Rom.1:19-20 ~PEOPLE THAT NEVER HEARD OF JESUS~ 11-24-12
Have you ever wondered about the untold billions of people from Adam unto now that has never heard of Jesus, what will happen to these people, how will God judge these people?
There are people from the deepest corners of the jungles of the world even in our day that have never heard the gospel, are they doomed and damned to go too hell?
>> listen as I read our text for today found in Romans 1: & 2: --
Rom.1:19-20 Because that which may be known of God is manifest (made known-revealed) in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Let's be sure and notice that we read here; (for God hath shewed it unto them.) this would include any and all people from all dispensations.
>> 20For 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:
Every person of the human race from all time periods has had the testimony of the creation. Since God is the Creator means that He Himself was not created.
God's power is seen as eternal, so it had no beginning neither will it have an end, it accompanies God himself. The environmental condition of the world proves His eternal existence. The heavens and the earth prove the deity of their Originator.
By His word all things are held together. Even scientists have admitted there is something, some unseen power holding the universe together.
There is someone who placed everything in order and keeps it in order.
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>>Psalm 147:15-18 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. 16He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost ** like ashes. 17He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? 18He sendeth out his word, and melteth them:** he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
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>>Psalm 19:1-6 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
In other words, all mankind from all ages can see and understand that the heavens declare His handy work, no matter what language they might speak, it's evident that the Almighty God has made it this way.
God reveals Himself to man, man is without excuse, man can plainly see that there is a God, and he'll be judged according to the light he has or had during his life time on earth.
>>4-a - Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. --
Even the solar system declares the magnitude of the True and living God. The energy of a thousand suns is nothing compared to His divine power.
The perfect timing of planetary movements declares His precision. The firmament showeth his handiwork is only an expression of the most readily visible evidence of God's presence in the universe.
->>-4-b- In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,** (place) 5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. The sun is set and always ready to continue it's coarse.
6His ** (sun) going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Notice, the suns CIRCUIT unto the ends of it, this tells us that God has placed the sun in an exact orbit, and it appear each and every morning right on time.
The Sun spins on its axis in a way similar to the Earth revolving to give us day and night. -- The Sun's rotation period is about 27 days. -- Planet Earth takes one year to revolve around the spinning Sun.
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The heavens are described as a tabernacle for the sun. It is there that the sun is placed by God and appears too us to journeys as a mighty commander across the skies, it appears every morning as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, indicating that the sun bursts forth every day from the night chamber renewed afresh as in the strength of a youngster. His circuit unto the ends of it indicates that as the sun blazes in the sky, it finds no boundary from which its heat can not be felt.
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Rom. 2: 11-15 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: --
The gentiles have never been under the Mosaic Law, but if they have sinned, and all have, will perish without law. This will include all of mankind.
-- and as many as have sinned in the law ** (Jews) shall be judged by the law; -- 14For when the Gentiles, ** (meaning all that are not Jews) which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15Which 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; --
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God will judge the heathen according to the light that has been revealed to them in whatever dispensation they may have been born in, let us realize that Jesus was not on the earth during the many millenniums ago.
ƒÞ Paul said this to the pagans in
Acts 14: 16-17 Who in times past suffered ** (allowed) all nations to walk in their own ways. 17Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
All the many blessing of life is a witness to one and all that there is a True and Living God, every person from all ages has within himself the ability to reason, to be able to discern what's right and what's not right, this is what we recognize as our "CONSCIENCE" Rom.2:15 -- their conscience also bearing witness.
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I just recently watch a documentary on TV that showed a man that was wrongly convicted for a crime that he had not committed, he was given a life sentence, and after being locked up for many years the person that had committed the crime turned himself in, he said he just couldn't go any longer knowing that an innocent man was put away for the crime which he had done, his conscience bothered him so bad he had to come forward and tell the truth.
God has put in every person from the earliest ages an ability to know right from wrong, the primitive people from ages past were no different than you and me today as far as our structure is concerned, man is still the same as he's always been, you can forget about evolution, nowadays its devolution.
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Listen, Jesus was not on earth back in the days of the early pagans, so it's foolish to think that God will not judge them according to the light that these people had of Him, I suppose that even today there's people some where that are still in complete ignorance of Jesus Christ, but God will judge them according to the light they have of Him. Nature is living testimony to a God who cares for his creation and people.
It may seem impossible to you and I around here today, there seems to be a church on every corner, we hear the gospel over the air ways, the printed page and in churches, but believe it or not it's not that way in every corner of the world even today.
I have said many times, that I'd hate to go to hell from our part of the world.
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ƒÞ Jesus said in
Luke 12:48-- For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:
The very words of Jesus here in this verse points out clearly that some people have more knowledge of God than others.
Luke 12:48-- For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:
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ƒÞ The Bible teaches that God is going to judge the world fairly and righteously.
>>Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
God keeps record books, we know that because of Rev.20:12 tells about "the books" He knows the facts to do with every individual that's ever lived, He know the "when and the where" He knows the light that every person had to do with Himself, no one will be able to accuse Him of being unfair.
The unbeliever, the heathen will not be judged because they did not hear of Christ, but because they have refused the knowledge that was given to them about God during their life time, not our life time.
God has not revealed just exactly how He is going to deal with people who have never heard of Jesus Christ. Even though we may not know how He is going to deal with these people specifically, we do know that His judgment is going to be absolutely just.
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The Bible tells us about a woman that was accepted by God, even though her knowledge of Him was limited. And it's for sure she had never heard of Jesus Christ, it would still be awhile before He comes too earth.
Rahab, the prostitute, had only a small amount of knowledge of God as she heard what He had done, but it was enough knowledge for her to act on it.
>>Joshua 2:8 -11 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
She has acknowledged the One True and Living God.
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ƒÞ We're told that she was a woman of faith;
>>Hebrews 11: 31By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
He is not a respecter of persons, but accepts all that come to him.
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I'm sure many of us are going to be surprised as to who we might meet in heaven, there will be some there that we didn't expect to be there, and there will be some that will not be there that we were sure would be.
I'm glad that all of that is God's business instead of some of the judges we have here today.
There will most likely be folks that might not agree with what I've said on this matter, but whatever He does will be perfect and just.
>> Deut.29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God:--
