What is the sin unto death?

For years I thought the sin unto death in I John 5:16 was a specific solitary sin. What was most confusing, I did not know what that sin was. Others have regarded the sin unto death as the unpardonable sin. That is the sin that is discussed in Matthew 12:31-32. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. These are two separate matters.

So, back to the original question, what is the sin unto death? Well, before I answer that question, let us read the text. “If anyone sees a fellow believer committing a sin that does not lead to death, he should ask, and God will give him life – to those that commit a sin that does lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying one should pray for that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin that does not lead to death” (1 John 5:16-17).

How do we make the distinction between a sin unto death and a sin not unto death since the writer John does not provide an example of each in his letter? That is why it is very important to be well versed in God’s word. A sin not leading to death is one whereby a believer is confronted about their sin, they repent, and they are restored into a right relationship with God and with the saints (Galatians 6:1).

As John said, fellow believers can intercede on behalf of the sinning believer and God will grant the offender life because it is not a sin that leads to death.

A sin unto death is when a believer has a premeditated, unbroken habitual pattern of sinful behavior – oftentimes against the Body of Christ. Ultimately, they are living as if they are unsaved. A very serious offense!

A few things can happen when believers are in sin. 1) the sinning believer will be severely chastised by the Lord which is a good thing (Hebrews 12:5-11). A Godly spanking does hurt but it will also bring about healing, deliverance, growth, and holiness. As children of God, sometimes we need to be punished for our sins so that we can feel ashamed and endeavor to do better. We all run-off-the-rails sometimes and tough loving discipline from our Heavenly Father puts us back in right relationship with Him.  2) the offender can be put out of the Church so that their current evil ways do not corrupt other believers. Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). God must maintain the purity of His church (Matthew 18:15-17). This Godly discipline should make the offender ashamed of themselves which should bring about contrition and wholehearted repentance. We must continue to admonish them in love (2 Thessalonians 3:15). 3) God could allow Satan to take the life of the person. In their current state of sin, they are absolutely no good to anyone. They are a current embarrassment to the Lord, the Church, and themselves. They are a liability to the kingdom, and not an asset in their current state of rebellion (1 Corinthians 5, whole chapter).

The last matter, of course, is a case where one is not to pray for. Why? In the fifth chapter of 1 Corinthians a man is fornicating with his father’s wife – most likely his stepmother.  That is a gross sin against another believer! Paul said to give one over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh that his soul may be saved in the day of the Lord (vs 5).

The matter is bitter-sweet in these instances. Why? Because the believer decides not to repent of their sin(s), they could die early – never fulfilling their role in the Body of Christ. They also will suffer I believe great loss at the judgment (Bema) seat of Christ. They will lose in terms of rewards because they deprived themselves of the joy of serving the Lord and others while on earth (1 Corinthians 3:13-16). The sweet part is that since they are eternally secure, they will not lose their salvation – their soul has been saved.

Concluding, a sin unto death could be any sin that is pre-meditated, unconfessed, habitually repeated with no remorse. When we see someone in that state of mind and we know it because we have talked and pleaded with them to repent to no avail, prayer will not help them.  God will deal with them most severely – perhaps even to the point of ending their lives.       

Our Great Salvation

To describe our salvation in a million words would not be enough. So what I would like to do is cover some of the wonderful features of our salvation and why we MUST praise God for it always. One can view our salvation as trinitarian. Why? Because it has three tiers or components to it. They are justification, sanctification, and glorification. Permit me to spend a little time on each.

Justification - The act of pronouncing one righteous. To be acquitted. In salvific language, it means the sinner is absolved of all guilt of their sins forever when they believe in the substitutionary act of Jesus Christ who came to the world to take away our sins (Psalm 32:1-2; Matt 1:21; 9:2b; Luke 7:48; John 1:29; Eph 1:7; 1 John 2:2). God the Father punished His own Son for our sins which satisfied or propitiated God's wrath against sin. When one believes in what Christ did for them, they are given a declaration of righteousness. The sinner is not essentially righteous, they are still a sinner. The blessed difference is that they are now a sinner saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Romans 4:25, "Who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised up for justification."

