[Peter Osahon]

Dear Devados

Indeed it is now our responsibility to proclaim the good news of salvation. That’s how we show that we truly want God’s kingdom to come.

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Bro Karl
You have asked two questions:
1. Do I think those who have not heard will receive the same standard of judgment? The scriptures sometimes insinuate that there will be different levels of judgement depending on what graces and opportunities were available to a person. However irrespective of the levels or standards of judgement, the end for all unregenerates will be the same. Taking into consideration what happened with Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, namely that in His mercy God arranged for Cornelius to hear the gospel message and have an opportunity to accept Christ, I suspect that while men are still alive, God will give those who have a similitude of godliness and moral uprightness the opportunity to hear the message in order to be saved through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I also suppose that in relation to such “good” people who actually die without hearing the gospel, it is probable that Jesus Christ will himself preach to them “in the grave” as 1 Peter 3:19 says He did for people who died even before Jesus’ earthly ministry. I believe that all men that have ever lived can only be saved through Jesus’ sacrifice hence we have 1 Peter 3:19. As you would appreciate, these are just my thoughts and I cannot say with great certainty what will happen as this is not so explicit in the scriptures.

2. Can these arguments for salvation by works find support from Paul’s conclusion that God will also base judgment on the law written on the conscience of individuals? Firstly I personally do not know any solid scriptural basis for the notion of salvation by works. Secondly I believe that in Romans 2:14 Apostle Paul was referring to a situation like that of Cornelius and his household: people who were by nature and conscience giving alms to the poor, praying to God within the limits of their understanding and living a morally upright life. Apostle Paul may have been suggesting that God would give such people an opportunity to hear the gospel and be reconciled to Him through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ through whom alone man can be saved. I believe that Paul’s point was that the Jews are not better than the gentiles and that it is faith and obedience to the law that matters. He is practically saying that Jesus Christ is the equaliser and that salvation through Him is for all men, whether Jew or gentile. It is like saying that being a Jew does not make a person better another before God.

What are your thoughts?

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Ajit
I agree that our love for God and for our neighbours (for others) should be our greatest motivation to reach them with the gospel of salvation. Indeed we have been given the ministry of reconciliation even if that means having to plead with people to be reconciled to God. It is the love in us that compels us to plead and the knowledge of the judgement that awaits the unregenerate should make us passionately desperate to pull them out of the fire while it is still possible to do so.

[Peter Osahon]

Yes Hema.
Every Churches needs to regularly do a reassessment of their programs and activities to ensure that everything is not simply perceived to be focused on winning souls but must actually be turning people from the kingdom of darkness to that of light.

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Hema
I am particularly drawn to the issue that you have raised about the way the Church gives too much emphasis and attention to ceremonies and practices that can be useful but are merely incidental to the purpose and message of our calling as the Church. Like in the secular world crowds and celebrity culture are gradually taking the place of godliness. We all need to re-evaluate how we have been doing Church to ascertain whether or not we are still making the message of the gospel truly the center of our ministry.

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Hephzibah

Yes the fact that their good works will not save those who have not heard the good news places a greater weight of urgency on us to share the gospel with everyone. This is our responsibility and main reason for being here on earth. Jesus could have taken us home to be with Him in heaven as soon as we received His salvation. We are like Onesimus whose service Paul still required even though he was reconciling him with Philemon his owner. Paul wrote “I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.” (Philemon 1:12-13). We are still here because although we have been reconciled with God, Jesus still needs us here. We must rise up to the task.

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Hema
The issue of false satisfaction due to false religious rituals is one major obstacle to preaching the gospel of salvation and God’s kingdom to many people in the world today. It is a great deception with which the prince of the power of the air hopes to prevent as many as possible from accepting the gospel. In addition to praying, if we want to reach more people we need to figure out how to deal with this deception as it is also affecting many believers. Some “Christians” even believe that all “religions” are the same and that all lead to God.

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Prayinraj
Indeed we can show God’s Character through our lifestyle and acts of love, hope and joy and being the salt of the earth. But we must always go that vital step further by proclaiming the message of salvation and the kingdom of God using every means that people can understand including the evidence that abound in creation. This is vital because many non-Christians including people who have never heard the gospel also live a lifestyle of love, hope and charity. But their actions neither please God nor draw people to Him. Our lifestyle and acts of love have eternal value only when they emanate from our loving relationship with God and our desire to use our life to draw attention to Him.

[Peter Osahon]

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• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by Peter Osahon.

[Peter Osahon]

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[Peter Osahon]

Dear Hephzibah,
It is indeed vital that we continue to stress the need to pray, that God will open the hearts of those we tell about God’s kingdom so that rather than be simply argumentative they will be receptive and reflective on the truths we share and the issues we raise. Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except He draws them. We must pray that God will always break the walls of resistance in the hearts of men and open their eyes to the truth of the gospel that even creation declares.

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Rev Lola
We live in a world where people attribute all society’s problems to religion and where they constantly demand physical evidence because they are led by sight more than anything else. It is very common for people to argue that the Bible cannot be its own evidence or witness. So knowing that the attributes of God can be seen in all creation even though He can himself be seen by no man will be very helpful in explaining God’s sovereignty and His invisible hand at work behind the visible things. As the Church we must not leave the explanation and interpretation of God’s creation to science and those who seek to show there is no God.

[Peter Osahon]

Since those who have never heard the gospel will still be judged it means that they will surely be condemned to hell and eternal punishment because even their good deeds and the excuse that they never heard the gospel cannot save them. This makes it extremely vital and expedient for me to share the gospel with people.

Jesus gave us the responsibility to preach the gospel and failure to do it would amount to unfaithfulness on our part. The thought that my unfaithfulness could be the reason somebody was not saved is frightening. In Ezekiel 33 God says that as watchmen we have a duty to warn people. If we have the same love that made God give His only Son to die for us, that love should compel us to do everything we can for people to hear the gospel, and have an opportunity to accept Jesus as their saviour.

In Romans 2:14-15 Paul says that when even Gentiles (who have not heard the gospel) do the things in the law, they show the work of the law written in their hearts. But as we know, even good works or the works of the law outside of Christ does not please God and reconcile you with Him. Only by the name and saving work of Jesus Christ can any be saved.

God’s position of still judging those who have not heard the gospel shows that with God there is no excuse. Knowing this we must individually and together as the Church take more seriously the responsibility to evangelise and give people the opportunity to hear the gospel and make a choice.

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Brother Karl
It is true that believers in the western world may not be experiencing persecution by way of physical attack but hardly any true Christian can live in today’s western world without experiencing mental and psychological persecution which can leave greater scars and torment but for the comfort and grace of God. Although this could appear subjective in interpretation, the words of 2 Peter 2:7 resonate with what many of us in the western world are experiencing. The unregenerate oppress and persecute the righteous by their filthy conduct and the law and politics that tell us to put up or shut up. But thanks to the guaranteed triumphant return of our Lord Jesus Christ and the glorious future that awaits us we can persevere in hope looking unto the author and finisher of our faith.

[Peter Osahon]

Dear Sister Hephzibah
Thanks for the clarification. I also thought you must have meant it differently. Indeed money, miracles and the like are not the evidence of God’s presence or even His blessings. The big question is “how do we communicate this to a world that is so steeped in materialism and a Church competing with the world?” Probably you may say we should pray more. That is okay, but we also have to regularly call our Churches and congregations to order at the risk of losing some members. When Jesus told the people that it was important to eat His flesh and blood, many stopped following Him.

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