toward the plan of God. To partake of this tree
meant continued response to God, appreciation and orientation to His plan. The
second tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was forbidden,
related to negative volition. (Gen 2:17)
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was prohibited in order to give
man a choice: to obey or to disobey God. This tree represented the plan and
policy of Satan. Evil is the thinking of Satan expressed in moral and immoral
degeneracy; which hinders man’s relationship with God. Under Spiritual death
and or carnality; man lacks a blessing relationship with God and is oriented
instead to systems of evil and human false reality. These systems embody
Satan’s plan; and are the sum total of his genius. Moral degeneracy is Satan’s
modus operandi. (An unvarying or habitual method or procedure) Immoral
degeneracy, his modus vivendi. (A manner of living that reflects the person’s
values and attitudes) (2Co 11:13-15; (2Ti 3:5; Rev 2:14-16)
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil become the focus of the
angelic conflict: The prohibition was a warning against Satan’s policy as well as
a test of man’s volition. Since God created free will. He could not and would not
coerce man’s decision. Human volition would eventually demonstrate the
solution to the angelic conflict!
Man, who was created perfect and without sin, was capable of only one
sin in the perfect environment of the Garden, and that was to act independently
of God — to elect to take of the forbidden fruit. (Sin and the sin nature) Once
man ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would come under
Satan’s plan. Of his own free will, man chose to act apart from God: he partook
of the restricted tree. (Gen 3:6) At that moment, he acquired the sin nature, to
which his first sin was immediately charged, (Or imputed) resulting in Spiritual
death. (Rom 6:23) Man lost his human spirit; his body and soul continued to
operate but under the old sin nature! Now the question was, would God send
this new creature, fallen man, to the Lake of Fire along with the fallen angels?
God cannot change His character to accommodate any creature, whether
angel or human being. God’s perfect character includes love; but God cannot
love in a way that is inconsistent with His other characteristics. When Satan
sinned, God made a decision compatible with His righteousness and justice as
well as with His love. Now, in answer to Satan’s appeal, God would
demonstrate that His decisions are always perfect. He would take the most
extreme case; He would provide the offer of Salvation for this totally
condemned, Spiritually dead creature called man without violating His own
righteousness.
STRATEGIC VICTORY
When the Second Person of the Trinity came walking in the Garden, Adam
and the woman attempted to hide themselves. No one can hide from
omniscient, omnipresent God; the first pair were simply manifesting their
condition of Spiritual death inability to have fellowship with God. Therefore, it
was Jesus Christ who in grace broke the silence, called Adam from his hiding
place, and began to question him. Out of this interrogation and subsequent
sentencing of all the offending parties, a Savior was promised — a Savior who
would assume the guilt of the man and woman and indeed that of the entire
human race.
In his sinful state, Adam faced a second test of volition. A new tree, the
Cross, was now the issue, as announced by the Lord’s indictment of Satan.
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed
and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on (And
with) the heel." (Gen 3:15) cf. (Psa 41:9; John 13:18)
There will always be hostility between grace and evil between God’s plan,
represented here by the woman, and Satan’s plan, represented by the serpent.
The woman would be the means of bringing Jesus Christ into the world; Christ
would win the strategic victory of the angelic conflict. After Satan failed to win a
decisive victory by luring the woman to the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, he would strike at Christ; in what he hoped would be the fatal blow —
“you” [Satan] shall bruise Him with your heel. [Christ was tempted, betrayed,
denied, treated with contempt, punched, spit on, whipped, was turned over to
beating, mocking and the Crucifixion] But the Resurrection, Ascension, and
Session of Christ hails the Lord as the Victor in this first phase of the strategic
victory in the angelic conflict! Believers are in union with Christ and therefore
are identified with this victory. The ultimate victory, stated first in our verse “He
[Christ] shall crush your [Satan’s] head” — is that time when all fallen angels will
be removed from the earth at the Second Advent of Christ. There is no way
Satan can win.
When Jesus Christ died on the Cross for the sins of the world, the justice
and righteousness of God were satisfied, and He was free to provide Salvation
for man. Condemnation precedes justification. The Cross forces a decision:
man can choose the saving work of Christ on his behalf, or he can elect to
stand on his own works. If man goes negative and chooses his own plan, he
must inevitably wind up in the Lake of Fire with Satan and the fallen angels.
