What about those who have never heard - Part 1

Natural Revelation Leaves People Without Excuse

What about those who have never heard? Good evening and welcome to Sunday night Bible study with Pastor Josiah Shipley of Witton Baptist Church. We've done this one before but we'll do it again because it was asked In our little Q &A session in Sunday night Bible study.

What about those who've never heard the gospel? Do they go straight to hell? Do they get a free pass and go to heaven? What happens in them? We had six questions asked in our Q &A session on Sunday night Bible study here in person at Witton.

And I'm gonna answer. This coming up or this next Sunday is going to be determinism verse freewill. Things like that and we have one of how do you read the Bible in context? How do you know that? How do you know how to read a proverb like a proverb.

So on and so forth, but. For today, what about those who've never heard we answered this one in person last week. So here's our video. Two things to keep in mind here. I'm gonna make this real short and sweet.

Number one in Reality, there is no such thing as someone who's never heard. What do you mean Josiah? Well, let's check out Romans 1. Romans 1 says starting in verse 18 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and righteousness and unrighteousness of men.

Who by their unrighteousness? Suppressed the truth for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them first 20 listen for his invisible attributes. Namely his eternal power in divine nature had been clearly Perceived ever since the creation of the world in things that have been made so they are without excuse.

For although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. But they became futile in their thinking and foolish hearts and the foolish hearts were darkened claiming to be wise they became fools.

They exchanged the glory of immortal God for images resembling mortal men and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up to lust of the hearts to impurity to a dishonoring of their bodies amongst themselves.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who has blessed forever. Amen. Mm-hmm, you can read on there's the main passage we're talking about here so Listen again God's invisible attributes verse 20 namely his eternal power and divine nature.

Have been clearly Perceived in what has been made. When we speak about revelation that word means to take off the covering. Okay, that's why it's called the book of Revelation not revelations because God only needed one.

When you understand something in Scripture for the first time that's not revelation that's illumination. That's your your mind being enlightened to something that had already had the cover off. It's had the cover off you finally just had the light bulb to see it now.

Revelations. God taking covering off which he's already done. God reveals himself takes off the covering in two ways. Okay, the first way is through Natural revelation that is in the things he's made.

That's what Romans 1 is telling us here. The second way is in what we call specific revelation. That's through his word. Psalm 19 talks about both of these if you want to do further study on revelation.

The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies is handiwork and so on and so forth and then starting in verse 7 I believe it is of Psalm 19. It says. The word or the law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul when it goes through what the word is, okay so When we say what about those who've never heard according to Romans 1 in reality.

There's no such thing because his invisible attributes and denying the divine nature have been clearly perceived. Okay, but then the question is alright. But acts 4 says neither their salvation in any other for there's no other name on the heaven given by me must be saved.

In other words if it's the name of Jesus that saves people. Then is knowing about God his eternal power and divine attributes to creation enough for salvation. And here's what I would say that first off the name of Jesus.

Don't think of the English letters J es us or don't think of the Greek letters. He a suits. Okay. It's who and what that name represents. Okay, just like when I Can say a name Joe and all of you have positive or negative Attributes associated that with that name based on someone, you know with that name.

In other words a name is what is represented behind it not the phonetical sounds or letters that make it up. Who and what is represented by the name. Jesus is the greatest name above all of the names so my answer to is What is revealed in natural revelation enough?

Is Yes, and no God has always judged people based on what he's revealed to them at the time. In other words, he didn't punish Abraham for not attending worship gatherings every week. Because God had not revealed him that yet God did not judge Abraham for not knowing that Jesus would be born of a virgin because God had not revealed that to Abraham yet Abraham believed God not just believed in God.

Any idiot can believe in God. Abraham believed God what he said took him at his word and it was credit to him as righteousness. However in this age in this dispensation post Jesus I Do think someone has to know About Jesus to be saved.

So what happens when someone only has natural revelation where they don't have the Bible. They don't have not even a missionary yet. What happens? I think the same thing that happens in Acts 10 happens to them a Bible says and you will seek me and you will find me when you search for me with your whole heart.

That's what the book of Jeremiah tells us in Acts chapter 10. We have Cornelius verse 1. I'm verse 2 a devout man who feared God. He gave his alms generously and prayed continually. So he's a God-fearing man.

But I don't believe he's a Christian yet because at the end of the chapter he gets saved. What happens? Well God sends Peter vision and says hey go witness Cornelius. God sends Cornelius a vision say hey Peter's coming to talk to you.

Peter gets there and Peter tells him the gospel. He tells him about. He tells him about Jesus about being raised on the third day so on and so forth and forgiveness of sins. And it says the Holy Spirit fell on all who were there.

And They got baptized and saved. In other words, here's what we see Cornelius. Cornelius was seeking after God and God sent him more revelation. That's what makes sense to me. If you have someone that seeks God through natural revelation.

They they clearly perceive and by the way notice in Romans 1 they didn't say a God is clearly perceived. It says God capital G. Yahweh is clearly perceived through natural revelation. Then God will send that person more revelation.

That's necessary for salvation. And he can do that through a missionary through a letter in a bottle. Through a dream a vision he can do it. However, he wants but I believe if someone is seeking after God God will send them what is necessary for them to have relationship with him.

And you see this throughout the Bible you really do no one who has ever sought God. With their whole heart ever did not find him to be anything but a perfect Savior. At the same time remember no one seeks God without God.

God has to reveal himself first. Romans 3 11 says there's no one seeking God least on their own. So what about those who have never heard? Well in one sense There's no such thing. Romans 1 says because of natural revelation because of what's been created people are without excuse.

But number two. For anyone who is seeking after God, even if it's only through natural revelation. Even if they don't have a Bible, for example, God will send them the necessary message for them to be saved.

That's how I read it. That's what I believe. Love you guys very much. Hope this was helpful. We'll do another question next week.