Sanctification - The Greek word is hagiasmos. It means to be separated to God, to be set apart. A synonym of sanctification is holiness. Sanctification is the believer's responsibility to conform into the image of Jesus Christ through holy righteous living. God through the Holy Spirit assists us in this effort. Philippians 2:12-13 says this, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."This is the reason why we have been chosen or elected to be in the kingdom of God. Romans 8:29 says, "For whom He (God) foreknew, He predestined to be conformed into the image of His Son..." This is the primary reason for being chosen to be in God's family. We are to mirror the life of Christ on the earth. Sanctification is a life long process. As we grow in Christ-likeness, we should love to hate our sin. Sanctification is holiness in action. It is the visible enduring fruit of our justification in action.

Christians must live their lives out loud. Not just in words, but in righteous and holy deeds. We must be clearly distinct from the world around us. We can longer do what they do and say what they say. The apostle Peter described us like this: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who were once not a people but now are the people of God, who  had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Peter then continues his discourse urging us on how we are to behave in this world:

"Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation."

The word Pilgrim comes the Greek parepidemos. It is an adjective meaning to sojourn in a strange place - that is this world, particularly this world's anti-God ideology.  Christians from God's point of view are aliens and strangers in a foreign land. We do not fit in here; at least we are not supposed to. The worst thing a believer can do is get comfortable here. We are on a mission to reach souls with the love and truth of Christ. We are not here to pitch our tent permanently. This current earth is disposable, it will burn up (2 Peter 3:10-13)!

Glorification -  The Greek word endoxazo is in the passive voice which would relate specifically to the verb form of the word glorified. In relation to the believer, it is the reality of when our salvation is complete; meaning we are immortal (1 Cor 15:51; Phil 3:21; Thess 4:13-18. We are perfect, no longer subject to pain, suffering, sin, and death. The former things have passed away forever (Revelation 21:4). This is the third and final tier in our great salvation.  This is presently our future hope.

In our present evil world, the above is very hard to imagine or believe. Thank God we have the revelation of His word which comforts our weary souls or we would have no hope. Paul the ultimate first-century adventurer for Christ talked about his affliction in serving the Lord. He provided these encouraging words, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Listen carefully to this man's penetrating words - Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For things that are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Only God Almighty could cause a sinful man to speak in such superlative language! Truly the Spirit of the living God dwelt in Paul (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

In Romans 8:30 we read, "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

Every person that enters into the kingdom of God is guaranteed a future glorification. That is why it is such a great salvation. God promised to grant this blessing to all the elect before He created the universe It was a done deal in the mind of God from eternity past.

How does our salvation conquer sin?

When we were justified, we were made free from the penalty of sin instantly; that is eternal separation from God. In our current status of ongoing sanctification, we are battling the power of sin; so it will no longer have dominion over us. And finally, when we are glorified, we will forever be free from the presence of sin. In our glorification, we can never be tempted to sin any longer. Why? Because we will be just like Jesus; we will have our glorious resurrected body. Since we are in Him, and He conquered death, sin and the grave, we have inherited that same victory. Our race is over. We have successfully labored into God's eternal rest (Hebrews 4:11).

I can hardly wait!

Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20b)!

The Gift we would rather not claim

Yesterday I was watching a program where a girl found out she would not be able to have children because there was something wrong with part of her reproductive system. She was a teenage girl and was involved with the youth at her church. She became angry and blamed God saying He is not good. She told her mother that she was never going to attend church again. 

It was her way of getting back at God for not loving and being there for her - in her mind.

This young girl's resentment toward God is nothing new. People are yelling, screaming and cursing God every day when things go wrong in their lives. Once again the proverbial question is, "If God is so good and loving and He has all power, then why is this happening to me? I don't deserve it!" 

This is the time when a person should do a very careful inventory of their lives. Because I see two possible scenarios. 1) The person is in sin and has refused to repent and ask for forgiveness so they are being punished. 2) They are in a furious season of trial and tribulation and their faith has to be tested.

Admittedly when we are going through trials, we often do not understand or like what is happening to us. None of us want pain in our lives. We hate it. It frightens us. Even mature Christians forget that we are still in the hands of The Almighty during our darkest times. He seems so far away. What is most aggravating to us all is that when we call on God and He does not respond when we believe He should, we feel abandoned by Him. Listen to the cry of David in Psalm 10:1, "Why O Lord do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" 

David was stressed because He saw the wicked oppressing the poor and defying God. He wanted God to take vengeance on his enemies but to David God could not be found when he needed the Lord the most. 

When we are feeling and thinking like this - with fear, anger, and despair, that is the time we need reassurance. When we are emotionally and spiritually drained, we need the well of God's word to quench our thirst.  That's right. We need revival!

