By Jim B. @ http://www.oldtruth.com/blog.cfm/id.2.pid.544
The discussion that ensued in the comments of my post earlier this week demonstrated the widespread confusion in the modern Church over the state of mankind and the role of the Gospel. Many Christians today are not afraid to say "it wouldn't be fair if God didn't give EVERYONE a chance to be saved". They include people in countries where they know the Gospel is non-existent. Incredibly, to defend this idea of fairness, they end up implying that there are ways to get around the need for the Gospel to be preached, as well as the need for missionaries to be sent. All of this in the name of 'fairness'. So let me ask a key question here, would God be fair if He offered salvation to nobody at all?
For starters, let's make sure we have an understanding of what effect Adam had on us. Here's verses 12 and 19 from Romans 5, please at least be familiar with that chapter if you are going to leave a comment below. You might also watch The Fall (movie) here on Old Truth if you haven't done so already.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Interesting side note to ponder: 'all sinned' is past tense)
For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Next question, why does God send anyone to Hell? Let's be precise here. Is it because they were not the "elect"? No, that's not the reason. Is it because they didn't "choose Jesus"? No, strictly speaking - that's not it either. The real reason is because they are guilty of sin, sin against a Holy God.
Now let's go back to Romans 5 and ask, who has ever (or ever will) pass into eternity without being guilty of sin? The answer is nobody (only Jesus did that).
Is God fair (and by that most people really mean "is God just") then in damning a human or an angel, for all of eternity, on account of sin?
Clearly, if anyone does end up in Heaven, it's because of God's grace.
But who does God owe this grace to? Lorraine Boettner answers in this short excerpt from his book:
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Grace, from its own nature, must be free; and the very inequality of its distribution demonstrates that it is truly gratuitous. If any one could justly demand it, it would cease to be grace and would become of debt. If God is robbed of His sovereignty in this respect, salvation then becomes a matter of debt to every person.
If ten men each owe a certain creditor one thousand dollars and he (for reasons of his own) forgives the debts of seven but collects from the other three, the latter have no grounds for complaint.
If three criminals are sentenced to be hanged for having committed murder and then two of them are pardoned -- perhaps it is found that they have rendered distinguished service to their country in time of war-- does that render the execution of the third unjust? Plainly, No; for in his case there is no intervening cause as to why he should not suffer for his crime. And if an earthly prince may justly do this, shall not the sovereign Lord of all be allowed to act in the same manner toward His rebellious subjects? When all mankind might have been punished, how can God be charged with injustice if He punishes only a part of them?
[Imagine] a lady who goes to an orphanage and from the hundreds of children there, chooses one, adopts it as her own child and leaves the rest. She might have chosen others; she had the means to keep others; but she chose [only] one. Will you tell me that woman is unjust? Will you tell me that she is unfair, or unrighteous, because in the exercise of her undisputed right and privilege she [only] chose that one child to enjoy the comforts of her home, and become the heir of her possessions, and left all the others, possibly to perish in want, or sink into the wretched condition of gutter-children?
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So, back to the main question of this post, then . . .
Would it be fair if God didn't give mercy to anyone?
Think about it and answer in the comments below. If He sent all sinners
(the whole human race) to Hell, would He still be fair, just, and good?
Perhaps in thinking through things in this post, some will reconsider their opinions on the earlier post, while keeping in mind these thoughts from Greg Koukl at STR.org:
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One question frequently stops Christians in their tracks: "If the Gospel alone saves, then what about the heathen in Africa who never heard?" Can God justly convict a man who hasn't heard about Jesus? Some people hear the Gospel and reject it, but most never hear it. How can God condemn them? Christians are ill-equipped to respond because they don't really understand something vital about sin and mercy. Sin brings guilt. Mercy is a gift. Anyone who is a sinner receives punishment he deserves. Anyone who is saved receives mercy he does not deserve and which is not owed him. Think of this question:
How could the sheriff send anyone to jail if he didn't offer him a pardon first? The answer is simple. If he's guilty, the sheriff is justified in throwing him in jail. There is no obligation to offer a pardon to a guilty man.
The same is true of God. He can justly convict a man who has broken His law even though the sinner has heard nothing about God's pardon in Jesus. God owes no one salvation. He can offer it to whomever He wishes. That's why it's called grace.
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