Quote of the Week

In light of yesterday's post our quote this week deals with the same topic.   This is actually an excerpt from a chapter David Platt contributed to Finish the Mission (John Piper 2012).  In his chapter, Platt addresses the question of whether or not man is truly lost.   In response to the idea that those who have never heard the gospel will be saved because of their ignorance, Platt refers to Romans 1:18-21.  In this passage Paul talks about general revelation, or, put simply, that God has revealed Himself to all people.  Below is Platt's way of summing this thought up. It is blunt, but cuts to the heart of the issue.

Every unreached person in the world - every man in an African jungle, every woman in an Asian village, every person in a forgotten tundra - all of them have a knowledge of God that exposes the lostness of their hearts.  The revelation of God that they have received is sufficient to show them that God is glorious and they are guilty.

You say, "Well, what happens to the innocent guy in Africa who never hears the gospel?" The answer to this question is simple.  Based upon the authority of God's Word, the innocent guy in Africa who has never heard the gospel will absolutely go to heaven.  The only problem is that the innocent guy in Africa DOES NOT EXIST [emphasis mine].  If he were innocent - which is the way this question is normally phrased - why would he need the gospel? He has no sin to be saved from.  However, there are no innocent people in the world waiting to hear the gospel.  As we have seen, there are guilty people all over the world needing to hear the gospel, and that's why we must go to them - precisely because they are guilty.  No one is innocent.

David Platt (right)