6/16/12
Ricardo, about 30
At Chicago's Oak Street
beach I asked a bicyclist about his spiritual views. Ricardo is from Peru and told
me he has abandoned the Catholic faith he grew up in. He claimed that he didn't think much about religion
but as we talked his insightful questions told me otherwise. I'll focus on one of those questions here to
share my answer to him and hopefully hear how others would answer his
question. He asked "What about all
the people who never hear about God. How
could they go to heaven?" He told
me he knows of different tribal groups in Peru and the rest of South America
that have no contact with the outside world.
Here is what I told him: 1.) All
people have an inherent knowledge of the Creator based on the evidence of
creation all around them. Romans 1:20 says "For since the creation
of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have
been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are
without excuse." 2.) All people
have a God-given conscience to which they will be held accountable. Romans
2:14-15 says "Indeed, when Gentiles, who
do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law
for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the
requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also
bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them". 3.) Those who seek after God will be
rewarded. James 4:8 says "Come
near to God and he will come near to you" 4.) God will judge us
according to what we have done with what knowledge we have been given - based on
Luke 12:47-49 "That servant who
knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master
wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know
and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much,
much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much
more will be asked." I told Ricardo that I personally believe God
can and does reach such unreached peoples in miraculous ways, but that if he is
truly concerned about them he should become a Christian and bring the Gospel to
them himself! In the meantime, he is
responsible for the knowledge of Jesus he has been given (even as I was
speaking it to him) Whether they were genuine
concerns or a sort of smokescreen to avoid the more personal questions about
his accountability before God, Ricardo's questions were real and needed to at
least be spoken to in our conversation, even if I didn't have time to give
exhaustive answers. How would you have
answered it? I would appreciate any
feedback that can help me the next time I hear this question, and please
remember to pray for Ricardo.
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