(Psa 73:27)
TACTICAL VICTORY
Now that Jesus Christ has returned to heaven, the believer’s soul is the
battleground for the angelic conflict, which has escalated into full-scale warfare.
God has furnished the weapons for overcoming the satanic onslaughts! He has
armed us with the indwelling Holy Spirit, the royal priesthood of the believer, the
Written Canon of Scripture, and the function of the “Operation Z,” by which
every believer is able to understand the whole realm of the Word of Truth and
advance to Spiritual maturity. Illustration
As the believer avails himself of the Divine assets, (Eph 6:10-18) and
reaches maturity, he develops the capacity for God to bless him, even in the
devil’s world. Divine blessing to the believer is the tactical victory in the angelic
conflict.
DIVINE WILL VERSUS HUMAN WILL
God in His sovereignty made a decision which we call Operation Grace.
This is the plan for the Salvation of the human race: God’s decision was based
upon the fact that He is not willing that anyone should perish. Immediately, the
problem arises: but people of the human race do perish. People have died
without accepting Christ as Savior. Now, if it is God’s will that no one perish,
how can this be? What about the Papuans? The Hottentots? What about the
heathen?
The answer is quite simple: while God’s will is that no one should perish in
the Lake of Fire, people do die the Second Death because they choose to act
independently of God in rejecting Christ as Savior. (John 3:18) And this is never
a paradox. It is simply two situations which coexist because there are in
existence two wills — God’s will and man’s will. “The Lord is not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance [A change of mental
attitude toward Christ; and believers to stay in fellowship and Think with Truth]”
(2Pe 3:9). The choice is available to the human race, but often it is man’s will to
reject God’s perfect plan. There is a continual conflict, then, between the Divine
will and the human will.
INDEPENDENT VOLITION
Let us emphasize a very basic point: God has created a will which can act
independently of Himself; otherwise, God might be construed as the Author of
sin. The same free will that demonstrates the solution to the angelic conflict
also makes it possible for man to sin. Satan set the pattern: his was the first
sin, and it was a voluntary act involving his free will. Many angels followed suit
by making decisions of negative volition. Likewise, original sin in the human
race, involving first the woman and then the man, stemmed from the exercise of
negative volition. In both cases, the origin of sin came from a creature, not the
Creator. The Creator is perfect, and nothing which is imperfect can originate
from perfect God!
Had man been created without the freedom to make his own choice,
(Either negative or positive) there would have been no parallel to the case of
Satan and the fallen angels, and the angelic conflict would not have been
resolved. Angelic sin was judged; the sins of the world were judged. Christ
chose of His own free will to go to the Cross. He elected to be judged for the
sins of mankind. Homo sapiens possesses free will to either express faith in
Christ and be saved or to reject Him and be judged.
HISTORICAL EVANGELISM
Keep in mind our primary issue: What about the people who apparently
have never heard the Gospel? In other words, if the heathen do not hear the
way of Salvation, how can they be saved? First, let me say that this question
has been escalated into a problem far exceeding the facts — primarily from
ignorance of historical evangelism.
Most people talk about world evangelism as if it had been neglected for
centuries. Missionaries often say, “There are certain parts of the world that
have never been touched!” The trouble with this statement is that people do not
know history, much less, the history of evangelism.
The standard historical work of the English-speaking peoples are the
Cambridge Histories, which include Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History. Just
about the time historians had decided that the Bible was in error because it did
not jibe with traditional history concerning the Hittite Empire, a startling
development occurred. Archeology uncovered such vast new information that
scholars finally had to conclude that the Hittites were a great empire, not just a
small segment of people in Palestine. The first two volumes of the Cambridge
Ancient History were then withdrawn from publication to be revised to include
the Hittite Empire — whose existence, by the way, the Bible has always
affirmed! The same is true of other periods of history where tremendous gaps
exist. We can thus assume that there is a great deal we do not know about
history!
One of the major problems, therefore, in the evaluation of heathenism is
that we are not aware that people everywhere have heard the Gospel. We
assume that the world has never been completely evangelized. In reality, the
historical glimpses available reveal that it has been evangelized many times. In
a thirty-year ministry which began circa A.D. 240, Gregory Thaumaturgus
evangelized nearly the entire city of Neocaesarea, Pontus. (East of Bithynia)
His great missionary zeal became famous through stories which told of his
finding only seventeen Christians in the city when he arrived and only seventeen
unbelievers by the time he died!