Now, back to the title question. What is the gift that we rather not claim? It is the gift of suffering. Wait a minute! Suffering is a gift from God? I know it sounds hard to believe but yes. I'll prove it. Philippians 1:29 says, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ (emphasis added) you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake.” Jesus said to the disciples, "In this life, you shall have tribulation or trouble but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33)

The apostle Peter writes in his first letter to the saints that they are rejoicing due to their living hope in Christ although at the present time they were being afflicted by various trials. Why? This reason is very key, so that the genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, these next words are absolutely powerful and beautiful, "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:6b-9).

This is what we must place in front of us at all times, God's word so we do not lose our way in this life. It is so very easy to forget the promises of the word when we are going through trials in our lives, but we must hang on to God's promises so that we do not lose heart and stop running the race and fighting the good fight of faith (2 Timothy 4:7).

Once we know that we are in a spiritual war, we understand that difficulties are necessary to test our faith which is our trust in God to see us through our fiery trials. Although it seems like hard times will never end when we are going through them, they will. And although it seems like we cannot endure them, we can if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). Jesus is there. He loves and cares for us and feels what we feel (Hebrews 4:15). 

Its a win-win for the child of God in the overall. How? If God decides to bring us through the affliction, then we can rejoice in the Lord's faithfulness to us. If He providentially decides to allow our sickness and pain to end our natural lives, then it's far better because we have graduated to eternal glory where there is no more pain, sickness, and death- ever (Revelation 21:4).

Suffering under God's tender hands is a blessing although the temporary trials by which He administers them are painful. We must remember that we go through is not for nothing. Suffering for Christ's sake is the instrument by which God has decided His children will glorify Him. If we keep this perspective, then we do not have to be ashamed of what we are going through for there is a reward when we endure the trials God has set before us - the crown of life (James 1:12). 

So let us endeavor to endure the hard times with joy. We can only do it in the Lord.

Arguments Against Predestination and Election

For those readers who are not familiar with the doctrine of Predestination and election, it is the teaching where God before time began decided of His own initiative to chose those whom He wanted to be recipients of His saving grace for His own glory. Paul in Ephesians 1:4 said those who have been chosen were chosen before the foundation of the world. 

Well, obviously if there are those who are chosen, then there are those who were not chosen. This is where the tension begins when dealing with this contentious yet Biblical doctrine. Those who militate against this doctrine will continue to cry out, "Why would God chose some and not all? That's not fair!" Since when do we believe we have the right to determine for God what is and what is not fair? God never needs our approval or denial to do anything.

Romans 9:20-21 says, "But who are you O man to reply back to God? Will the thing formed say to Him that formed it why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? Bottom line, God does whatever He wants with human beings because He made us. He is the Potter and we are the clay.

Be careful. If someone desires fairness from God, that means you will receive justice. Divine justice for the wicked is equal to God's judgment. 

Election is not fair because

It appears God is a respecter of persons. For most, it is emotionally unfair for a loving God to choose some individuals for His kingdom and pass by others. God is never a respecter of persons. The reason why this is true is because the ones chosen have done nothing to merit the grace of God in deciding to choose them. God chose whom He wanted because it pleased Him to do so. Nothing more. God did not look down the corridors of time into the future to see what man would do and then elect them based on His prior knowledge of what He knew they would do. If He chose based on that premise, God would be choosing us after we chose Him in eternity past. God does not respond to a pre-incarnate faith and repentance because they do not exist. 

Another issue that arises is the fact if God has chosen the elect for salvation does that mean He has chosen the non-elect for damnation? In other words, is predestination double? Are some predetermined for salvation, and are others predetermined for damnation? The best way the writer knows how to answer that question is this: God knows in advance who will never believe in Jesus so they are already condemned because they will never believe in the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18). We do not know who the non-elect and the elect are, that is why we must preach the gospel to all people.  It is not that the non-elect cannot choose to believe; nothing or no one is preventing them. They do not want to repent because they love darkness rather than light and their ways are evil (John 3:19). God does not seal their doom before they are born, they seal their own doom when they refuse to believe in Christ.

God is active in salvation, He is passive in reprobation. In other words, when God redeems a life, God chooses that person before the foundation of the world. God is reactive to the sinner who rejects Him in judgment. 

