I was wondering what your views were on this. Did God judge the Native Americans on their conscience before the us white folk showed up or are they all held accountable for rejecting Christ?
Conscience and the American Indians
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Revelator, May 15, 2008.
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18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 ΒΆ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Act 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." ESV
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What this proves is that whosoever comes does "acknowledge, glorify, and thank" God will, in a physical body, on earth, name the name of Christ even if it is after his resurrection into the MK which is how the OT saints will be utterly saved then.
I agree with Ibaker. God has provided that "acknowledge, glorify, thankful" mechanism to JUSTIFY those who could not know Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 is speaking of those who will ultimately be JUSTIFIED AND SANCTIFIED like us in the knowledge and confession of Jesus Christ.
skypair -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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They are also held accountable for knowing some things from their own consciences about how they ought to behave and breaking that moral code.
So they are judged not on the basis of what or who they didn't and couldn't know (Christ), but on what they did know and could know (There is an eternal invisible powerful creator God who should be worshipped and there is an internal moral law to be obeyed, too.)
I might add that according to Paul, the rejection of the witness of creation and consciences is universal. The witness of creation and consciences leads to the just condemnation of all people and Paul's universal proclamations: "Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin" and "All have sinned." -
Recently we began a bible study with some family and just studied through Romans, I felt this way about it before, and going over it again I taught it that way, that there is a God given moral code every man has in them to live by or not and God uses that to judge a man by in the absence of Christ.
Mainly I put this up here to hear conversation about and see what everyone else had to say. Thanks you guys for posting, and if anyone has any other thing to say, then by all means....share -
...all have sinned.
Sort of puts a premium on our Christian witness to the world, doesn't it? :jesus:
Rob -
Romans 2:14 "For 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.'
They cannot be judge for rejecting Jesus because they never heard of him, even if they had a clue from creation that there was a Creator. So the basis of their judgement will be their own moral code.
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But the point remains the same: if they haven't heard of Jesus, for heaven's sake and their eternity's sake, bring our missionaries home. And if they can be saved without hearing the gospel, is that not another gospel?
If they have heard the gospel without any human means, how did they? -
skypair