Bible Questions Answered:
“Pastor I have not seen on -view a
list of subjects- this question, and we have tossed this question
around now for some time. Here it is, if people in a land
somewhere do not know the gospel, will they then be forever lost?...”
Bill/ Moscow, Russia
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
These kind of peoples are referred to
as “lost tribes.” People of in remote jungles, in countries such
as Asia, Oceania, or South America, etc.
First of all let it be stated that our
Bible refers to three kinds of spiritual witness!
1.) Nature:
Is nature and all that is around us a
testament of God and His great power? Yes!
Psalm 19:1-3 KJV
1 The heavens declare the glory of
God; and the firmament sheweth His handy work.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and
night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard.
Psalm 97:6 KJV
The heavens declare His
righteousness, and all the people see His glory.
Romans 1:18-20 NLT
18 But God shows His anger from
heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress The Truth by
their wickedness.
19 They know The Truth about God
because He has made it obvious to them.
20 For ever since the world was
created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God
made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal
power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
2.) Conscience:
John 1:9 KJV
That was the true Light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Romans 2:14-16
NLT
14 Even Gentiles, who do not have
God’s written law, show that they know His law when they
instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.
15 They demonstrate that God’s law
is written in their hearts, for their own conscience* and
thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
16 And this is the message I
proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus,
will judge everyone’s secret life.
*Conscience-Greek:
Suneidesis (Soon-i-day-sis): Moral Consciousness: Conscience.
Conscience:
The inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or
motives, impelling one toward right action: (Dictioary.com)
God The Almighty
Creator, has created within the breast of every person, something
called a conscience.
A moral guide to
what is right and what is wrong. Every one that has ever lived has
had within them a conscience, there are no exceptions. And then too
again, every one has had nature as a guide to a mighty Creator, one
who has judgment, and wisdom!
3.) The Gospel:
John 20:31 KJV
But these are written, that ye might
believe that Jesus is The Christ, The Son Of God; and that believing
ye might have life through His name.
Romans 1:16 KJV
For I am not
ashamed of The Gospel Of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek.
II Timothy 3:16
NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and
is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is
wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us
to do what is right.
I John 5:13 KJV
These things have I written unto you
that believe on the name of The Son Of God; that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of The Son Of
God.
We dear reader have
been brought up in civilization, that is we have been raised up in
school, and the church may or may not have been apart of our lives,
still its morality has been branded across our land, who would deny it?
So, we, the
civilized know about the Bible, we know and
have received or rejected the idea of God, and so we are without an
excuse.
But the people of
the “lost tribes,” what about them? They have never heard the
gospel. Never been in a church, never seen a Bible, what about them?
Well as we have
already seen, they have had two witnesses to them, all of nature,
and their God given conscience.
What if a tribes
man, did his best as to do what his heart told him was right, would
he be lost, not having prayed the sinners prayer??
Here is an answer,
and given no less than by our dear Lord and Savior.
Luke 12:35-48
NLT (Be ready for The Lord's coming!)
35 “Be dressed for service and
keep your lamps burning,
36 as though you were waiting for
your Master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready
to open the door and let Him in the moment He arrives and knocks.
37 The servants who are ready and
waiting for His return will be rewarded. I tell you The Truth, He
Himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit
and eat!
38 He may come in the middle of the
night or just before dawn. But whenever He comes, He will reward the
servants who are ready.
39 “Understand this: If a
homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit
his house to be broken into.
40 You also must be ready all the
time, for The Son Of Man will come when least expected.”
41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that
illustration just for us or for everyone?”
42 And The Lord replied, “A
faithful, sensible servant is one to whom The Master can give the
responsibility of managing His other household servants and feeding
them.
43 If The Master returns and finds
that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.
44 I tell you The Truth, The Master
will put that servant in charge of all He owns.
45 But what if the servant thinks,
‘My Master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating
the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?
46 The Master will return
unannounced and unexpected, and He will cut the servant in pieces and
banish him with the unfaithful.
47 “And a servant who knows what
The Master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those
instructions, will be severely punished.
48 But someone who does not know,
and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When
someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and
when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be
required.
Did you see The Master's answer?
Luke 12:48 NLT
“But someone who does not know,
and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly.”
Luke 12:48 KJV
"But he that knew not, and did
commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes..."
Genesis
18:20-26,32 KJV (Abraham intercedes for Lot, and his family.)
20 And The Lord said, Because the
cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very
grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see
whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which
is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces
from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before
The Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said,
Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty
righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the
place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after
this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the
righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not
the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And The Lord said, If I find in
Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the
place for their sakes.
32 And he (Abraham) said, Oh let not
the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure
ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for
ten's sake.
The bold answer here:
Genesis 18:25
KJV
“... Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right?
Yes dear friend,
The Judge Of All The Earth, shall do right, without any coaching from
earthly man!
And so, the...
Question: Is
it possible for an individual tribesman, ignorant as they are of The
Gospel, yet be saved by God??
Answer: Yes.
“Well if that is possible and in
the mercy and love of almighty God, it seems so, why Pastor don't you
tell folks so?”
Why?
Because, people
would then think...
“Whats the use of
sending out missionaries? God will be generous to people of little
knowledge, etc. etc.”
God help us, what
human reasoning, God save us from earthly mindedness!
Why send missionaries,
why go to the ends of the earth with The Gospel of The Lord Jesus
Christ?
Because of the reason man
was created, that's why!
Isaiah 43:7 NLT
Bring all who claim Me as their God,
for I have made them for My glory. It was I who created them.’”
Revelation 4:11
KJV
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for
thy pleasure they are and were created.
Man was created to
bring glory and honor to The Living God!
And he cannot do
that as an ignorant tribesman.
What eternal
reward, may an ignorant tribesman receive?
It is our duty, no,
our command of The Lord to witness and to evangelize, without
exception.
Matthew 28:18-20
KJV
18 And Jesus came and spake unto
them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father, and of The Son,
and of The Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mark 16:15,16
KJV
15 And He said unto them, Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Why is every
Christian commanded to do this?
Obedience to our
Lord.
Sharing The Gospel,
to set others free from sin, to live in and to do the will of God.
So that lost lives
may come to know The Living God, no matter where they live, be at
peace, know the joy of The Lord, and to one day be rewarded by Him!
To banish the
enemy!
I John 3:8 KJV
"...For this purpose The Son Of
God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
I John 4:4 KJV
Ye are of God, little children, and
have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he
that is in the world.
We who know The
Word Of God:
Luke 12:47,48
KJV
47 “And a servant who knows what
The Master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those
instructions, will be severely punished.
48 But someone who does not know,
and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When
someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and
when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be
required.
Hebrews 10:28-31
KJV
28 He that despised Moses' law died
without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot
The Son Of God, and hath counted The Blood Of The Covenant, wherewith
he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto The
Spirit Of Grace?
30 For we know Him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith The Lord. And
again, The Lord shall judge His people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of The Living God.
Hebrews 3:15 KJV
While it is said, Today if ye will
hear His voice, harden not your hearts..."
