Chapter Ten ---------------------------------- Feedback Box:

"God Invites Everyone to the Feast"

Summary: To discern whether one's heart is right with God, we usually use clues from one's head. But when we judge by intellect alone, and forget that only Love endures, while intellect will be "done away" in Heaven, we cruelly exclude Brothers in Christ from our fellowship. God receives people with weaker intellects than ours, and also with less information than we have. The retarded, the doctrinally challenged, even pagans who have never physically heard the name "Jesus", have nevertheless heard God's Call, and some have answered. Not that we have to decide whether to let Hindus into our fellowship. As a practical matter, anyone still confused by Hinduism, even if his heart is, by a miracle of God, "right with God", won't want in a fellowship which teaches that Jesus is the only Way. And not that we should "tolerate" intellectual flaws.

INTRODUCTION to this chapter

Today, "Church membership" has been formalized. A "candidate for membership" is considered by the church bureaucracy, and when accepted, some sort of announcement is made to the whole congregation. In most churches the "examination" consists of little more than confirming that the candidate wants to "join". Catholics probably have the most rigid examination. Not everyone can be a Catholic who wants to be. For example, if one has been divorced, and wants to become a Catholic, one must submit to a rather expensive inquiry to determine the divorce was not due to the sin of the candidate, but fell under one of the exceptions for divorce listed in the Bible. A few churches, mostly independent, have no formal membership lists at all. When a visitor comes, who professes belief in Jesus, he is treated in the same manner as one who has been coming for years.

"Church membership", in the New Testament church, was kind of a mixture of these models, as this chapter will show. It was completely informal, as in today's independent churches with no formal membership lists. There was no determination of membership apart from determination of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. There was no firmer "membership" than the recognition that one is a Christian. There was no such thing as a Christian switching from membership in one denomination to membership in another denomination, because there were no denominations. There was no such thing as recognizing someone as a Christian but not yet as a "member" of your church. Because if he was a Christian, and was in your city, that automatically made him a "member" of the Church of Yourcity. (Scriptures making this point follow.)

There would have been no sense to later scheduling a ceremony of acceptance into Yourcity Church, after already having known he was a Christian. That is, in the sense of a ceremony, before which one was not a member, but during which, one officially became a member. Because it is upon crossing the border of Yourcity that any Christian becomes a member, according to Biblical usage. (There were probably celebrations though, Luke 15:7.

But as in today's Catholic church and a handful of very conservative Protestant churches, there was, then also, a recognition that sin can change how we should treat others. Catholics let anyone come to church, but only members can participate in the Eucharist. And socially, there is a shunning, by members of excommunicated people, which is unknown in most Protestant circles.

But compared with the New Testament church, the Catholic treatment of sin is stiff and cumbersome. So few sins are targeted for excommunication that abortionists, and pro-abortion lawmakers, can not only take the Eucharist but actually serve it. And once excommunicated, recognition of repentance, and reconciliation, moves forward with the speed, and with the destruction of those in its way, of a glacier.

Among the few Protestant churches which still practice excommunication, at least excommunication is decided by the congregation rather than by an unaccountable bureaucracy. But it is not by "the whole congregation" as Matthew 18:17 provides. It is by a 51% majority, rather than continuing the Scriptural discussion until there is consensus. This only further divides the congregation and discourages it from going through the procedure any more often than it is forced to.

The treatment of "membership", and how "membership" is affected by sin, is the subject of this chapter.

GOD INVITES EVERYONE TO THE WEDDING FEAST (Matt 22:1-14)

Previous chapters have shown that even bad doctrines don't necessarily prevent a person from having the Spirit of Christ, and that is why asking a person what doctrines he believes is not a foolproof way to determine whether he is "going to heaven".

One's doctrines are related to whether one "has the Spirit of Christ", but they are only indirectly related. This chapter reviews Scripture containing more direct ways to discern "church membership".