The letters of Pliny the Younger contain abundant information about
Christians. Pliny was the governor of Bithynia, (Northern Turkey today) and his
correspondence with the Emperor Trajan furnishes valuable information as to
the position of the Church in the early years of the second century.
When Pantaenus of Alexandria traveled to India in A.D. 190, he found
many who were Christians as a result of Matthew’s work in the previous
century. He also discovered there the Epistle to the Hebrews.
It is said that very little of the Gospel has been received in China. Yet we
know from history that there have been great revivals there. In the sixth century,
long before Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission, the Nestorians went to
China. Discovered in Shensi province in 1625, the Sian Fu tablets record
something of the Nestorians’ great work of evangelism in China. These tablets
also preserve the decree of T’ai-tsung, (A famous prince) issued in A.D. 638, in
favor of the new Truth. Arabia, Mesopotamia, India, and Persia were also
reached by the Nestorians.
In addition, we have the quotations of the Church fathers. For example,
Justin Martyr, an early apologist, made a few observations on history:
There is no people, Greek or barbarian, or of any other race, by
whatsoever appellation or manners they may be distinguished, however
ignorant of arts or agriculture [And you really had to be primitive in those days
to be ignorant of agriculture] whether they dwell in tents or wander about in
covered wagons [an allusion to the Scythians] among whom prayers and
thanksgivings are not offered in the name of the crucified Jesus to the Father...
This reference to the Scythians indicates the evangelization of the southern
plains of Russia to the fringes of Mongolia.
Tertullian said, “We are but of yesterday, and yet we already fill your
cities, islands, camps, your palace, senate and forum; we have left to you only
your temples.”
Origen noted, “in all Greece and in all the barbarous races within our
world, there are tens of thousands who have left their national laws and
customary gods for the Word of Jesus Christ.”
Eusebius, the famous historian of the third century, said with regard to
evangelism in the second and third centuries:
There flourished at that time many successors to the apostles, who reared
the edifice on the foundations which they laid, continuing the work of preaching
the gospel... A very large number of disciples, carried away by fervent love of
the Truth, which the Divine Word had revealed to them... taking leave of their
country, fulfilled the office of evangelists, coveting eagerly to preach Christ and
to carry the glad tidings of God to those who had not heard the Word of faith.
And after laying the foundations of the faith in some remote and barbarous
countries, establishing pastors among them and confiding to them the care of
those young settlements, without stopping longer, they hastened on to other
nations, attended by the grace of God.
These missionaries of the second century established indigenous churches
in many nations. The Gospel spread and with it, the whole realm of Truth.
Evangelism began with the Fall of man when Adam and the woman first
needed the Gospel. The Lord sought them out in the Garden and personally
presented them with information about the Seed of the Woman. (Gen 3:15) The
Gospel is the heritage of the entire human race and spread throughout the
world as the population spread. This is reiterated in the family of Noah, all of
whom were believers. The Gospel is not something new; it is something
extremely old. But let us note how the message of the historical Cross spread
throughout the world.
The Bible itself records numerous instances of evangelism throughout the
world. For example, we know from, (1Ti 3:16; Col 1:6; Acts 17:6) that the
world was evangelized in the first century. The word which is used for “world” in
these passages is a term for the inhabited earth. In other words, you
evangelize people!
The Day of Pentecost was itself a time of extensive evangelism. As
recorded in, (Acts 2:9-11) people from many countries of the far-flung Roman
Empire heard the Good News on that day. Many of them responded to the
Gospel, and they returned to their own countries with the message of Salvation.
We find concentrated evangelism throughout the book of Acts. Peter
started in Judea, Philip in Samaria, Barnabus in Cyprus, Nicolas in Antioch, and
the eunuch returned to Ethiopia with the Gospel where a large population of
believers developed. For several hundred years Christianity flourished in
northern and central Africa. As Paul traveled the Roman world, there was
tremendous evangelization wherever he went — Asia Minor, Macedonia,
Greece, Dalmatia, Italy, Spain.
By the end of the first century, the Gospel had been carried from
Jerusalem to the four corners of the earth. No amount of persecution could
arrest its advance. Toward the East it had reached Mesopotamia and Parthia.
In the West it had spread to Gaul and Spain. The Church was growing in the
great cities of Rome, Alexandria, and Carthage. It was very strong in Antioch
and Ephesus, as well as in Corinth. Christian groups could be found throughout
Syria, Arabia, and Illyricum. Such was the result of seventy years’ work in the
face of constant opposition.
