Lie Number 3- God is Obligated to Save Followers of Other Religions

Lie Number 3 God is Obligated to Save Followers of Other Religions

Text: Romans 10:13–15 (KJV 1900)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?

Introduction:

* I want to deal with one of the most controversial questions about God this morning:

“What happens to the person who dies who and has never heard of the Gospel or of Jesus?”

* This question generates heated controversy.

* We live in a world today that says “Christians who teach there is only one way to heaven are narrow minded.”

* Those who do not know the God of the Bible say that “their God,” would never allow a sincere follower of any religion to go to Hell.

* The world says “Christians are arrogant, and bigoted, who teach that God will condemn those who sincerely follow other religions to and eternity in Hell?”

* Are there not good people in all religions?

* The world says “are not Christians bigoted to believe in the superiority of Christianity to other religions?”

* Some would say “What about my parents, they were good moral people and sincerely worshiped God in the religion they were raised in. How could a loving God condemn them to Hell?”

* If God loves the whole world, then why would He allow those in the West to have plenty of opportunity to hear the Gospel and be saved, while those in remote places in the world never hear and die lost.

* All these arguments are put forth because this is how people “feel” about God. Are these people right in their reasoning?

* Will those who never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel go to Hell?

* Well, the only place to find our answer this morning is the Bible. If we want to know how God really fells about something this is the place to go, so let’s take a moment and see what the Bible has to say about this question.

I. The thought that God would allow someone, who never had the opportunity hear the Gospel, to go to an eternal Hell is too much for the human mind to bear.

Isaiah 55:7–9 (KJV 1900)

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.

* Because our human minds cannot understand God we take it upon ourselves to sit in judgment on God.

* When Job was going through all the trials that God had allowed in his life he said “Oh that God was a man so I could talk face to face with Him and tell him that I think He is not treating me right!”

* Listen to the words of Job when he complained to God about his trials being unfair:

Job 4:13–17 (KJV 1900)

13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth on men, 14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones to shake. 15 Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair of my flesh stood up: 16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: An image was before mine eyes, There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, 17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his maker?

Job 40:1–14 (KJV 1900)

Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said,

2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it.

3 Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. 5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: Yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. 6 Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

* It is too hard for the human mind to comprehend that God would allow those who have never heard the gospel to go to Hell.

* My friend we are on dangerous ground when we try to make excuses for God, or try to come up with excuses for what the Word of God has revealed to us about God.

* This is true when we consider the question at hand. “Will God allow people to go to Hell that have never heard the Gospel?”

* Because we cannot understand God’s thoughts, we resort to changing the truth of God into a lie.

Romans 1:22–25 (KJV 1900)

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

* In our efforts to make the way to Heaven a little less narrow, a little more broad, - to make God a little less narrow minded, - to make God more politically correct, - to make the Bible a little more palatable to the unbeliever,

We make little tweaks to the God of the Bible because He’s just a little “hard to take” sometimes.

* Just like I preached to Sundays ago, we change God into a God who fits what our imagination perceives Him to be.

* This is Idolatry in its purest form.

* You may say, well how do we as Christians try to change God?

A. We think God has to be fair.

* Does God have to really be fair? Let’s examine the evidence from the Scriptures:

Romans 9:10–20 (KJV 1900)

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Exhibit A. Jacob and Esau

Exhibit B. Pharaoh

Exhibit C. Cain and Able

Exhibit D. The people of the Flood.

Exhibit E. The people of Jericho.

Exhibit F. The people of Nineveh.

* I submit for your consideration today that according to the evidence of the Scriptures that God does not believe He is obligated to be fair to anyone.

B. God does have to be just. He MUST be just.

Deuteronomy 32:2–4 (KJV 1900)

2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distil as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender herb, And as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord: Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: For all his ways are judgment: A God of truth and without iniquity, Just and right is he.

Job 10:13–14 (KJV 1900)

13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee. 14 If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

* Since God MUST be just, He will never just overlook sin. Sin MUST be judged.

Nahum 1:3 (KJV 1900)

3 The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked

* One of the very attributes of God is that He is just. God is not obligated to be fair, as we see fairness, but God will always be just.

* God will never unjustly condemn anyone to Hell. Everyone who goes to hell goes to hell because he deserves hell.

Romans 3:9–12 (KJV 1900)

9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Romans 3:19 (KJV 1900)

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

* My friend we all guilty before God already!

* We are all already under the wrath of an Almighty God!

