The Signs of the Times, vol. 12

November 4, 1886

“What about the Heathen?” The Signs of the Times, 12, 42.

E. J. Waggoner

A good many people nowadays are troubled about the heathen. That in itself is all right, if it leads to right action. Paul was troubled about the heathen, so much so that he exclaimed, “Woe is me if I preach not the gospel.” But in the most of this modern worry over the heathen, we have seen no tendency toward a disposition to relieve their needs. In fact, neither the heathen nor the people themselves are benefited by it, and could not be expected to be. The question is, “What is going to become of the heathen who have never heard the gospel.” This is answered in two ways. One answer is that they will all be damned; and in this answer people see the destruction of nearly all the heathen without any chance for salvation, because they imagine that but very few have ever heard the gospel. Another answer, and that which is now the more popular one, is that those who “have not had a chance” in this life will be granted a chance in the future life. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.1

The tendency of both these views is deadening to all spiritual growth. Try to persuade a man to accept Christ and obey the truth, and he will ask, “What is going to become of all those who never heard this gospel? Are they all lost?” And so much more interested is the man in the dead heathen than he is in his own living soul, that he will pay no attention to present duty till that question is settled. Moreover he usually has already settled it in his own mind according to the first answer given above, and then says, “Well, if God will condemn men without giving them a chance, he doesn’t deal justly, and I will have nothing to do with him.” As for the other view, once let a sinner become indoctrinated into the error that some men will have a future probation, and he will quickly draw the legitimate conclusion that all men may have a second probation; and since in matters spiritual there is a universal tendency to await “a more convenient season,” such an one will make no effort to turn from the error of his ways. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.2

Now while the most sensible way for each one to do would be to attend to the call of mercy which he knows is extended to him, paying no attention to matters which cannot possibly concern him, it may be well to note how the heathen stand related to God. The matter is not a complicated one, as we find it in the Bible. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.3

1. Paul says that the heathen are “without excuse,” because ever since the foundation of the world, the invisible things of God, that is, “his eternal power and Godhead,” are “clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” Romans 1:20. Thus we find that if there are any heathen who do not know, (1) that there is a God; (2) that he is all-powerful, the Creator of all things, and therefore before all things; and (3) that to this Supreme Being his allegiance is rightfully due, it is his own fault. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1. And so plainly is God revealed in nature that he who says, even in thought, that there is no God, is justly called a fool. Psalm 14:1. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.4

2. There are none who have not some consciousness of right and wrong. Paul says, “For when the Gentiles, which have not the written law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves; which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.” Romans 2:14, 15. It is not possible, by the light of nature alone, to know the fullness of the truth as it is in Jesus, but there is not a man upon earth who does not have enough knowledge of what is right to justly condemn him if he does not profit by that knowledge. It is true that men may “not like to retain God in their knowledge,” and may ignore the good and practice the bad so persistently as to completely deaden all sensibility, and be given over “to a mind void of judgment” (Romans 1:28, margin); but the fact that this is done only proves the truth of the statement that all men have naturally a certain amount of knowledge of right and wrong. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.5

3. If a man persists in stifling his conscience, and is determined that he will not do even the little good that he knows, he must inevitably go into deeper darkness and degradation. It would be impossible for God to give him greater light, since he resolutely shuts his eyes to that which he has. And it is just as true that if a man has a fixed purpose to practice all the good that he knows, he will not only be aided in his effort, but will be given greater light. “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” John 7:17. “Light is sown for the righteous.” Psalm 97:11. And “unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.” Psalm 112:4. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.6

Numerous examples of this are given in the Bible. Abraham was brought up among idolaters. Joshua 24:2. But he loved to retain God in his knowledge, and so resolutely did that which he knew to be right. And because of this integrity of purpose, God called him out from his heathen associates, and revealed his truth to him in an especial manner. The centurion Cornelius is another example. He had risen above his heathen education, and feared the true God, living up to all the light that he had. To him Peter was sent by divine command, to give him the full light of the gospel. So it will ever be. No matter how remote from civilization a heathen may be, if he sincerely desires to do right, God will enlighten him. A minister may not be sent to him, as Peter was to Cornelius, but God’s word will be in some manner conveyed to him, and the entrance of that always gives light. That, without man’s interpretation, is able to make any man “wise unto salvation.” SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.7

4. Moreover, in Paul’s day all the heathen had heard the word of life. He says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” Romans 10:17, 18. These words were spoken, by David, of the heavenly bodies, but Paul applies them to the gospel. And that this is so is proved by his words to the Colossians: “And you... hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight; if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.” Colossians 1:21-23. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.8

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.” Hebrews 9:27, 28. “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,” except the name of Jesus. Christ was once offered for the sins of men on probation in this life. At the close of this probation, he will come the second time “without sin,” for the salvation of those who look for him. When he comes, he no longer bears the sins of any. Now a probation for sinners without any means outside of themselves whereby to be saved from sin, would be no probation at all. But Christ bears no sins except for men on probation in this life, before his coming; and outside of Christ there is no salvation; therefore there can be no probation after this life. Just before Christ comes it will be said: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11. After that there will be no more “chance” for anybody. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.9

But this fact, together with the fact that the Judge of all the earth will do right, is further evidence that every man on earth will in this life have ample opportunity to “lay hold on eternal life.” Indeed, why should it be otherwise? God “hath wrought us for this self-same thing;” that is, he has placed us on this earth in order that we may fit ourselves by his grace for an immortal life; and to say that, when God has placed man on this earth for one definite purpose, he will deprive any of an opportunity to learn what that purpose is, is to charge God with folly. The truth of the matter is that the very fact that man exists on this earth is an evidence that he is having a “chance” for a better existence. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.10

None of these things release us from obligation to do all in our power to spread the gospel, for God usually works through human agencies. He has in mercy to us allowed us to become “workers together with him,” that thus we may finally enter into the joy of the Lord. But let no one charge God with folly and injustice, by saying that the heathen or any other people do not have a chance, nor foolishly neglect the word of truth, in the vain expectation of a “more convenient season.” “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” W. SITI November 4, 1886, page 662.11