The historical record affirms that world evangelism has never ceased.
There is no village so small or isolated as to elude the gaze of our omniscient
and gracious God. Where positive volition exists. He provides Gospel
information. Furthermore, prophecy in the book of, (Rev 7:1-17; Rev 14:1-7)
teaches that the world will be evangelized in the future. These examples of
evangelism are not cited to give you the impression that you are excused from
the responsibility of personal evangelism, but to show that the question, “What
about those who have never heard?” is a false issue.
HEATHENISM FROM GOD’S VIEWPOINT
In spite of advanced technology in communications, people in remote
areas have very little contact with the outside world. What about them? Who is
to tell them the Good News? There are several ways to answer this question.
First, let us consider them from the standpoint of God’s essence.
God is sovereign and possesses supreme volition. He is absolute
Righteousness. (+R in contrast to -R, man’s relative righteousness) Justice is
the complete fairness of God. God is perfect Love — enduring,
uncompromising, exclusive of human sentimentality.
God not only possesses eternal life, but He is absolute Existence. The
omniscience of God is His perfect knowledge and wisdom; omnipotence. His
limitless power and ability; omnipresence, His personal presence everywhere.
God is Immutable unalterable, unchangeable. In veracity, we see the absolute
Truth of God. How does God’s essence apply to the problem of heathenism?
Sovereignty. This is the application of God’s volition to the situation.
According to, (2Pe 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some
men count slackness; but is long-suffering to toward, you, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” It is not God’s desire for
anyone to perish in the Lake of Fire; therefore, if anyone does so, it is by an act
of his own free will. No one perishes by God’s direct will. While there is only
one way of Salvation, (John 14:6) every member of the human race is free to
accept or to reject that way!
Absolute Righteousness and Justice. These two characteristics, which
form God’s holiness or integrity, guarantee impartiality and fairness toward ALL
mankind, for there is neither iniquity nor respect of persons with God.
(2Ch 19:7; Rom 2:11) This means that in the judgment or condemnation of the
human race, it is impossible for God to make a wrong decision. A human being
might return a good judgment today and a bad judgment tomorrow, as indeed
we have witnessed in the court system of our country; but it would be
incompatible with God’s perfect Righteousness to render a decision that was
not just. Righteousness is the principle of Divine integrity; justice is its function.
Righteousness demands righteousness; justice demands justice. What
righteousness demands, justice executes.
Love. Like all other Divine attributes, God’s love was never acquired but
belongs eternally to His Being and exists independent of external objects or
occasions for love. Internally, each Member of the Trinity loves His own
righteousness. And since the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each possess
the same perfect righteousness, Divine love is also external, from one Person
of the Godhead to the Others: God the Father loves God the Son and God the
Holy Spirit with the same absolute love which He has for Himself. Likewise the
Son loves the Father and the Spirit, and the Spirit loves the Father and the Son.
This external aspect of God’s love extends to Divine righteousness wherever it
is found even when it is imputed to each believer at Salvation. (Psa 11:7; Rom
4:3-6) Thus God loves imperfect believers without compromising His own
perfection!
Related to the problem of heathenism, God is eager to impute His
righteousness to anyone who might believe and to make that person an object
of His magnificent, infinite love.
Eternal Life. God is Eternal Life, and He knows that unless we possess His
life we cannot have a permanent relationship with Him. He desires that we have
such an eternal relationship, and He has a plan which, at great expense, (The
Cross) has provided everything necessary. There is no way that He would let
so thorough a plan go unrevealed: He will impute eternal life to anyone who
believes in Christ. Furthermore, eternal life means that God has always existed.
ALWAYS He has known about and provided for every possible hindrance to
anyone’s Salvation.(Rom 2:4) If anyone does not receive eternal life it is solely
by his own choosing.
Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence. These three attributes insure
God’s ability in every situation. Because God is omniscient, He knows about
every individual. His omnipotence gives Him the power to deal with each human
being on a personal basis. Omnipresent God is always everywhere; He
therefore overlooks no one. (2Ch 16:9; Psa 34:15) We tend to limit God to our
own finite abilities; but God has placed upon Himself only one restriction: He will
not tamper with our volition! (He will not make us believe in Him; or believe and
Think with His Word)
Immutability. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; (Heb 13:8) it
is impossible for Him to change; (Mal 3:6) He is always faithful. (Lam 3:21-28)
In eternity past, God formulated one plan for the Salvation of man, and this has
never changed. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does
not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
(John 3:36)
Veracity. “God is not a man that he should lie...” (Num 23:19) He has
promised to reveal Himself in every generation, and He will keep His Word. “In
hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world
began.” (Tit 1:2; cf. Heb 6:18) God is absolute Truth; His character is
unassailable; there is no deception in Him. When we read in the Bible that “God
is not willing that any should perish,” we know that God’s plan includes
everyone!
