Following a module I taught at a campus where I disclosed a number of statistics in reference to people groups who never heard the gospel, a young lady approached me with a startling question. She said “If none of those people ever heard the gospel that would mean everyone from that language group went into eternity without knowing Jesus. If that’s the case, why would we want to tell them now?”
Q-tip please… I couldn’t believe what I was hearing so I asked her to repeat the question again. Oh, I guess I did hear her correctly the first time, though the question left me a little numb.
If I were answering the question with a question I probably would have said something like “Wow, why wouldn’t we want to tell them the Good News of Jesus” but I knew the answer had to be unpacked in a manner that she could comprehend the necessity and urgency of the task.
I inquired of the young lady if she planned on marrying and having a family someday. “Oh yes,” she said… “I hope to marry and I would like to have five children.”
So I said to her, “What if your children were playing outdoors and one of them ran into the street and was hit and killed by a truck. You knew their death could have been prevented if you had instructed them of the dangers of playing near the road but you failed to teach them. Now wouldn’t you want to teach your remaining children the hazards of playing by the road as well as preventative measures so they wouldn’t experience the same fate?”
Her face went ashen and sullen. “Oh my,” she said… “I see your point. But if no one ever told lost people about Jesus wouldn’t God make another way for them to come to heaven?”
“Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
To say God has another means of salvation outside of the gospel –the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, would make the cross of no effect. Jesus said “I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
The young lady looked at me and said, “Then I have no choice but to go and declare the gospel to such ones who never heard of Jesus.” She smiled and said “I understand, I understand.”
How many Christians are there that have the same questioning attitude about why we must reach the nations… that it is alright to leave such ones alone, thinking they are happy the way they are?
“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? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” Romans 10:14-15
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