Yesterday's Encounter

Yesterday's encounter kept me awake last night. I could not help but think about that young lady and her situation. While replying to Susan's comment in yesterday's post, I wrote this:

Isn't it amazing that such divine encounters happen when we least expect them? When I shared this event with my son (who arrived home about an hour after it happened), my daughter (who was traveling in the car with some friends), and then my husband at work, (who was very concerned...then laughed when I described Sasha racing in circles around the women outside on my front lawn just as the police officers arrived); it was then that I realized that the Lord must have directed her to my particular house.

These things do not happen by accident.

We live about 7 houses down from a main rural road. I don't know whether or not she tried knocking on other doors before she got to mine.

I have been thinking about this terribly troubled young woman who is only a year younger than my own daughter. She has so many "strikes" against her. She is deaf, mute, schizophrenic and bi-polar. I laid awake in bed for hours last night thinking about her. Mostly, I thought about how would a Christian witness to someone like that? Would sharing the gospel be comprehended?

Susan, I cannot tell you how many times the Lord has led me to either a Bible verse, Christian book, article, or a Christian friend's words when such deep questions enter into my mind.

This time, my mind was led to recall a portion of a chapter from the new book I am currently reading. It is called, To Everyone An Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview. Excellent book!! I am enjoying reading it!

In the chapter entitled, "Religious pluralism and Christian exclusivism," author David K. Clark brings up the question that Arlen had previously asked at this blog; namely, what about those who have "never heard" or, as this new book states, "can't understand a religious message."

Several commenters contributed excellent answers in that previous thread! You might notice that Clark's answer includes some of them. I just thought that the author's answer to this very important question was remarkably good!

Clark writes:

With Christianity, what about people who lived before Jesus? Or cultures where Jesus is unknown? Or people who can't understand the Christian message--like very young children?

I would add people like the young woman who came to my home yesterday. We can each wonder - does God have special grace for people like her? I think that Clark gives us a sufficient answer to this question. Readers, let me know what you think.

Clark continues:

Exclusivists [described in the book as believers in Christ as being the only way to God the Father] offer many responses. For one thing, many qualifications fit with exclusivism. Some say God gives special grace to children or others who can't understand a religious message. Others say that God knows every person who would respond and ensures that all people who would believe have a chance to believe.

For a Christian, this objection is difficult because we just don't know all that God will do for people who don't know about Jesus. But we do know about the character and the intentions of God. Regarding God's character, among God's essential attributes are justice (intense opposition to evil) and grace (passionate love for people). Regarding his intentions, a deep divine passion is to rescue all people. If we start with what we know, we can gain confidence. Somehow--it's speculation to say exactly how--God is at work to draw all people to himself.

One reasonable scenario is that God will give all people the opportunity to receive salvation. How God will do this is partly clear and partly hidden. The clear part is that God has instructed Christians to offer to others the opportunity to receive the gift of salvation. The less clear part is what God is doing behind the scenes. If God's character and intentions are as the Bible says, I surmise God is doing far more than we know. So, on the one hand, it would be arrogant for Christians to presuppose and mistaken for critics to assume that God's entire effort is limited to what human beings do. On the other hand, it would be irresponsible for Christians to conclude they may shirk their duty to share the message of Jesus just because God works in unexpected ways behind the scenes to bring his love to the world.

As I said, we don't know all God's ways. As a Christian, I say some things (like my responsibility to humbly share Jesus with others) are clear and nonnegotiable. But others are less clear. To answer the third charge against Christian exclusivism, however, it's enough to know that God will both conquer evil and draw all repentant people to himself.

What a powerful statement is contained in that last sentence!! It describes why Christ came to die on the cross for our sins and the purpose of the gospel message!!

Clark continues:

The objection is that exclusivism is unfair to those who have no chance for salvation because, humanly speaking, they haven't heard that message. But I believe God will give the chance to all. We don't know how this works. If God is committed to drawing all people to himself, then the objection doesn't hold against Christian exclusivism. We can reasonably infer, given God's commitment to overcome evil, his longing that all people love him, and his infinite resourcefulness, that his plan is fair. Abraham once asked rhetorically, "Will not the God of all the earth do what is right?" We don't know exactly how, but we have confidence he will. (bold mine)

Clark's last two sentences reminded me of one of Arlen's comments in the Never Heard of Jesus? thread:

"But quite frankly, if we knew everything, we wouldn’t need faith."