Hello All,
I have a few thoughts on why we should preach the Gospel to gentiles. These
reflect only my own opinion.
1. We as Christians have a commandment to preach the Gospel to everyone
because Jesus asked his disciples to do so. So it is one the important
responsibilities for us.
2. The fact that Jesus died for our sin gives us hope that we can still be
saved even if we haven't always done things according to our conscience.
This hope comes only from the knowledge about Jesus' forgiving love.
3. Since no human being is perfect everyone needs forgiveness for sins.
4. Some people might loose faith in their religions and therefore their
faith in God because of some superstitions in their religions that they don't
agree with. I recently heard a Hindu friend at work arguing that there is no
God because there are lot of suffering people (poor and disabled people) in
this world. He also disagrees with a lot of superstitions in the Hindu
religion. Such people could potentially believe in God in spite of the
suffering people in this world if they had familiarity with the Gospel.
So Sebastian, I don't think we can get away from our responsibility to spread
the Gospel that easily.
Love and Prayers,
Lovely
In a message dated 7/4/01 4:38:53 AM Central Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Thanks for the mails of Shalini, Lovely, Samji, George etc. all except
George supports the salvation is possible for other religious people also
because of the mercies of God.
But the strong mail from George Fernandes helps us to think again before
deciding the salvation of those dont believe in Christ.
We can understand the Bible in 2 ways. We can take the word either with
verbal meaning without considering the circumstances where it used and the
purpose why it said etc. or with considering all these.
Whoever rejects the Son will not see the life (Jh 3-36)
Who told this Passage? John the Baptist.
To whom? The Jews, means the people God selected and separated for His great
plan of Salvation, who were supposed to accept Jesus with their whole heart.
Why he told above words? Because he knew they wont accept Him even after
his entire Mission, Miracles etc(3-32)
But can we say the same statement is applicable to those who even not heard
about the Savior? They reject Jesus because He is a strange God for them.
John 3-18 also a similar statement said by Jesus to Nicodemus, a Pharisee
and a ruler of Jews. That statement also meant particularly for Nicodemus
and commonly to all people represented by him. Today these statements are
applicable to us believers, as Lovely said. But how can a loving God can
impose those judgements on the poor gentiles, who even dont heard about
Jesus?
Read the following Golden letters from the letter of St.Paul to Romans
2-14:16 very clearly reflect about the Salvation of Gentiles.
For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the
law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their
hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their
thoughts accusing or else excusing them, in the day when God will judge the
secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel.
The above words assure salvation even for gentiles but with a condition,
they also would be judged by Jesus according to their conscience. God is
working in them through their conscience. They dont know the commandments
of Jesus, but in their heart it is written. So they dont have an excuse.
Even in communists or an atheist God works through their conscience. That is
why even though they dont believe in any God but they keep the commandments
of God. They dont kill or dont do adultery, why? Because God will speak
them when there is a chance for sin that this is wrong.
Even when gentiles pray according to their faith, God hears their prayers
and answer them (Acts 10-1:8)
But if the above statements are true, is it necessary to preach the Gospel?
If gentiles can be saved by living according to their conscience why should
they accept Christ? We can have a good relationship with our gentile society
if we dont preach the Gospel to them. What you say?
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