The Ordinary Dispensation

In Romans 10:14, Paul intends to connect prayer with faith, as they are indeed things most closely connected, for he who calls on God carries himself, as it were, to the only true haven of salvation, and to a most secure refuge; he acts like the son, who commits himself into the bosom of the best and the most loving of fathers, that he may be protected by his care, cherished by his kindness and love, relieved by his bounty, and supported by his power. This is what no man can do who has not previously entertained in his mind such a persuasion of God’s paternal kindness towards him, that he dares to expect everything from him.

He then who calls on God necessarily feels assured that there is protection laid up for him; for Paul speaks here of that calling which is approved by God. Hypocrites also pray, but not unto salvation; for it is with no conviction of faith. It hence appears how completely ignorant are all the schoolmen, who doubtingly present themselves before God, being sustained by no confidence. Paul thought far otherwise; for he assumes this as an acknowledged axiom, that we cannot rightly pray unless we are surely persuaded of success. For he does not refer here to hesitating faith, but to that certainty which our minds entertain respecting his paternal kindness, when by the gospel he reconciles us to himself, and adopts us for his children. By this confidence only we have access to him, as we are also taught in Ephesians 3:12.

But, on the other hand, learn that true faith is only that which brings forth prayer to God; for it cannot be but that he who has tasted the goodness of God will ever by prayer seek the enjoyment of it.

Therefore we are in a manner mute until God’s promise opens our mouth to pray, and this is the order which he points out by the Prophet, when he says, “I will say to them, my people are ye;” and they shall say to me, “Thou art our God.” (Zechariah 13:9.) It belongs not indeed to us to imagine a God according to what we may fancy; we ought to possess a right knowledge of him, such as is set forth in his word. And when any one forms an idea of God as good, according to his own understanding, it is not a sure nor a solid faith which he has, but an uncertain and evanescent imagination; it is therefore necessary to have the word, that we may have a right knowledge of God. No other word has he mentioned here but that which is preached, because it is the ordinary mode which the Lord has appointed for conveying his word. But were any on this account to contend that God cannot transfer to men the knowledge of himself, except by the instrumentality of preaching, we deny that to teach this was the Apostle’s intention; for he had only in view the ordinary dispensation of God, and did not intend to prescribe a law for the distribution of his grace.

-- John Calvin, Commentary on Romans 10:14

The Basic Problem

Q. 60. Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?
A. They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

There is actually a problem with the Gospel which men cannot fix.  But that doesn't stop them from trying.

On the other hand, The "problem" with the Gospel is that Christ's perfect and finished work, which cannot be added to, doesn't declare itself.  Someone has to declare it to those who, as the catechism astutely says, "frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess."

 

Epic Villainy

Q. 60. Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?
A. They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

The English speaking peoples use up a lot of useful adjectives. We hear someone overreach with a wild description, we snicker, and then we perpetuate the crime ourselves and turn the word into a meaningless throwaway. Example of some words that have lost their vibrant power? Awesome, wonderful, fantastic, incredible, and today's favourite: epic. "Epic" should not describe a compelling cut scene from a video game, nor some sap's tobogganing mishap, nor inappropriate engrish signage.

Epic isn't even properly an adjective. An epic is a heroic poem or narrative, a long story, spanning wide reaches of time and space. An epic traces setbacks and advances, victories and despairing losses. Mistakes are made and people die. An epic will cause you to mourn, but it may also give you hope. There are surprises. You may find that the life or death of an entire people is at stake. There are four or five conspicuous themes and competing long games recurring throughout the 1000+ pages. Some epics are tragic. Most of the characters in the tale don't know whether they have a future. And the ending blows your mind.

In one particular epic, in fact the mother of all epics, we come to the following recurring hinge: Romans 10:13-15, Isaiah 6:7-8, Matthew 9:36-38, John 4:34-36, Matthew 28:17-20. An entire people is lost and careening towards damnation. God calls his own people to do his will, to obey his command: to proclaim and live the Gospel.