Romans 5:12 (KJV 1900)

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: * God does not condemn anyone because he has not heard the Gospel! * God does not condemn anybody to Hell in the first place! * We are all already condemned before we even hear the Gospel!

John 3:17–18 (KJV 1900)

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned:

but he that believeth not is condemned already,

because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

* All people are accountable to God whether or not they have “heard about Him.”

* The Bible teaches that God has revealed himself to every man in two ways:

1). God has revealed himself to every man through His creation:

Romans 1:18–20 (KJV 1900)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead;

so that they are without excuse:

* My friend, every man stands before God guilty, without excuse this morning!

2). God has placed His law within the heart of every man:

Romans 2:11–16 (KJV 1900)

11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law:

and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,

and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

* Every man is condemned already, and without excuse for their sin already!

* God has placed it in the heart of man to know who his creator is, and that expects righteousness.

* With the knowledge in our heart that God is HOLY and expects righteousness, we have all fell short of the GLORY of God.

Romans 3:23 (KJV 1900)

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

* My friend, God has not condemned anyone to Hell. Sin has condemned us all to Hell.

* Since God says He will never acquit anyone of Sin, He must judge our sin.

Hebrews 9:27 (AV)

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

* According to the Word of God the sentence passed down to all men was the death penalty.

Romans 5:12 (AV)

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 (AV)

23 For the wages of sin is death

* We are all declared guilty and deserving of Hell already, right now. Our sin has condemned us.

* We are now only awaiting the sentencing phase of our judgment.

Ecclesiastes 8:11–13 (KJV 1900)

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

* In order for God to be a just God the sentence must be carried out.

* Christ stepped in and took the sentence for all those who would believe on Him.

Isaiah 53 (KJV 1900)

53 Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, And as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: For the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich in his death; Because he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; For he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, And he shall divide the spoil with the strong; Because he hath poured out his soul unto death: And he was numbered with the transgressors; And he bare the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

II. According to the Bible, if they have never heard they will not be saved.

Romans 10:13–15 (KJV 1900)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?

* This is a rhetorical question.

* A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question without the expectation of a reply.[1] The question is used as a rhetorical device, posed for the sake of encouraging its listener to consider a message or viewpoint.

* If this is a rhetorical question, then what is the message or viewpoint that the Apostle Paul is presenting to us in our text.

* The message is that those who never hear the Gospel because there is no preacher, will not be saved!

* The answer from the Word of God is plain. Everyone who does not hear the Gospel will die and go to Hell!

* The question is not “Would God send someone who has never heard the Gospel to Hell?” Every man has condemned his own soul to Hell because of his sin.

* The REAL question is not “Why would God condemn those who have not heard the Gospel to Hell?”

* The real question is why do Christians, who know the truth, they know that everyone who does not hear the Gospel will, without a doubt go to Hell, why do we not run to every man woman boy and child and tell them the Gospel!

* Why do we who know the Truth sit by and do nothing while people are dropping off into Hell all around us!

* My friend it is not God who is cold and heartless condemning people to Hell! It is us!

* It is cold and heartless church members who are allowing the lost to perish!

* We are the ones in charge of giving out the Gospel! Why do we take this responsibility so haphazardly!

* Why do we make everything else the priority of our lives, and the one command that our Lord left us to do, winning souls for the Kingdom of Heaven, is something we do on the side?

* Why would anything come before those who are perishing without the Gospel?

* Are we simply that cold hearted as human beings? Do we have no compassion on lost souls?

* Or is it that we just don’t believe they are really going to Hell?

* Why does this church not have a foreign missions program in place?

* Why do we not have a time set aside to go door to door with the purpose of telling people about the Gospel before it’s too late!

* Why are the things that clutter our lives more important than the work that God has given to do!- To warn the sinner that he is in danger of Hell fire if he does not obey the Gospel message!

* Why when you know someone is not saved, do we not get on our face before God and beg and plead with God to save them?

* If you have a loved one that has not obeyed the Gospel, why would you not ask the church to come to this alter and cry out to God for them to be saved?

* Why! Why! Why!

* This morning I am here, by the authority of God, as a minister of the Gospel, to tell you why.

* We have not believed the message of Romans 10:14 that people who have never heard the Gospel will perish in their sins!

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

* Is this church, your pastor included, so hard-hearted and self absorbed that God cannot convict us and bring us to repentance with tears over our disobedience to the command in the book of Jude:

Jude 20–23 (KJV 1900)

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;

hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.