Are there few that be saved?
The above question was not the concern of the Philippian jailor. His concern was less esoteric and more down to earth, namely the matter of his own salvation. He cried out, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ The threat that troubled him, was not the wrath of Rome, he knew his prisoners were safe, but something much deeper. Paul’s response, immediate and unambiguous, confirms this. He replied, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.’ God’s promised salvation was what the jailor desired; for Paul (and the other apostles) this was received by faith, and not just any faith, but specifically, faith in ‘the Lord Jesus Christ ’. This, few would quibble , is the essence of the historical Christian gospel.
What about the unevangelized?
In many respects, this is the end of the matter. Yet over the centuries the more abstruse questions have cropped up in many a believer’s mind – what about the unevangelized? What about those who never hear the gospel – are they inevitably lost? Or, may they be ‘saved’ apart from gospel-faith? Perhaps they recognise God through creation and trust him as a faithful forgiving Creator? Surely, this will save them? Traditionally Christians have recognised that we simply do not know with any certainty the answer to these questions and have humbly let God be God by saying , ‘Will not the judge of all the earth do right’. This seems the appropriate response. There are many of our queries the Bible does not answer. John Stott said something like this: God satisfies our intellectual integrity but he does not pander to our intellectual conceit. What we need to know for a life of godliness is revealed, but not always what our curiosity would like to know. As creatures, we should be content with this. After all, the lust for forbidden knowledge lay at the heart of the first sin.
This entry has been viewed 65 times.
About John
Hi there - I am a member of Greenview and have been for over 20 years. For a number of these years I functioned as an elder, however, indifferent health forced me to take more of a back seat. I see this as an opportunity to do a little writing, often focussing on issues that are a matter of evangelical debate today. Naturally the views expressed are my own and may not reflect the views of the elders or church at large, though differences are likely to be in the detail and not the substance.
These articles and sermons were written partly to clarify my own thoughts and partly with the intention of provoking thought in others who may read them. If you read one I hope you find it stimulating. Please feel free to give me feedback or discuss my articles in the forums.
Subscribe to My Blog
Related Documents
Related Websites
- there are no related websites
Most Recent Articles
- He that endures to the End..
- Sermon: Romans 5:12-21 Two Humanities
- Sermon: The Fear of God
- Sermon: Romans 1:18-23
- Honest Hermeneutics
