What Biblical doctrine do you struggle with most? I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you answered that God’s concept of the relationship between the roles of men and women really causes you a hard time. Nor would I be shocked if a number of you struggle with the concept of close(d) communion that ties together with the Biblical concept of fellowship. Do you know what doctrine I struggle with most? It’s the Biblical doctrine of sin. I struggle with that doctrine not because it’s so tough to understand – but because it’s so prevalent. I struggle with that doctrine because it infects me so thoroughly and affects me so perversely. I struggle with that doctrine because it’s reality is always before me and it’s always before you too.
Sin – it’s the infectious nature each of us inherits from our parents that rebels against God and His will and fills life on this planet with trouble and turmoil. Sin stinks! It’s the reason a Florida boy killed his teacher, that nearly 50% of all marriages fail, that it’s a struggle to motivate children to learn diligently and adults to perform their responsibilities faithfully. It’s the reason that any single one of us in this room is capable of doing the most hurtful things to ourselves or someone else. It’s also the reason that life on this planet comes to a screeching, permanent halt in death. But here’s the most troubling part of the doctrine of sin: we’re not only victims of sin, but we’re also responsible for it. That means that every human being that has ever lived, except Jesus, has rightfully earned God’s never ending wrath in the fiery lake of hell where all hope for even a moment of relief is gone. That punishment rightfully belongs not just to the Tim McVeighs of the world, but to everyone.
So if you came this morning hoping to hear a pep rally type speech that would bolster your self-esteem – then I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong church. The truth about sin and our own sinfulness awakens feelings of resentment, frustration, and even depression as we realize that we deserve eternal death. But God has good news to share with you this morning that will draw you closer to himself and give you a clearer vision of his glorious grace. Listen carefully and closely to the words of our God uttered through the lips of the Apostle Peter in a single sentence. Listen as God reveals eternal life to you in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” In that verse God reveals to us that: Eternal life is found in the little words. Eternal life is found in the little words: no one else. Eternal life is found in the little words: no other name.
Salvation, that is, never-ending life in the gracious presence of our God is found in the little words of that sentence. Eternal life is found with no one else but Jesus Christ alone. That answers it doesn’t it? The question posed for our consideration in this worship service is: “What happens to those who have never heard about Jesus?” As was said in the opening of the sermon all people are guilty of sin and therefore worthy of eternal death. If someone never hears about Jesus and dies without ever hearing about Jesus and believing in him then there is only one alternative.
While that answer is Biblical, conclusive, and absolutely true there may be some objections that arise in our minds. The objections usually focus around two major themes: the first as to God’s nature and the second as to the nature of the punishment. Let’s take a look at those objections for a few moments this morning.
The first objection usually sounds something like this: How could God punish the very creatures that he created? After all isn’t God the one who is supposed to be forgiving? How could the God of love also be the God who punishes people with the worst kind of torment that never ends?
God tells us that he is the God of love, the God who loves righteousness. That’s something the Psalmist makes plain, “You love righteousness and hate wickedness;” (Psalm 45:7). As the God who loves righteousness he expects to find complete righteousness in the people he has created. But here’s the problem God sees as Paul remarks in Romans 3, “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:22b-23). Truth be told the God who loves righteousness must punish all unrighteousness with the punishment of hell. But the amazing thing is that the God of love holds out an offer to all people to trade our sinfulness for Christ’s righteousness, to punish Jesus instead of us. That’s the truth that God spells out in the very next verse of Romans 3, “And are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). So it’s not that God hasn’t forgiven everyone it’s that some people refuse the forgiveness and the righteousness that he offers. In fact if people don’t want that forgiveness and righteousness God is treating them with the highest respect – he doesn’t jam it down their throats but honors their wishes. It’s as though God is saying, “You are significant. I take you seriously. Choose to reject me – choose hell if you will. I don’t like it, but I will let you go.”
When people hear about what Jesus has done for them and still reject the forgiveness and the righteousness that he offers then they have no one to blame but themselves. But it hardly seems fair that God would eternally punish those people who never had the chance to believe in Jesus! That’s really the focus of the second objection to God’s answer. The objection: It’s not fair.
It’s not fair that God would punish people who never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus! But my friends, that’s a dangerous stand to take. After all God wasn’t being fair when he punished Jesus for my sins. It’s not fair that God offered me Jesus’ righteousness. It’s not fair that God brought me to faith. If I demand that God be fair, and each person receive what they deserve then I would be headed for hell. Besides didn’t God give the promise of the Savior to the whole world when he told Adam and Eve; or when he spoke to Noah and his family after the flood. So if someone hasn’t heard about Jesus it’s not that God failed – but that human beings failed to pass on the precious truth of a Savior to their children on through the generations. Not only that but as you think of our modern day with all of the avenues of communication available it is hard to imagine how someone doesn’t at least have access to information about Jesus.
