Above my pay grade

This week in foxhole, we bounced around a bit, then ended up on the topic of souls whose life circumstances prevent them from ever hearing or obeying the gospel of Christ.

We could all name friends, co-workers, or family members reluctant to place their faith in a God who could condemn souls to hell who never heard of Jesus. Or had their understanding of Him irreparably tainted by Christians with unholy and hypocritical lifestyles or corrupted presentations of the gospel. The New Testament is clear: the blessings of salvation, forgiveness, and fellowship with God are found in Christ. But this exclusivity strikes some as unfair, especially if there are extenuating circumstances.

For the sake of argument, we laid aside questions of alternatives: “If you don’t believe in the God of Scripture, what are you placing your hope in? How’s that workin’ out?” We tried instead to deduce what God might do in the future by observing what He has done in the past. After chewing on the question a while, we decided a detailed answer is probably above our pay grade! But we landed in the neighborhood of each of us being responsible for what we know. According to Paul, we all know something.

“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 people are without excuse.” –Romans 1:20 (NIV)

I’m not a universalist. I think it matters what you know, what you believe about what you know, and what you do about what you believe. I don’t think Jesus is going to return and yell, “Olly, Olly, oxen free!”, then declare that everyone goes to heaven. On the other hand, it does not seem reasonable to my very finite human brain that God would treat someone who never had the opportunity to know Jesus the same as someone who knew about Jesus and chose to reject Him.

“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the 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.” –Luke 12:47-48 (NIV)

Likewise, varying levels of reward make sense to me.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” –1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NIV)

Certainly, there are things I don’t know, things I don’t need to know, things which are none of my business. Things that are yet to be revealed and things that are left to the mind of God. I’m comfortable with that. The fact that I’m not always privy to God’s plan is not indication that He doesn’t have one.

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain…” –Psalm 139:6 (NIV)

The question becomes one of trust. Knowing what I know of God…
Is it more likely that He would tend toward mercy or inevitable punishment?
Is it more likely that He would have a plan for dealing with “gray area” situations or be caught completely off-guard when they arise?
Is it more likely that He would hold those plans for those to whom they apply, or check first to be sure I’m on-board with what He has in mind?
And if things don’t go as I thought they might, is He still good?

Pertaining to such matters, Abraham once asked a question that is still relevant:
“Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” –Genesis 18:25c (NIV)