Those that have not heard the Gospel

So, for those who believe that those who don't hear the gospel are going to heaven, wouldn't you wish to put a stop to all missionary effort.

Why? Jesus tells us to preach the Gospel. So preach the Gospel.

Whether or not one who has never heard the Gospel is going to Hell is a different topic from that.

 

Glen, I will quote the Bible to answer your statement. Of course the elect will be saved. The question is how God accomplishes their salvation.

Paul says:

Romans 10:14-17
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?
15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "LORD, who has believed our report?"
17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So according to Paul, God will definitely send a preacher to proclaim the word of God to the elect so that they will believe.

I know the primitive theology disagrees, but I will stick with Scripture.

Btw, how do primitives handle this passage? It totally refutes their concepts.

 

Just out of curiosity, what do you disagree with?

 

PTW, you said at one point in this thread:

"Paul asks the question: to whom does God impart righteousness and how? Answer: to him who does not work but believes God, who justifies the ungodly. Do you understand the significance? God declares righteous the believing sinner."

If by this your statement you mean that a sinner is justified before God "at the point of faith", as some say, then I do disagree with you sternly. I believe an elect sinner is justified in the sight of God the Judge previous to subjectively believing in Christ Jesus the Lord with so called saving faith. I believe subjective salvific faith in Christ is a fruit of the Spirit and an evidence of regeneration. It does not bring about the imputation of Christ's rigteousness unto justification of life (Rom. 5:18). Rom. 3:24 says some stand justified (before God) "without a cause" by God's grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus. That is "justification of life", and subjective faith is not involved in that matter. Justification of life is in God's sight, it is a sovereign act of God at His bar of justice in the heavenly court. It consists of remission of sins by the blood of Christ plus the sovereign divine imputation of Christ's perfect law-fulfilling righteousness to the sinner's person for justification. Christ's righteousness imputed to such an one entitles him/her to eternal life and all blessings of the New Covenant, including entrance into God's very presence after physical death. This is the classic Baptist position and that of Paul and the Holy Scriptures. More could be added, but not now.

Harald

 

Harald, I do not know where you stand on alot of issues, but I nearly quoted Paul verbatim. He explicitly says that a person is justified by faith.

I don't quite understand your point, perhaps.

 

http://www.emmanuel-baptist.org/sermons/Romans/Romans5.htm

 

It seems to me that to be justified by faith means more........that you are saved by GRACE.

God Bless..........Alex

 

"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: 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" (Romans 2:14, 15)

The Gentiles under consideration have the law of God written in their hearts, and their consciences are bound by it. Nothing like that could ever be said of a reprobate.

" Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law." (Romans 2:17-20)

I believe it is vanity to boast of the knowledge we possess while condemning all others. Is God bound to the letter? "Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst." (Isaiah 50:2) "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:" (Isaiah 59:1)

"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Romans 2:28, 29)

Who are these Gentiles but those in 2:14, 15 without the external means of the law?

"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." (II Corinthians 3:3)