I am currently 9 days into Princeton University's year long reading of John Calvin's, "Institutes of the Christian Religion".
John Calvin now moves his conversation regarding God, to a universal knowledge that is naturally implanted in the human mind: "That there exists in the human minds and indeed by natural instinct, some sense of Deity, we hold to be beyond dispute, since God himself, to prevent any man from pretending ignorance, has endued all men with some idea of his Godhead, the memory of which he constantly renews and occasionally enlarges, that all to a man being aware that there is a God, and that he is their Maker, may be condemned by their own conscience when they neither worship him nor consecrate their lives to his service." (Institutes - Book 1- Chapter 3.1)
This belief, that Calvin puts forth, comes from Romans 1:18-23: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have
been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the
things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."
This has always been confusing to me, and perhaps belongs in the category of mystery. I get it that all men have God's presence burned into their nature. This is very clear to me, and I believe we see ample evidence of this around the world in our common morals. I also believe that God has made himself plain in the creation.
It is from there, that I get lost.
Let's assume that the Masai man, pictured above, has this sense of God. Let's further assume that he is never exposed to the Gospel. The Bible is clear, without Jesus Christ, this man goes to hell.
The natural man screams, "Hey...that's not fair". I must confess, that it seems unfair to me too.
Thus far, I have placed this in the camp of, "I can't explain it". God says it in his word, so I believe it, but I can't explain it. Certainly God has a better understanding of all of this than we. My thoughts are not his thoughts.
I am also certain that if this Masai warrior was really seeking God, that God would figure it out. God would see to it that he was somehow exposed to the Gospel.
God also has angels at his disposal to accomplish things that we don't understand.
Beyond that, I am stuck, other than this is why we have the Great Commission.
I am all ears from you, my readers, on this one.
Thoughts?