An important truth to remember is this: No is saved before they are born (the elect). And no one is damned before they are born (the non-elect). One person receives saving grace from God whereas the other person receives divine justice from the same God. Why? Because the Lord is sovereign and He does whatever He wants to do (Psalm 115:3).

We must remember that all men are guilty of sin before God and are deserving of God's wrath elect and non-elect alike. It is God's divine prerogative to save some and punish others. Election is God's transcending love on lost sinners to save them since we cannot obtain salvation through human achievement. If election did not exist, the Father never would have sent Christ to die for sinners so that many could be saved.

But Christ died for the sins of everyone!

This is where we enter into the nature of the atonement. What is the atonement? It is the act of where Christ shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins. Most Christians say that Jesus died for the sins of everyone who will ever live - this is what scholars call unlimited atonement. The minority report says Christ died only for the elect that the Father chose before the foundation of the world for Christ to come and redeem - this is what scholars call limited atonement. The latter view is held by those who hold to a reformed view of Biblical theology; or what many would call Calvinists. For the record, the reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) did not invent limited atonement.

If Jesus died for everyone, that means He paid the price in full for their sins. If everyone's sin debt is paid, then that means all will go to heaven and no one will go to hell. But wait a minute! The Bible clearly teaches that many people will die in their sins if they do not believe (John 8:24). So tell me, how effective is an atonement that forgives sins of all but does not guarantee the salvation of all? If all the sins of all people for all time are paid in full yet many die in unbelief, what type of atonement is that and how were their sins paid for? The response this writer gives may offend and produce shock value to the reader but here it is: I would argue that those who die and perish had none of their sins paid for. Why? Because they will pay the price for their own sins eternally in hell. There is never a double payment for sins taught in the Bible. It does not make sense nor is it fair for Jesus to die for the sins of those who die in sin.  Why would God the Father who knows all things before they happen send His only Begotten Son who He loves on a recovery mission that was doomed for failure before the foundation of the world? What you have is only a potential atonement and not an actual one. Why do I say that? Because the plan of redemption becomes a partnership instead of a monergistic work of God. God did His part, and now He is waiting for the sinner to pickup the Paton and activate the deal; that is repent, believe and become saved.

Here is another question the writer needs to present. Which is more loving of God, to send Christ to die for everyone because that is what is fair in the eyes of man yet guarantee the salvation of no one, because He is waiting for a spiritually dead unregenerate person in their sins to activate their own salvation when they're unable and unwilling to, or for Christ to die for those whom the Father gave to Him and actually save all of them (John 6:37)?

This is why predestination and divine election are essential. In order for man to become really saved, God must guarantee it. He did that before the world began. God did not send Christ to die for all men as an expression of His love hoping that sinful man would have the willingness to believe on his own. God knew from before the beginning that evil men would not trust Christ so He predetermined a plan of intervention that would bring about a transformation in man's soul so that when the gospel is preached those chosen would repent, believe and be saved. So you see, God's love is what compelled Him to extend mercy to save an innumerable amount of souls throughout history.

How is the gospel offer valid to those who are non-elect since they will never believe?

Once again, we do not know whom God has chosen, and whom He has not. That is why we must declare the truth to all people. You see we are all on an even playing field when it comes to sin; we are all guilty before God. Everyone needs the truth. What one does with it is their choice. Here is the big question that needs to be answered, is the word of God in the life of the person who rejects it effective? In other words, when a person rejects the truth, did the word of God return void (Isaiah 55:11)? The answer is no. Why? God's word always accomplishes its intended purpose - even in the life of those who reject it. How? When God's truth is rejected, the result is that it exposes a person's rebellion, unbelief, degeneration which results in righteous judgment. The word of God accomplished its work, albeit negatively in that person. So, the gospel is a valid offer even for those who reject it. It is the only truth that can save or condemn a person and the rule all men must be judged by.

Finally, when dealing with divine election we must remember this maxim in scripture, God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy and compassion on whom He will have compassion (Exodus 33:19). What God does for one person He does NOT have to do for another - that is His divine privilege. No one can judge and inprison God by corrupt human fairness. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His way past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever, Amen (Romans 11:33-36).

For God so loved the World...God is angry with the Wicked every day?