So, when we consider the characteristics of God’s essence, there can be
but one conclusion: God is fair to every person in the world, regardless of
geographical location, linguistic barrier, or any other factor of isolation. But do
not distort this concept into a non-aggression pact! There is a bona fide need
for aggressive evangelism, and this should be supported by the local church.
Everyone will have the opportunity to be saved, and God uses individuals in the
human race to accomplish this. We call this “missionary activity.” However,
successful missionary operations depend on the positive volition of those who
hear.
UNLIMITED ATONEMENT
We have seen that everyone who wants to hear does receive Gospel
information. Let us look at heathenism from a second point of view: the Truth of
unlimited atonement. “Atonement” is the work of Christ on the Cross on behalf
of mankind. In the Old Testament times, the Hebrew word for atonement meant
“a covering,” and foreshadowed the Cross. The animal sacrifices were a
“covering” for sin until the literal sacrifice of Christ propitiated, (Satisfied) the
Father. In the New Testament, atonement always refers to the saving work of
Christ. The idea that atonement is limited to the elect, rather than accomplished
for all mankind, is unfounded. “Whosoever” in such passages as,
(John 3:15-16) extends Salvation to any and all members of the human race.
Christ died for everyone!
If God wants everyone to be saved, if He is not willing that any should
perish, then in Operation Grace He must provide a Salvation which includes
everyone, regardless of geographical location. And He did! Therefore, Salvation
is perfect because it does not exclude any human being. Christ did not die for
the elect alone; He died for those who would not believe as well as for those
who would believe.
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that One died for
all, therefore all died. (2Co 5:14)
You see, Christ paid the penalty for all who were Spiritually dead --- for
everyone who has ever lived. Remember, every person is born Spiritually dead
because of Adam’s original sin.
Therefore, as by one man [Adam] sin [Sin and the sin nature]entered into
the world, and [Spiritual] death by sin; and so death passed upon all men for
that all have sinned. (Rom 5:12)
For whom did Christ die? For everyone, because everyone is born under Divine
condemnation.
And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for
themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (2Co 5:15)
Notice the important phrase, “He died for all.” In, (2Co 5:19) unlimited
atonement is amplified: “Namely, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto himself...” This is not the elect, but the world! (1Ti 2:6) speaks of Jesus
Christ, “Who gave Himself a ransom for all...”
Christ is the Savior of all men in the sense that He died for all men. “For
therefore we both labor and wrestle, because we trust in the living God, who is
the Savior of all men...” (1Ti 4:10) Of course, this does not imply that all men
are saved; it merely says that Salvation is provided for all. Each man must
accept or reject Salvation. Peter recognizes that some will reject God’s gift of
Salvation.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be
false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon
themselves. (2Pe 2:1)
There will be believers who deny the Lord Jesus Christ although He bought
them with His own blood! (His saving work and judgment on the Cross)
Salvation is complete even for these false teachers; they need only accept it!
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but
also for those of the whole world. (1Jn 2:2)
Who enters the plan of God? Any individual in the human race who accepts
Christ as Savior! You enter this plan by an act of volition. (Acts 16:31) Once
you enter God’s plan, you are under Operation Grace forever, and you can
never get out from under it! (John 10:28)
We have covered Salvation as God’s perfect grace provision for all
members of the human race. But how does man become aware of this
provision? How does he recognize his need for Salvation? How can he desire a
relationship with God, of whom he has no knowledge?
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS
God-consciousness can be defined as recognition of the existence of a
Supreme Being. At some point in life, every normal person reaches God-
consciousness. The specific age varies among individuals and depends on
several factors, including mentality, geographical location, and education. In
some cases the point of God-consciousness, also termed the “age of
accountability,” might not be reached until the late teens or early twenties. But
in every individual, God-consciousness involves mental activity and information
on which to act. Let us first see how man acquires information.
(1) Empiricism: is perception of reality through the senses. What you see,
touch, taste, hear, or smell are real to you.