It's urgent. Do you get it? This epic is real, it's ongoing, the stakes are monumental, and we don't know just how it's going to end for every participant. Do you hate your boss? Do you hate your son's bad-news friend with too many piercings? Your neighbour? That dog-owner acquaintance who gives you an absent minded hello when you walk your own doggie? Your own children? If you hate all these people, then by all means continue theologizing instead of evangelizing. And embrace your role as an epic villain. You've earned it.

To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. -- 1 Corinthians 9:21-23

Exclusively Worthy

Q. 60. Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?
A. They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12, ESV)

One of the consequences of universal salvation is the negative effect it has on the role of Jesus Christ as humanity's redeemer.

If you've been reading along with us, you'll remember the section we just finished that spent a great deal of time spelling out the various roles that Jesus has. Each of these roles, like the facets of a diamond, bring out out a little bit more of the beauty of the Messiah.

But consider what "other paths to God" do to this picture.

For example, is it right to characterize Christ's sacrifice as being "once for all time" if it was not the ultimate sacrifice? God's response to Jesus' sacrifice—exalting him above the angels—seems way off base if it only did some of what was necessary.

Also, what about those who "diligently frame their lives," according to either the light of nature or the laws of the religion they profess? If their diligence or sincerity are sufficient to bring them into God's presence, it would seem they should be due some special honor, because they didn't need the mediator's work on their behalf.

The Bible's answer on these matters is clear: God's plan has always been that human beings would not boast in themselves, but in Him. Exclusivity in salvation allows Jesus to be proclaimed the Worthy Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

The Naked Savages Next Door

Q. 60. Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?
A. They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

“It’s just so unfair! All those poor, good, primitive peoples - living close to nature and never polluting anything, loving everyone freely and fully! And you say they’ll go to hell because of some message they never even heard! What monstrous sort of God do you believe in, anyway?”

Needless to say this is an entirely contemporary notion of anthropology. We could spend some time deconstructing it. Or we could dig into how scientists of earlier ages viewed cultural differences. Or, best of all, we could ask what God Himself has to say about the peoples of the world:

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. -Romans 1:19-23

If God is to be taken at His word, then all the “diligence” of men and all the “laws of that religion which they profess” are not moving them toward God, but always further away. And to put a fine point on it: this is true not only of the naked savages who live in remote places; it is true also of Westerners of every age, race, gender, and socio-economic status. Our neighbors profess a religion which they follow diligently, and through it their foolish hearts are darkened.

It is no wonder that there is no “salvation in any other, but in Christ alone.” Who else could lead us to the Father?

How to Fearlessly Destroy Death

Q. 60. Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?
A. They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

According to Wikipedia, there are at least 70 tribes of people in the world who have never had any contact with 'civilization' outside their tribe. They live in the forests of Brazil, New Guinea, and on islands near Indonesia. In most instances, they resist any contact with the outside world through acts of violence. They want to be left alone.

To make matters worse, if we did contact them, up to 50% of them would perish of disease. They have no immunity to things like pneumonia. To contact them would likely result in death for the one who contacted them, or else it would lead to death of many in the tribe by disease.

The Bible is clear that all men and women are sinful and morally bankrupt before God, and that the only hope of salvation lies in Christ Jesus the Lord. These people must hear the gospel or they will die in their sins. Someone must go to them, at the risk of their own lives and the lives of the tribe, or these tribes have no hope.

Jesus said, "Whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). We need not fear killing the natives with disease if we realize that they are dead already apart from the only gospel that can save them.

As for us, we need not fear dying at their hands. We are a crucified people. We, too, are already dead.

One Foundation

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

She is from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.

The Church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish,
Is with her to the end:
Though there be those who hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against both foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed:
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song!

’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won,
With all her sons and daughters
Who, by the Master’s hand
Led through the deathly waters,
Repose in Eden land.

O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee:
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales the Bride
With Thee by living fountains
Forever shall abide!