There’s another strand to the “it’s not fair” objection. It goes like this: It’s not fair because the punishment doesn’t fit the crime – after all sin doesn’t take that long to commit so why would it take that long to pay off? But that objection doesn’t even hold water by human standards. After all it didn’t take Tim McVeigh much time to bring 168 people to their graves. If the only consideration for punishing the criminal was the amount of time it took to commit the crime then Tim McVeigh would be walking the streets today. When we understand that sin is an offense against the infinite eternal good, namely God himself, then it only makes sense that each sin deserves eternal punishment.
In the end any and all arguments against God’s answer are ones concocted by our sinful human reason that tries to hold God accountable for the punishment that all people deserve because they’ve sinned and brought God’s wrath upon themselves. The best solution to the problem then isn’t to spend our time crafting clever arguments against God. Rather we will be far better off as we listen to the little words that He shares with us that bring eternal life offered as a free gift through his Son, Jesus.
But what’s the solution to the problem of those who have never heard about Jesus? Our God invites us to become part of the solution to the world’s problem of sin. He invites us to share His little words of eternal life that declare plainly and vividly to all that there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
What does that mean? The name Peter is referring to is the name: Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He is the Jesus of the Bible. He is a real, historical person who walked upon this earth, who had a hometown called Nazareth. He is the one who made this claim about himself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”(John 14:6). How could he make that claim? Because he is the one who has revealed himself on the pages of Scripture as the Savior of the world. After all that’s what the name Jesus means! It means Savior!
He is also the Christ, which means “Anointed One.” To be anointed means to be officially installed and commissioned for a specific purpose. Jesus was installed and commissioned by God the Father himself for the specific purpose of saving this world full of sinners. His commissioning took place at his baptism in the Jordan River when the skies opened up and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and God the Father spoke from the heavens, “This is my Son whom I love, with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). He is the one about whom the writer to the Hebrews remarks, “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). This is the name God has given us by which we must be saved. It’s the name that all of Scripture points to. It’s a beautiful name to share.
So why is His name so tough to share? Because in our world of moral relativism it’s much easier to dismiss as preposterous the thought of hell where people are punished because they’ve violated an absolute standard of right and wrong. Because in our secular, humanistic world that worships the human mind, body, spirit, and potential the thought of life apart from right here and right now is irrelevant and insignificant. Because in a pluralistic society where religion is treated like the local Baskin Robbins where you choose to create your own flavor combination for God that suits you for the day – it sounds archaic and outdated to talk about and insist on the Jesus of the Bible for all people.
But that still doesn’t get to the heart of the problem, does it? How come His name is the toughest one for me to share with others? Why do I often willingly subscribe to the warning that we don’t dare talk about religion and politics at social gatherings? Why is it that I would much rather disregard the existence of hell for impenitent sinners than talk about the importance of having Jesus in my life? Why is that I would rather ignore my own sinful depravity and that of the people around me than share the incredible news about the only one who can rescue us from this lost condition?
Could all of this be an indication that my love for my neighbor is only skin-deep? Skin-deep love is more concerned about my reputation than it is about the final destination of those around me. Skin-deep love cares only that people feel comfortable and accepted on earth regardless of whether or not God will accept them into the comfort of heaven. Skin-deep love gets mad at God for punishing those who have never heard about Jesus rather than seizing the opportunities we have to tell others about their Savior. Who of us here has never been guilty of such shallow love?
Thankfully our admission to heaven does not depend on how many strangers’ doors we’ve knocked on or phone calls we’ve made to invite others to church. Praise God that he doesn’t promise us heaven on the condition that we bring at least 10 other people to faith. We have a place in heaven because Jesus’ love for us ran so deep that even the scourge of the whip would not deter him from his purpose. We will live in the heavenly mansions because Jesus’ love for us was so strong that not even a crown of thorns pressed into his scalp or the piercing nails in his hands and his feet would sway him from accomplishing his mission. We will reign in heaven with our Lord because his love for you and for me was so intense that not even suffering the wrath of hell could keep him from being our Savior! That’s the reason we can’t help but share his name! Because eternal life is found in him and in him alone!
Armed with that good news let us strive to reflect his boundless love for all as we share his little words that bring eternal life because we want everyone to hear about Jesus. May God grant it for his glory and the salvation of many souls. Amen.