(2) Rationalism: is perception through reason.
(3) Occultism: is demon thoughts transmitted to and through the sin nature.
(4) Faith: is acceptance of an established criterion as the basis of real or
false reality.
Whether you know it or-not, you have used all of these systems --- all of
your life, a teacher said, “1 + 1 = 2.” You didn’t know this until you heard it, and
at that point you believed it! This was the exercise of faith. As you advanced
through algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, you developed your capacity
for math by applying rationalism and empiricism.
In learning geography, do you remember when you first found out that
there was a country called England and a city called London? Did you question
these facts? No, you accepted them on faith. In the same way, you accepted
by faith that the U.S.A. is comprised of many states and that the world is made
up of numerous countries and different types of people. These facts could be
verified through empiricism and rationalism.
Faith is a normal mental process through which you assimilate a vast
amount of information. Using faith, each generation can build upon the learning
of previous generations. We accept many things as being true without having to
experience them personally or discover them for ourselves through reason. You
can see that faith is non-meritorious.
How does a person reach God-consciousness? Man has the ability to
arrive at God-consciousness through the activity of his own mind. I would like to
suggest a number of different ways by which the human mind becomes aware
of God.
The Religious Approach. When you first hear about God, you may draw a
complete blank! But as you hear more and discover that other people believe in
His existence, you eventually become aware that God is an actual Being.
The Moral or Anthropological Approach. Every person has volition and
conscience; he has the ability to distinguish right from wrong. The very structure
of society is based on the human recognition of Virtue and Truth. This
phenomenon has no explanation apart from the existence of God. A material,
ungoverned universe can know nothing of God’s values and distinctions apart
from the absolute righteousness of a Supreme Being.
The Ontological Approach. Since the human mind possesses the idea of a
perfect and absolute Being, such a Being exists. Apart from religious
tendencies previously considered, the existence of God is a necessary ideal-
tendency of the human mind. Beyond the relative which man measures, there is
the Absolute, which gives character or value to the relative.
The Teleological Approach. The structure of the universe demands a
Designer. Both telescopic and microscopic phenomena display order, design,
arrangement, purpose, adaptation, behind which there must be a Master
Planner. The orderliness of all matter, from the structure of an atom to the
configuration of galaxies, is as likely to occur spontaneously as a
Shakespearean sonnet in a can of alphabet soup!
Stellar bodies of enormous dimensions hurtle through space at staggering
speeds, yet their paths are perfectly and consistently patterned. When you
observe the design of the universe, you realize that Someone was behind it all.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal
power and Divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through
what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Rom 1:20)
The Cosmological Approach. The intuitive law of cause and effect
demands the existence of God. As you ask, What caused this? Then, What
caused that? And What caused that? You eventually reach the original cause.
In no sense can the universe be its own cause. Order and arrangement in the
universe demand both a Creator and a Preserver. (Col 1:16-17) If we exclude
God, then for us the design, arrangement, order, function, and operation of the
universe become unsolvable problems of infinite proportion!
These are just five representative ways in which man can reach God-
consciousness. There may be combinations of these approaches, and there
may be other ways. My objective is not to exhaust the subject, but rather to
develop the principle that all normal members of the human race do reach God-
consciousness.
There are cases in which people do not reach God-consciousness, and we
need to look at these exceptions. When any member of the human race dies
before reaching God-consciousness, that person is saved by grace. Who would
come under this category?
(1) Babies who die are saved because they never reach the age of
accountability. (2) Mentally deficient, individuals who lack the intelligence to
reach God-consciousness are automatically saved.
AFTER GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS, WHAT?
Upon reaching God-consciousness, you have a choice: do you desire a
relationship with God or not? If your volition is negative, then God is not obliged
to provide Gospel information. But if you have positive volition toward God, then
He will supply the Good News of Christ by which you can be saved.
These principles were evident in my own life. You see, I was an adult
before I believed in Christ as Savior. As a child I never went to church, except
on rare occasions. As a little boy I heard people talking about God, and I came
to an awareness of His existence. Apparently I had a real interest in learning
about God, but I did not pursue that interest until much later. The point is that I
recall instances from my childhood which I can definitely identify as positive
volition. So, even though there was a lapse of time, the responsibility was God’
s to provide the information on which I could make a decision. I heard the
Gospel and believed. This fulfilled the principle that if any member of the human
race, after becoming aware of God, desires relationship with Him, then God will
give him the opportunity.