So, how do we harmonize the two ideas when they are apparently mutually opposed to one another and both are true at the same time? You see, in the mind of God, He can have perfect compassion for the lost, and perfect anger against the wicked simultaneously. When the Bible discusses the wicked, it is describing people in what they are actively doing versus who we essentially are. You see all men are wicked naturally speaking until that person recognizes they are sinful, lost and in need of a Savior then we become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

The overarching attribute of God is love. However, within His love the Lord does become and displeased and angry, It should be no great wonder about God. We do the same thing in our own relationships. When parents get upset with their children and become angry with them for something they have done wrong, it does not negate their love they have for them, they just have to resort to discipline to correct the bad behavior.

I see God's love and His anger as symmetrical. They are both perfect and complete, They do not contradict one another. Rather, they complement each other. They are constants in God. God will always love because He is love (1 John 4:8,16). He also must exhibit His holy righteous anger against evildoers every day so that He can display His wrath and all may fear Him.

The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).

What is Prevenient Grace?

The word prevenient is a Latin word that means something happening beforehand. So when we are talking about prevenient grace in theological circles, it is making reference to the grace that God grants to those who He will save in time. This grace is distinct from the common grace everyone receives every day in the form of the air we breathe, and the daily provision God provides.  Whenever God decides to save someone, He will use the instrument of the gospel message to inform the sinner why they must repent of their sins. Once the gospel has been effectively preached, God will open the heart and mind of the person so they understand and hear the truth, respond in faith and be saved (Acts 16:14; Luke 24:45). The grace, of course, has to be granted by God before the sinner can respond positively to the gospel message. This grace is the power or enablement that God must give to the sinner or else one can never believe unto salvation.

There are many that believe that God's grace does not always lead to salvation. Why? Because man has a free will and can resist the power of God to convict him of sin so that he repents, believes and becomes saved. To believe this way is to say that God's power to save ultimately lies within the person and not God to save them. In other words, God's prevenient grace removes the depravity of man, but it still does not guarantee that he will repent and believe the gospel.

There have been centuries of debate regarding the matter of what prevenient grace can do. The writer believes the debate exists because you have those that teach that God saves all those He elects or the limited atonement view, or you have the majority report, those that teach unlimited atonement. Limited atonement teaches that God the Father sent the Son to die for the elect alone. Whereas unlimited atonement teaches that Christ died for everyone who will ever live. There are intense debates on both sides. For those who are in what is called the Arminian camp (named after James Arminius 1560-1609), their definition of prevenient grace says that God grants the sinner this benefit, but it does not always lead to salvation. In the Reformed or what many call the Calvinistic camp (named after the Reformer John Calvin 1509-1564), God's prevenient grace always leads to salvation.

So, we must ask the questions, did the Father send Jesus to die just to make all men savable, but guarantee the salvation of no one? Or did the Father send the Son to actually save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)? You see why there has been and will continue to be such intense debates between evangelicals? I just listened to a podcast last week where a minister said that for Jesus to die just the elect or chosen is "ridiculous"! Why would he say that? Because he is convinced that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). John 1:29 says, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." Those are pretty straightforward texts, right? They mean what they say and they say what they mean. The word world always has to be qualified and defined by the context which many fail to do.

Now here is the question the writer must ask, "If God's sovereign prevenient grace only makes men savable, meaning the grace removes some type of evil restraint from him so that he is in some moral neutral state - his heart is open to receive the gospel, but he still does not repent and believe, how powerful is God's grace if it does not lead to actual salvation? Let me say it another way. Let's view it from the divine perspective. Since God knows all things before they happen because He created the end from the beginning decided in eternity past to send Christ to suffer and die for sinners, what makes more sense, and more importantly what view is Biblically supported, Christ dying and paying for all sins of everyone that will ever live yet most of humanity perishing in hell for their own sins due to unbelief, or Christ dying for the sins of those whom the Father chose in eternity past for Christ to come to earth to redeem? Remember Jesus' words in John 6:37, "All the Father has given to Me will come to Me (emphasis added), and those that come to me I will in no wise cast out."

If one believes that Christ died for the sins of all men but ultimately leaves the final decision to man to determine whether salvation is successful or not, then His death was in vain and God's rescue plan failed. Why? Because natural man will not seek God on his own (Romans 3:11). God must pursue man first. (Luke 19:10). I have written about this in times past, but it bears repeating, God has nor will He ever leave His salvation plan in the hands of evil men to determine whether it succeeds or fails. God in eternity past predetermined the success of salvation before He created the universe! We have nothing to do with it. Man is strictly a beneficiary of God's divine grace when he believes. He is never the cause of salvation becoming a reality.

