Scripture reading: John 3:16-19
The responsibility of salvation is not upon humanity, but it is upon God to provide a means of escape from this awful condition into which we were born. The people in this age, since Jesus came, must hear of God. If they never hear of God, God cannot send them to hell. No man can go to hell if he has never heard of God, or never heard of salvation, or never heard of Jesus Christ. You say that there are so many heathen, so many people! God will preach salvation to these people and set them free wherever they are, even without a preacher. God will preach to the unborn babe, the child in the womb (Luke 1:41), to anyone. He will give life to those whom He knows will accept it, even before they can accept it.
In Psalm 139:13-16, David speaks to God concerning the time before he was born and how God had put His hand upon him in the womb. “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” This verse tells us of a prenatal operation of God. God operates on people even before they are born. Because God is God, He can do anything. He can preach to a child who we cannot even communicate with. He can speak to an unconscious person. He can speak to a person who to us is uncommunicative; yet to Him, He can have dialogue with that person.
God has His voice in dark corners of the earth. The Word is being preached and is going forth.
Men will be judged according to the light which they have received. God is not in the business of sending people to hell. He is in the business of salvation. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil,” John 3:19. Salvation is dependent upon the individual, because God is giving to each person. If ever a man lived and is about to die and has not received the knowledge of God, the responsibility rests upon Jesus Christ to stop him at the gates of death and to give him an opportunity of accepting life or accepting death.
The thief on the cross is the best example of this. He probably did not have an opportunity before, but then God opened his eyes just before he went into death, and he saw Jesus, and turned to Him and said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Jesus said unto him, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” “Paradise,” of course, meant down in hell where Jesus was going. The thief had an opportunity there of accepting Jesus. Jesus Christ “preached unto the spirits in prison,” and “led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men,” and the thief on the cross was one of the first who received that gift. (See 1 Peter 3:18-20 and Ephesians 4:8-9.)
(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 2, pages 86-87)
Thought for today: We are just instruments in the hand of God. It is God’s responsibility to draw men unto Him.
Sonlight Devotional 