Remember, positive volition at God-consciousness does not constitute
Salvation. This awareness calls for action from the justice of God to reveal the
Gospel. Many times missionaries have had the experience of going into some
remote area where there are linguistic barriers. When they finally overcome this
hindrance and establish communication, immediately the people respond to the
Gospel. Often they ask, “Where have you been? We have been waiting for this
all our lives!” This is a perfect illustration of positive volition waiting for Truth.
We should note several verses that link positive volition at God-
consciousness with the promise of more revelation.
If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the Teaching, whether it is
of God or whether I speak from Myself. (John 7:17)
“His will” connotes purpose and design: the plan of God for Salvation.
(1Jn 3:23) “Truth” means categories of Divine information: the principles of
Christ’s Person and saving work are in view here. Desire for relationship with
God is also expressed in: (Jer 29:13)
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart!
In, (Acts 17:1) Paul addresses the Athenian intellectuals. To their
demanding ears he makes clear the mechanics of Salvation. In doing so he
explains why mankind is divided into nations the fourth Divine institution: the
laws of Divine establishment protect human freedom so evangelism can occur in
every generation.
And hath made of one blood [Origin] of all nations of men for to dwell on all
the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the
bounds of their habitation. (Acts 17:26)
The Divine institutions are essential; they preserve the human race during
the course of the angelic conflict. Without law and order provided by the
principles of nationalism, the function of volition would be stifled and evangelism
would be virtually impossible.
That they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find
Him, though He is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:27)
To “Seek the Lord” is positive volition at the point of God-consciousness.
The phrase, “might feel after him,” means to grope for Him in the dark. Aware
of God’s existence but ignorant of His nature, the positive unbeliever seeks
enlightenment.
God sometimes directs Gospel information toward a person with negative
volition so that those with positive volition will have the opportunity to hear and
believe. Such was the case with the Pharaoh of Moses’ time. Moses told
Pharaoh not only how to receive personal Salvation, but how to deliver Egypt
from Divine discipline as well. But Pharaoh’s volition had been negative at the
point of God-consciousness. Therefore, when he heard the Gospel, he rejected
the Truth and hardened his own heart. Moses repeatedly warned Pharaoh of
the consequences of his unbelief and disobedience; Pharaoh repeatedly failed
to heed the warnings, further hardening his heart. Divine judgments against
Egypt --- the ten plagues demonstrated God’s power, and news of Moses’
words to Pharaoh was widely disseminated. Before Pharaoh relented and
released the Jews from slavery, there was a great revival throughout the
empire. When the Jews moved out in the Exodus, a large number of saved
Gentiles went along, too.
WHO ARE THE HEATHEN?
We have seen that all normal members of the human race reach God-
consciousness. Then, volition is either positive or negative toward God. If
positive, they will hear about the Lord. Consequently, the heathen are heathen
not because they have never heard, but because they have either heard and
rejected the Truth, or because they had negative volition at God-consciousness.
Very simply, the heathen are those who have not believed in Christ as Savior.
(Rom 1:17-32) outlines the history of heathenism and carnality and
describes the consequences of rejection of the Truth.
For in it [In the Gospel of Christ] is the righteousness of God revealed from
faith to faith: as it is written. "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY
FAITH." (GOD’S THINKING) (Rom 1:17)
When the righteousness of God, revealed in the Gospel, is rejected, the
consequence is a revelation of the wrath of God. For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
hold the Truth in unrighteousness. (Rom 1:18)
“Ungodliness” is a mental attitude of rejecting Christ and the Gospel, while
“unrighteousness’ indicates the carnality of believers. Those who hold or resist;
(Katecho) the Truth of the Gospel have taken the path of negative volition
toward God and His Word: this is the formula for heathenism and carnality!
Because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God
made it evident to them. (Rom 1:19)
Here, the ontological approach to perception of God is in view. The
individual who is aware of God but negative toward Him and or His Word is
personally responsible for making that decision. The Reality of God has
become evident to him, yet he repudiates that knowledge! The wrath of God
against negative volition at God-consciousness is both just and fair.
Here are the teleological and cosmological approaches to awareness of
God. Even from the creation of man, God has made known His power and
Divine nature. He has chosen to reveal His existence at God-consciousness and
His plan of Salvation at Gospel-hearing. Consequently, if the unbeliever has no
excuse for his negative attitude at God-consciousness, he has even less of a
defense for rejecting Christ as Savior. God is totally just in condemning the
unbeliever at the Last Judgment (Rev 20:12-15)
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal
power and Divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through
what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Rom 1:20)
Here are the teleological, (Greek: Telos: end, purpose) is the philosophical
study of design and purpose. A teleological school of thought is one that holds
all things to be designed for or directed toward a final result, that there is an
inherent purpose or final cause for all that exists) And cosmological approaches
to awareness of God. (A cosmological argument is an argument that the
universe demands the admission of an adequate external cause which is God)
Even from the creation of man, God has made known His power and Divine
nature. He has chosen to reveal His existence at God-consciousness and His
plan of Salvation at Gospel-hearing. Consequently, if the unbeliever has no
excuse for his negative attitude at God-consciousness, he has even less of a
defense for rejecting Christ as Savior. God is totally just in condemning the
unbeliever at the Last Judgment. (Rev 20:12-15)
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give
thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was
darkened. (Rom 1:21)
When the unbeliever becomes aware that “the God” is Jesus Christ, the
only Savior, and yet rejects Him, a vacuum, (Futile ---Emptiness) is developed
in his thoughts, (Speculations) and darkness fills the right lobe of the soul.
(Heart) This is the precursor of heathenism.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the
Incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and
four-footed animals and crawling creatures. (Rom 1:22-23)
The delusion of the heathen is his assumption that human solutions to life
are wise; yet when darkness in the right lobe is applied to life; it can only
amount to foolishness! Whenever Truth is rejected, falsehood is embraced.
Inevitably, therefore, unbelievers and carnal believers must find a substitute for
the Truth they have rejected. They seek to fill the void with false thoughts ---
gods of polytheism, pantheism, or animism, (The doctrine that all natural
objects and the universe itself have souls) and endeavor to explain life by
evolution, deism, (The form of theological rationalism that believes in God on
the basis of reason without reference to revelation) or materialism. (The
philosophical theory that matter is the only reality) Thus the pattern of
heathenism: God-consciousness and Gospel-hearing; rejection of Truth;
acceptance of falsehood.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so
that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the
Truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the
Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Rom 1:24-25)
“Therefore” is literally “because of which” and refers to “their foolish heart
was darkened” in, (Rom 1:21). God allows man to carry his stubborn volition to
its logical conclusion — heathenism. Heathenism is broadcast by a perversion
of Truth. The mechanics of both religious and political liberalism are explained in
these two verses. Liberalism exploits the ignorance of man by appealing to his
emotions and lusts. Liberals satisfy their own egos and guilt complexes by
trying to play God! By their own mental distortions and machinations, (Satan’s
thoughts) they seek to establish a perfect world without God! Whether
socialism, communism, or some other form of philosophical materialism, their
“new world order” always represents the same pattern of human “sin nature
good”: man by man’s efforts attempting to create perfect environment.
Liberalism is just another brand of heathenism behind a veneer of "good." The
remainder of, (Rom 1:26-32) describes the ramifications and perversions which
accrue from heathenism.
The manifestations of heathenism are rampant in our own country today.
We have a breakdown of authority at all levels. We see revolution in our
streets, every form of sexual perversion, a soaring crime rate, drug addiction,
the breakdown of marriage and family ties, a loss of national esprit de corps,
the undermining of our military establishment and national defense, the release
of criminals and traitors to repeat their crimes, the ridicule of prayer and the
Bible. All of this gives us pause; will history record the twentieth century United
States of America as a heathen nation? Remember that heathenism knows no
boundaries. It is found in every area of the world and in all walks of life where
people are negative to the Word of God. How may its insidious advance be
halted? Paul states the answer in this same chapter of Romans.
THE ANSWER TO HEATHENISM
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise
and to the foolish. (Rom 1:14)
Paul, along with every believer, has an obligation to unbelievers — namely,
to communicate the Gospel to them. In addition, the pastor-teacher is
responsible to teach Truth to all believers: to the wise those who are mature; to
the unwise the immature; as well as to reversionistic believers who need to
relearn Truth. (John 21:15-17)
So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in
Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
(Rom 1:15-16)
A mental attitude of readiness should characterize every believer. Whenever the
Lord opens the door to witness, the believer must be fortified with accurate and
clear information from a thorough knowledge of the Thoughts of Salvation. Only
as the Gospel is disseminated and Truth communicated can the tide of
heathenism in this nation or in any nation be halted!
End
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