I would submit to the reader that a prevenient grace that does not lead to salvation is not grace at all. What good is a grace that does not save? Remember the words of Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace through faith you have been saved. It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." Paul knew that God's grace is what saved him. It is that same grace that saves all those who place their trust in Jesus' complete atoning work on the cross.

What about those who have never heard of Jesus? What happens to them?

This would be another of one of those age-old questions, wouldn't it? If someone has never been preached the gospel then obviously they cannot believe what they do not know. They can neither accept or reject the truth. So, what has to happen? God has to manifest Himself in some other way to them. When one refers to those who have never heard of Christ, often we are talking about people who live in the most remote parts of the world, far from what we regard as normal civilization. 

God has left His handprint all over the place - on the earth and in the heavens. This is what is known as natural or general revelation. God made absolutely sure all mankind could know Him in the natural sense. The Bible says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). God has also made Himself known through the conscience. Romans chapter one tells us the things that are made - that we see clearly tell us that the invisible God is real because without Him none of what we see could exist. So scripture shows by two pieces of evidence that God exists: 1) His creation. 2) Through conscience. That leaves man without excuse. If man understands and receives these revelations, then, of course, God can shed more light to him. The Lord has placed in every man the innate ability to get to know Him in a personal way. The Bible says if someone seeks the Lord with all their heart they will find Him (Deut 4:29; Jer 29:13). Most men suppress the truth they know about God so they replace the worship of the true God with falsehood thus sealing their doom (Romans 1:21-23).

What about those with mental incapabilities. How can they believe when they do not understand the gospel?

Many regard someone mentally challenged like an infant. Babies cannot comprehend anything so someone, lest say mentally retarded, cannot understand Biblical truth. Depending upon the severity of their mental disability would determine if they could understand the gospel. If they are unable to, they can never reach the point of moral accountability where they understand the need for repentance of their sins and placing their faith in Christ. I believe God places special grace on them when they die and takes them to heaven. Why do I believe this? Because trusting in Christ is a faith-based decision as well as a moral decision to believe. Adults or children with minds of infants do not even know their right hand from their left or even their name sometimes so how could they be held responsible to choose something they could never understand? You see people in this type of condition are what I call morally neutral. They can neither accept nor reject the gospel due to their mental ineptitude.

Their curse I believe ultimately is their blessing because I am convinced a divine exception is granted to them.

Let me provide a Biblical reason why I believe this.

In II Samuel 12 we read about David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba who was the wife of a man named Uriah. Bathsheba becomes pregnant as a result of the affair. David has Uriah killed in battle so he can marry Bathsheba. When the child is born, the prophet Nathan rebukes David for his sins of adultery and murder. The worst part is Nathan tells him that their son will die. The son becomes ill by God's hand (not due to the child's sin because he had none, but as a result of David's sin which was forgiven, but he suffered painful temporal consequences the rest of his life). As a result, David fasts and prays hoping the child will get well but he dies. David then gets up washes and anoints himself changes his clothes and worships the Lord. Afterward, he eats. His servants see this behavior as strange - why he is eating now? David said to them, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that my child may live?' But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (II Samuel 12:15b-23).

Why did David make that statement? Because he knew where his deceased son went and where he was going when he died. It was David who said in Psalm 23:6, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  David's son went to heaven and that is where David is now. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:8). David is in heaven because he was a righteous man. His son was granted a divine exception and taken to glory because he had no mental or moral capability to believe God regarding anything.

Jesus said in Matthew 19:13, "Let the little children come to Me and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven." Children who have not reached the age of what is called accountability are extended grace and granted salvation by God if they die very young. It does not mean they deserve salvation because they are still sinners by nature, but for whatever reason(s) unknown to us, their lives are cut off prematurely due perhaps to an illness suffered at birth or they are tragically killed.

Concluding, those who have never heard the gospel will eventually receive it in one form or another; through creation, conscience and finally the full gospel itself (Christ). God will hold a person responsible for what light and truth has been revealed to them. God saved the Old Testament saints without them hearing the name of Jesus Christ. How they were justified is they believed the word of God they heard and knew at that time (Genesis 15:6). Their justification is just as valid as those of us who have received the full gospel truth. The only differences in their justification and ours are time, and amount of revelation presented. Their justification was granted to them as a credit because it was before Christ went to the cross; Jesus had not come yet (pre-incarnate) to purchase their redemption and physically pay for their sins (again Genesis 15:6). