The Noble Savage

The Noble Savage Romans 1:18-32 Introduction A. For a while people have believed that our problems exist because we are too civilized. 1. If we would just get back to nature, and throw away all the modern conveniences, and the ideas found in the Christian religion, then we would be like the noble savages of old. 2. A good example of this is the Indians of North America. a. If we could go back and observe the Indians before the appearance of the Europeans, before the influence of Christianity, we would not find them to be noble savages. b. Tribal warfare was common. c. Looking at the Aztecs, we would find a warlike people, who sacrificed their fellow savages to their gods. 3. This doesn’t sound very noble to me. B. There are only two roads to salvation. 1. One of these is keeping God’s Law, which no one can do. 2. The other is God giving us salvation, which we call grace. 3. But is there a third way? C.One exception people often bring up is the heathen. 1. Some say they are an exception, but are they really? a. When I say the heathen, I am talking about those who know God through nature (what we call “general revelation”), b. I am talking about those who have not been exposed to special revelation of any kind, whether it be the OT Law or NT Gospel. 2. This group of people have no access to Scriptures, no knowledge of Jesus Christ. a. They live in remote areas (the word “heathen” comes from “heath dweller,” people who lived far from the cities). b. They have no contact with Christianity or with any Christians. 3. When I say the heathen, this is what I mean. I. Theories on what will happen to the heathen. A. All the heathens will be saved. 1. Many who adopted this theory also say that ultimately everyone will be saved. 2. As one writer put it, “Grace is in everyone and in everything.” 3. Along with this is a deemphasis upon missions. 4. After all, if everyone is going to be saved, why suffer among the heathen if they also are going to be saved without the message of Christ? B. Some heathens are saved because God gave enough knowledge through nature to lead the heathen to accept God’s grace. 1. General Revelation comes in three ways. a. Physical Universe. The physical universe reveals God's traits of existence, knowledge, wisdom, power, greatness, supremacy, righteousness, and perfection. b. Human Conscience. God has instilled the ability in all persons to recognize the difference between right and wrong. c. Providence. Providence the sustaining power of God. We are provided the things we need to survive. 2. Special revelation also comes in one way. a. The Scriptures, which are the source of all special revelation. They tell us Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of God. They tell us of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. They tell us of the terms of salvation. 3. The Bible, God’s special revelation, is the only way that we can know about the God of grace. a. From nature, we see only God’s power, creativity, and immensity. Rom 1:20, “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.” If we look at nature, we see some goodness; but most of the time we see cruelty and brutality, what we call “the law of the jungle.” b. It is true that the heathen “know God” in a general sense, but simply knowing about God does not mean they have found the God of the Bible. c. We cannot know God’s grace apart from special revelation. C.The good heathen will be saved, the wicked heathen will be condemned. 1. Over the next several weeks we are going to be talking about the two ways of salvation: a. Obeying God’s Law, or b. Accepting God’s Grace. 2. There are no other ways. a. This idea that if we are good enough, then we will go to heaven, is not biblical. b. This theory says that if the heathen has some goodness in them, then God will surely save that person even if they have never heard of the Bible or Jesus. 3. This could be called the “Darth Vader” method of salvation. a. In the original “Star Wars” episodes, Vader was wicked up to the very end. b. Then he gave his life to save his son made up for his lifetime of evil and qualified him for Jedi heaven. 4. However, the Scriptures do not teach that salvation comes because of our own efforts. D. The heathen will be saved because of their ignorance of Jesus Christ and grace. 1. This is the most popular theory today. a. People who believe this think that God will not condemn someone for not believing in Christ if never heard of Christ. b. This idea is that ignorance is bliss. 2. Some people believe when a person doesn’t have the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the gospel, then they are not accountable and excused because of their ignorance. a. Along with this is also a de-emphasis upon missions. b. They say, “We don’t need to disturb the noble savages; they are okay, God will pardon them because of their ignorance.” 3. If we take the gospel to the heathens and they reject it, they lose their salvation status. a. Unfortunately, a lot more heathen who hear the gospel reject it than accept it. b. Thus, in the end a lot more people will be in hell because of missionary work than there would have been without it. c. I guess Jesus just did not understand this when he gave the Great Commission. 4. We should be upset that someone brought us the gospel because now we are accountable. a. Under this theory, they use Acts 17:29-30, “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.” b. They believe that God will overlook people who don’t know about Jesus. II. What does the Bible say about the heathens? A. We are not concerned with the heathen of yesterday under the OT. 1. We are concerned with what happens to the heathen of today under the NT age. 2. What does “times of ignorance” mean in Acts 17? B. In the OT God was concerned with making a people for himself: the nation of Israel. 1. His purpose in raising up the Jewish people was to send the Messiah, God’s Anointed One, who would bring about the salvation of the world. a. The time when God made a people is over because the Messiah came through them. b. While the Jews understood that the Messiah was coming, the Gentiles were ignorant of God’s purpose. c. God overlooked that (He let the Gentiles do as they pleased) according to Rom 1:21. 2. But now God is concerned about the salvation of the Gentiles and the times of letting them do as they please are over. a. In this age of grace, through the preaching of the gospel, God is calling on all people, Jew and Gentile, to repent. b. If the heathens do not know about Jesus Christ and his salvation, then they are on the road to hell. 3. Therefore, the church should be taking the message to them. a. Some people object, “If God excused the heathen under the OT, won’t He excuse them today?” b. Rom 1:20-23 (READ). 4. People left to their own will always sin. a. They still have evidence that there is a God, that there is morality. b. Some of the heathen, like Rahab, Ruth, and Naaman found salvation by faith in God. c. God did nothing about the rest of the heathens because He was focused on bringing the Messiah. d. But now, through the missionary activity of the church, God gives everybody the chance to be saved. C.Some Scriptures that talk about the condition of the heathen. 1. Acts 26:16-18 (READ). a. Notice: The Gentiles have closed eyes (“to open their eyes”). Are in sin (“turn from darkness to light”). Are part of Satan’s kingdom (“from the dominion of Satan to God”). Are condemned by their sin (“that they may receive forgiveness of sins”). Have nothing to look forward to (“an inheritance”). Have no place (“among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me”) Verse 18 says the only thing that can set them apart (save them) is faith in Jesus. 2. Eph 2:12-13 (READ). a. Before they met Christ, the Ephesian Christians were: Separate from Christ. Separate from God’s chosen people (“excluded from the commonwealth of Israel”). Strangers to God’s covenants of promise. Without hope. Without God. 3. Rom 1:18-20 (READ). a. No one, not even the most remote Gentile, can plead ignorance on Judgment Day. b. Their godless and wicked behavior (vs. 18) is inexcusable in view of what they know about God (vs. 19-20), and God is justified in pouring out his wrath on them. c. They do know God’s law; they have broken God’s law; they are under the penalty of that law. d. If they are under the law system, they have no hope. e. You see, they are not an exception to God’s rule, “The person who sins will die” (Ezek 18:20). 4. So, we see that the heathens will be saved by grace if someone takes them the gospel of grace and they accept it. a. We have no biblical reason to think they will be saved by grace in any other way. b. If the heathens remain heathen, they will be judged and condemned by Law. c. Whether they are judged and saved by grace depends upon our obedience to the Great Commission and their acceptance of the gospel. 5. The heathens are not condemned for not believing in Jesus. a. They are condemned rather for breaking God’s Law. b. They are not judged by what they don’t know, they are judged by what they do know. 6. However, when someone has knowledge of Jesus Christ and the gospel, then they have a decision to make. a. They can’t choose not to decide. b. When they don’t immediately say, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God,” they have decided. c. Just like you.