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 I
wonder how many souls have rejected Christ because of that
"Far-Away-Island"? The reasoning goes like this.
"On some far away island there are people who have never
heard of Jesus Christ, or of His commandments. They can’t
believe if they have not heard; they can’t obey if they do not
know the commands, so surely a just God will save them."
(It’s amazing how many people who will not consider what God
says, can figure out exactly what God will do — on the basis
of their concept of right and justice.) Then, an otherwise
intelligent man, with Bibles all around him and concerned
friends pleading for him to hear and obey Christ, assumes that
he can ignore Christ, and be saved "like those far-away
savages".
The
analogy is far-fetched and illogical, even if people on that
faraway island are saved "because they never heard the
gospel"—and that is "far-away" from being
proven. Men are not lost (in the primary sense) because
"they didn’t hear the gospel." Men are lost because
of their sins, no matter where they are or what they have or
have not heard. Sin is the disease that brings spiritual death,
while the gospel is the remedy. We do not die because of the
remedy, but because of the disease. The Bible says "All
have sinned" (ROM. 3:23), and "death
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passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned" (ROM.5:12). Accountable people on that far-away
island are lost because of their sins.
Paul
also uses another argument — one that comes closer home. He
indicates a moral consciousness "written in the
hearts" of men who had not a codified law as did the Jews
(2:12-f). There are subjective standards of conduct, things we
"feel" to be right-things we "ought" or
"ought not" to do (read again, ROM. 2:12-16), and God
justly holds men accountable to do the best he knows to do, in
the absence of more complete information (cf. ROM. 14:23 in
context.). It should be noted that subjective standards can
never supersede available revelation from God, to be approached
objectively. (ROM. 10:17; JOH. 12:48)
That
"Far Away Island" needs Jesus Christ just the same as
the rest of this sinful world. Their condemnation is just (for
their own sins) whether we take them the gospel or not; but if
we are unconcerned and neglectful about taking them the gospel
remedy, our condemnation is twice justified. How utterly lost is
the man who uses Far Away Island to justify (?) self.
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