The reason doctrines are only indirectly related to one's relationship with God is that doctrines exist in the realm of the intellect. It is the brain which processes doctrines to approve one and disapprove another. The brain is very, very important: that is what God gives us to discern truth! But God says you can have all the brainpower in the world and still be a scumbag. The following passage even says you can put all this brainpower in the successful service of discerning doctrines so pure that you talk like angels, and you can still be a scumbag! If that is true, the "doctrine tests" developed by denominations, to determine whether you are safely on the path to Heaven, cannot possibly be very reliable! Fortunately the following passage also tells us what to discern which is not only worth all the gold in the world, but is eternal: indeed, a treasure you can "take with you":

1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Not only is immense brainpower no proof that a man knows God, but, as the last half of this chapter shows, the converse is also true: the lack of brainpower doesn't keep anybody out of Heaven. It is an obstacle which God gives, on Earth, to the saved and unsaved alike, but which God will remove in Heaven. By contrast, God speaks of Love is something we are free to develop without limitation, right here on Earth; and when we die we can "take it with" us:

1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

(In other words, our brains, as mediums for information processing and storage, will be upgraded as dramatically as upgrading from a 3.5" floppy disk to the entire Internet.)

Not that intellect is not important, or that correcting doctrines is not important. If we love God we will keep His commandments, 1 John 5:2-3, 2 John 6. And His commandments include searching for truth, Proverbs 12:17 et al, John 4:23, 8:32, et al. "Doctrine" means "teaching", Mark 4:2, 12:38 and Greek lexicons, so as we search for truth, our doctrines -- what we teach -- should become truer.

In other words, rocket scientists don't go to heaven by virtue of their brains, and idiots do not go to hell for their lack of them.

But an idiot who could have been a rocket scientist but for his addictions to promiscuity and drugs is headed in the wrong direction. Why? Because of what his brains contain? No. Because of what his heart contains, which we discern by seeing what happened to his brains.

In still other words, intelligence concerning the things of God is a source of information about a person's relationship with God. By itself, intelligence doesn't "really count" for eternity; but it helps us discern what does "really count": the condition of the heart.

If the heart is right, faulty intelligence can be repaired, with the prayers and patience of Christian brothers; maybe not enough to turn an idiot into a rocket scientist, but enough to more than turn anyone into an asset to the fellowship and to the community.

Let us assert this categorically: even doctrines -- even religious misconceptions too vapid to be called so lofty a thing as "doctrines" -- even intellectual material that shows evidence of no brainpower whatsoever -- is not directly related to whether a person has the Spirit of Christ.

God can and will take Home, with Him, children with all extremes of theological competence.

To discern whether someone is a church "member", check the Heart (Gr: "center"), or the WILL, not the Head. The Head follows the heart, so often that you can watch which way the Head is facing to know a Heart's desires. But Heads are so independent that you have to be willing to discern deeper, all the way to the Heart, to really know whether one's Heart is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:20-21 says our Hearts can actually be in Heaven, right now.)

We are talking about discerning others when we say "weigh the heart, not the head". We cannot look at our own intellect and say "intellect is not important, so I will not give attention to its development. I will just think warm fuzzy feelings about others." Because that attitude becomes a hateful decision of our heart. We would thereby choose not to develop a resource of great service to others. Wisdom makes all the difference whether our love for others constitutes blundering into their lives, or actually helping them.

EXAMPLES OF BRAIN-DEAD BUT HEART-ALIVE CHRISTIANS

Richard Wurmbrand, in his book "Tortured for Christ", tells of his years in Communist prisons, drugged by "psychiatrists". He said the first to drop away from his consciousness were all the doctrines that distinguished him from other Christians. Next were all his memorized Scriptures, then all the rest of his beliefs, down to the most fundamental of the Fundamentals of Faith.

Finally there was but a single word left, which he repeated over and over, "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" But that Name, and not just its utterance, but the Person who came when it was called, gave him enough consolation and strength to endure.

Linda Wolf of McMinnville, Oregon, had a similar experience after she laid down in front of a police bus to slow down arrests of Christians trying to stop the killing of babies. A policeman, seeing that the bus was not going to stop and that it was too late for him to stop it, saved her life by hurriedly picking her up and throwing her out of the path of the bus. He saved her life, but in doing so, he landed on her, broke her nose, and caused other severe injuries, including loss of consciousness, followed by amnesia.

As medical staff were testing her recollection, they came to "what religion are you?" She did not know. But someone else answered, while pulling out Rosary beads which a Catholic at the scene of the accident had stuffed into Linda's glove, "She must be a Catholic."

Linda was intensely Protestant. But she couldn't remember that. She couldn't even remember her own name. But the Lord gave her this one memory, to help her endure, which she told them: "Well, I know that Jesus died on the Cross to save me from my sins. So if that makes me a Catholic, I must be a Catholic."

Beverly is about 40. She lives in a nursing home. She wears a helmet shaped like a bicycle helmet, but made of thick foam, to protect her head during seizures left over from brain injuries she suffered from a car accident when she was in High School.

She never stops smiling, that universal sign of mental "retardation". She can read, but with little comprehension. She can find the word "Jesus" on a page of text, and when she does she is likely to interrupt the church discussion with "That's Jesus. Isn't that right?"

She speaks with labored effort over each syllable, like someone whose vocal muscles have been half paralyzed by a stroke.

Beverly has memorized all four verses to dozens of hymns, and sings fairly well in tune, though with labored pronunciation. Her singing is robust: Beverly is not among those singers whom frustrated choir directors would plead with to "sing out".

But Beverly cannot participate in a conversation at even a 4-year-old level. Sometimes she will say a sentence about something that happened to her, but she can't give enough context to explain it. So her listeners have to figure out from other sources when it happened, or who she means, or why it happened, or where it happened, and to make sure whether it happened.

Beverly seldom talks, but when she talks it is almost always about Jesus. She will quote part of a verse, or something you might find in a children's catechism such as "Jesus died on the Cross". She always concludes, "Isn't that right?"

If you read a list of the Fundamentals of Faith to her, and ask if she believes them, so that you can determine whether she is "going to Heaven", she would not be able to fully comprehend a single one of them. But she would pick out familiar words or phrases from them, and perhaps comment on them.

Can there be any doubt that Beverly will be there to greet us in Heaven, with her New Brain?

HOW SMART CHRISTIANS ARE DECEIVED.

Dave is a Unification ("Moonie") pastor. To pay the bills, he began business as an Internet server.

Dave once agreed to meet with several Christians who wanted to challenge his beliefs. The talks lasted about four hours. They were tape recorded. Later they were partially transcribed and edited. The editor added further points and invited him to respond further, in print, which he did.

Dave believes that Rev. Moon embodies Jesus' Second Coming. Not that Moon is actually Jesus, but the Second Coming Scriptures didn't necessarily refer to a Person so much as a Role, goes the scenario. Dave believes Jesus came to Earth to establish Paradise on Earth right then. But because he wasn't sufficiently received, He had to revert to Plan B, His crucifixion.

The challengers found it easy to portray Dave's doctrines as bizarre, from their traditional perspective. They could even prove that Dave's interpretations of Scripture were not the most reasonable interpretations. It was much harder to prove his interpretations were not even remotely possible.

Dave's challengers tried to disprove Moon's claims by disproving his interpretations of Scripture. But this wasn't so easy, because when Dave was shown how his interpretations (which he got from Moon) were the least probable interpretations, his attitude was "but they are still possible, you admit. I know they are not only possible, but true, because Moon, himself, has told me they are!" Trusted leaders in this way make the least likely interpretation seem the most likely, whether they are Rev. Moon, William Brannem, David Koresh, or your own idealized pastor.

The discussions covered a great many topics, and innovative angles on familiar passages. His theology was often constructed upon verses passed over by traditional theology, so that his challengers could not draw upon familiar theology for an answer to him, but had to search the Scriptures for answers to questions that had never before occurred to them. The problem was that the answers they came up with, not being from familiar, traditional theology, sounded to Dave just as unorthodox as his own theology.

Then there is the Overlook Element.

No matter what side of a theological controversy you adopt, it takes a lot of study to get every single passage, which has been thrown at you from the other side, to fit your side. So until we can get around to getting every last one of our "ducks in order", we are forced to "overlook" those "troublesome verses", if we are to have any doctrine at all.

In this generation, wherein 95% of Christians who think of themselves as "Bible Believers" have not even read the Bible through once, there simply has not been enough Bible study to prepare most Christians for challenges from competing theologies. This generation's "solution" is to not even have any interaction between denominations, so as not to disturb the blissful ignorance of doctrine-challenging "troublesome verses" which most church members enjoy.

But even for those who have read the Bible through several times, there are always verses which we find "troublesome" because they seem to contradict some of our doctrines, although we aren't sure we understand them. As we study, we steadily resolve apparent conflicts, and as necessary we qualify our doctrines. But we are always discovering still more "troublesome verses", through our own reading or through challenges from others during Bible discussions, which we must resolve. Through this process our doctrines become ever closer to the Truth, but never totally there.

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

And yet here we are, on Earth, where we meet people with heartbreaking questions and worries, who would greatly benefit from the consolation of our doctrines. "How could a God of Love create a world full of hate?" "How can God possibly love me?" So even though we must, if we are honest with ourselves, regard our doctrines as tentative, we must still share them when they can help others. And we need them, ourselves, for our own consolation, our own peace of mind.

But what about the contradictions? Being human, we cannot choose between (A) a doctrine contradicted by several verses, and (B) a doctrine so pure that no verses contradict it. Being human, we struggle to resolve apparent contradictions even within God's Word! How much more we despair of finding a human doctrine which is so pure that no verses seem to contradict it! Were there so pure a doctrine before us, we would have as much difficulty understanding it as we have with some verses!

So, being human, our choice comes down to a choice between a doctrine contradicted by many verses, and a doctrine contradicted by few verses.

And even as we interpret a single verse, our choice is not between an obviously correct interpretation, and an obviously irrational interpretation; but it is between a more reasonable interpretation and a less reasonable interpretation, given clues from grammar, Greek lexicons, the idioms used elsewhere by the same author, and the plain teaching of other verses.

So we choose the interpretation which seems most reasonable, and reject the interpretation which seems "strained".

We try to fit our puzzle pieces together. A piece fits on three sides, but not very well on the fourth. In the case of a jigsaw puzzle, we know that piece cannot go there, so we keep looking for another piece with a perfect fit. But in the case of doctrines, there are many more sides to be fitted, and we cannot tell at a glance whether they fit on all sides, but must take years, sometimes, to determine whether a side fits. So if our immediate impression is that it seems to fit fairly well, we lay it in place for a few years until we have time to examine all the angles.

But then when we interact with someone like Dave, we find that he, too, has studied the Scriptures and struggled with the inconsistencies in his own doctrine, and has resolved most of them, so that when we look at a verse and try to prove to each other how it should be interpreted, using clues from the plain teaching of other verses, he has an entirely different list of verses to support his interpretation of the verse before us. So we have to go through his list of verses, and each verse on the list brings in another list of verses for us to consider.

A couple of hundred hours were spent on the interaction with Dave. The transcription produced several points about Unificationist claims which seemed absurd to traditional Christians, but apparently not to Dave. It produced several issues where it was clear to both sides that, were the Bible our sole source of authority, Unificationist interpretations of verses were not the "most reasonable" interpretations.

But when you deal with a leader who claims inside knowledge, proving merely that his is the least reasonable is not enough to disprove it. You have to find verses which positively refute his interpretations.

But even to the extent we could find something really conclusive, which Dave had to admit refuted some point of his theology, Dave is still under the human limitation of having to choose between a theology with a few seeming contradictions and a theology with more. So it wasn't enough to come up with a couple of conclusive refutations of Moon's theology. Dave would only think, "that doesn't mean Moon is proved wrong. Maybe I just don't understand yet." Moon could not be disproved without a mass of refutations, or refutations of really fundamental doctrines.

Even though we spent hundreds of hours; even though we produced many points which made Unificationist claims seem weak and not very rational, we failed to refute it so conclusively that we could assure ourselves that Dave obviously realizes Unificationist doctrine is a lie, and that Dave is choosing a lie over the truth.

In short, after spending all that time, and finding ourselves with a document so tedious and complicated that many would find it boring, and finding ourselves under the pressure of other Bible inquiries we wanted to delve into before we die, we gained sympathy for Paul's attitude in Romans 14, where instead of demanding unity on every theological point, we throw up our hands and are content to "let everybody be persuaded in his own mind."

Can we tell ourselves Dave is going to Hell because he follows Rev. Moon as a surrogate for Jesus? Dave loves Jesus. Dave loves God's Word, which he has studied more than 95% of "Bible Believers" have (he has even read the Bible through more than once!). We failed to positively prove to him that he is following a lie. Is Dave more guilty, for failing to discern the lie, than we, for failing to clearly show him? How about the guilt of all the "churches" around him, which limit their interaction with him to shunning him? Which never send delegations to him to show him his error? Who left the job for four untrained amateurs to struggle with? Are we safe from hell ourselves, when we assume someone is going to hell whom we have never, ourselves, tried to rescue?

Ezekiel 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Not that this task would have been difficult for a 1 Corinthians 14 church. Quite frankly, we weren't up to it. We could have used some help.

PAGAN BELIEVERS?

This verse is quoted to prove those who believe pagan doctrines must go to hell:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

But it doesn't say "no man cometh unto the Father, but by doctrines". It doesn't say "no man cometh unto the Father, but by brains". Many passages indicate The Gospel reaches everybody, even masses of people without recognizable (to us) doctrines at all.

Romans 2:12 indicates God takes into account the information people have available to choose their path. Verse 13 indicates God doesn't judge people by the purity of the doctrines they have heard, but by their obedience to what they know. Verse 14-15 indicate there are many who have never heard of the Bible, or the Gospel, (they "have not the law"), and yet whose hearts are soft enough for God to be able to write His Laws on them!

Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 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: 15 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;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Romans 1:19 plainly says the Gospel is declared to every man around the globe; verse 20 explains the evidence of God is found in the awesomeness of creation. As if there is a Gospel of Creation which God "preaches" to every human, which is articulate enough to lead a man to Heaven, even though it is too indistinct for anybody to recognize as a "doctrine".

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For 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:

Could such verses possibly be true? Could it possibly be true, that among masses of pagans who, so far as we can determine, have never physically heard the word "Jesus", that Jesus has actually made Himself known to each one of them, and that the hearts of some among them receive Him, though their brains remain confused by paganism?

"NO!" many will scream. "Not possible! They will go to hell, every one of them!"

But what about the passages that say the Gospel reaches every man on earth? Here is where Paul finds a nugget of the Gospel buried in paganism, and uses it to introduce pagans to the full truth:

Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said,...24 God...26 ...hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Far from an assurance that no one will go to heaven unless they intellectually agree with us, John 14:6 (Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.) is a challenge to discern deeper than doctrines, deeper than brains, all the way down to hearts. Although such penetration of discernment may seem impossible in a church with no interaction, it is precisely the penetration of discernment promised any fellowship which obeys 1 Corinthians 14:

1 Corinthians 14:24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

Ways to be Cruel

It is cruel to falsely accuse a brother of going to Hell, just because we are too dumb to discern his heart, because we are so obsessed with our patented denominational superficial Word Test.

It is even more cruel to accuse someone, whether rightly or wrongly, of going to hell, because he does not affirm our denominational creed, and then, instead of providing him the information he needs to be saved, to shun him and LEAVE him bound for hell!

Equally cruel it is, when the excuse for not "preaching the Gospel to every creature" is that "people can climb to Heaven on many ladders" so they don't need the Gospel! Complacency, about preaching the Gospel, kills.

When you meet someone who claims to know Jesus but who has deficient doctrines, here is God's approach to him, rather than shunning him:

Acts 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve.

Complacency about preaching the Gospel may be more deadly for us Christians who smugly, comfortably assert, without great concern for what we can do about it, that those pagans overseas are all going to hell. God knows how to preach to the pagans without us. But what will God do to us who do nothing more to help them than boast how much better we are than they, because we are going to Heaven and they are going to Hell?

Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

An example of how to quote John 14:6 in pride is to use it to prove only we privileged few who have heard the Gospel and recited a verbal formula can enter Heaven.

If God can coach each and every Monarch Butterfly all the way from Canada and the United States to the trees of a particular side of a particular mountain in Mexico year after year for thousands of years, God must know how to communicate the Gospel to each and every human. Maybe not in the glorious fullness we enjoy who own several copies of the Bible, but enough to test how much people love what experience they have had of God.

The debate, over whether those who have not heard the Gospel can be saved, seems ridiculous in light of the familiar Scripture (quoted earlier, but here it is again) that plainly says everyone hears the Gospel:

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For 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: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

We know that not only CAN God communicate the Gospel to every creature, but that God is highly motivated to do so:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

We also know that although there are inequities in the extent to which all men are privileged to hear the Gospel, God is able to take that into account:

Luke 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

That doesn't mean God has no need of missionaries. The following passage starts by saying God uses people to preach, and ends by saying God does this so successfully that everyone is reached!

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 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? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Here's a passage showing how determined God is to communicate the Gospel to every creature, even if every human missionary He commissions runs like Jonah:

Luke 19:37...the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

It's not that God is helpless without us. But what is the Second Great Commandment? (Mat 22:39-40) What kind of love can we have for each other if we do not share with each other about Jesus? How much warmer is a pagan's experience of the Gospel if he can hear it from people rather than stones?

Many of you are thinking, "Wo, he sure isn't preaching to US! We are the folks who go to a church which gives a whopping 10% of its budget -- 1% of my budget -- to send missionaries to pagans overseas! I'm sure not complacent about preaching to pagans!"

Well, that is very important. But let me just double check something.

How about the pagans at work, which you can witness to without it costing you a dime, and you won't even have to risk being tortured or killed for your faith? Where the worst that will happen to you, for your testimony, is that you might lose your job?

