p. 2 | 3767.- Another Chance

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 4, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 22.

3767.— Another Chance

Please give me some good proof from the Word as to the chance for the many thousands of poor mortals that have passed away and will pass away without ever having the Gospel. E. W.

But they have had the Gospel. Every soul on earth has had opportunity of knowing God's Gospel. It may not have been called Gospel in so many words. The book or sermon may not have been present. Nevertheless every soul has had the Gospel, for the psalmist declares that "the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." Ps. 19: 1-4. And the apostle Paul quotes this very scripture in Romans 10, and declares that it is the Gospel, for he says, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? Even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!" That is what our age-to-come people talk; but Paul continues: "But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. . . . But, I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, their sound went out into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world." And so he declares again in the first chapter of Romans that those who turn from God are without excuse. "For the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse." Verse 20.

One ray of light from the great throne of God is sufficient to save a soul, if followed. It matters not how small it may seem; if followed it leads to the great central sun. One may not know the name of Christ as we know it in English. He may not know the name of Jehovah as the Hebrews knew it. But he does know whether his whole heart is yielded to God, and whether he is trusting wholly in God for salvation; and that is all that is demanded in order to be saved. We may not take excuse from that, and say that if we follow that one ray of light and reject all others, we will be saved. The man who is saved by following the one ray of light, follows it with all his heart; and the man who seeks to follow one ray of light alone, among much light, rejects all in that he refuses to follow.