How about the pagans in your own family, who may have heard the Gospel a little but whose fellowship with you depends, they threaten, on you not reminding them about it? (By the same principle that a law, unenforced, is a law in effect repealed, which even law-abiding citizens violate without any twinge of conscience!) You don't even have to risk being tortured or killed for your testimony, when you clarify to your wayward family members that you still pray for their salvation. The most that will happen to you is that they may carry out their threat, and you might lose a little more of their fellowship. But for however long that lasts, you will at least have the assurance their conscience is awakened whenever they even think of you! This may be the most effective thing you can do for their hope of Heaven.

How about the pagans in your government, which you can present the Gospel to, that is, to show them, issue by issue, how God says they should make their rulings, without it costing you a dollar? These pagans are pretty important to reach, since these are the pagans that decide how much paganism your tax dollars will be used to preach to your children in school! These are the pagans who decide how much of your money to use to kill babies in wombs! These are the pagans who decide how much of the Gospel to allow you to continue to preach at work, on the street corner, at the abortion temples, or even to your own children when your doctrines conflict with state requirements!

Are you preaching the Gospel to THESE pagans?

As we have been saying, to acknowledge pure hearts among those with polluted brains does not mean we must be complacent about polluted brains. Let us purify hearts and brains both; our own, and others'. God can communicate directly with our hearts, but humans must communicate with each other with the assistance of brains. And also, as we have been saying, part of the way we discern pagans' hearts is by watching what they do with their brains after we present them greater truth.

The reason it is important to understand that God can culture believers among pagans is not so that we can stop worrying about getting the Gospel to them. There are other reasons it is important:

1. To help us identify them, so that we may fellowship with them.

2. To answer the charge that God is unfair for sending millions to Hell who never even had a chance to accept Him.

3. To comfort us, as we grieve for the Lost whom we find ourselves powerless to reach, though we reach as many as we are able.

4. To undermine our temptation to be proud that we are going to Heaven while pagans are not, so that we pray like the Pharisee:

Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

WE DON'T NEED TO DECIDE WHETHER TO RECEIVE HINDUS INTO OUR FELLOWSHIP

The reason it is important to understand that God can reach pagans, without the words of the Gospel, is not so we will let them in our fellowship. They will not want in our fellowship before God has prepared their hearts to receive the words of the Gospel. If someone is committed to some other "way" than the "narrow, straight" way Jesus offers through the Bible, they won't want to join our fellowship anyway. So we don't need to decide if we will let them.

So even while we may hold in our hearts the hope that this outward pagan may actually serve the same God we do, it is appropriate to witness to him as if he were unquestionably not a Christian. After all, he doesn't think he is anyway; if you spoke to him as if you thought he were, you would only confuse him.

Human interaction relies on brains. Even when we are able to identify a true believer among Hindus, for example, how can we communicate with him? We can help by learning his language, as Paul did on Mar's Hill. But the Hindu must learn the spiritual language of the Gospel, because the spiritual language of Hinduism is simply inadequate to communicate the riches of the Gospel.

For another thing, paganism is so different that our poor brains are much more challenged to discern one who knows Jesus, without knowing Jesus' Name, in the first place. Jehovah's Witnesses are hopelessly lost, in the view of many, but at least Christians can communicate with them in the language of Scripture.

Berean-grade caution about dismissing others does not leave us helpless before those Buddhists, Moslems, cow worshippers, insect worshippers, or other various and sundry assorted self-deceived pagans who insist God receives them -- though they reject God's Word -- as readily as He receives those in whom abides God's Word, because "only an unreasonable God would throw people in Hell for rejecting a Gospel they never heard! Surely, therefore, God must make allowances for people who seek Him through different languages, different cultures, and even totally different spiritual approaches!"

We can agree with that logic -- God makes allowances for unintentional ignorance, Luke 12:48, Acts 17:30 -- and then we can note that even that logic does not excuse a pagan after he has been shown the unabridged Word of God!! Hebrews 10:26-7, 6:4-6. How can anyone reasonably expect God to wink at willful ignorance? Do they not then, after having been offered the Word of God and rejected it, fall under Luke 12:47?

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

But let us beware, even then, of assuming our eternal heritage is very much more secure than theirs, when less than 5% of "Bible Believing" Christians have even read their Bible one time through! Let us beware, in light of the high standards of the verses following the one we quote to hold ourselves a cut above pagans:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.... 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Chapter 11 "Identifying Church Members "

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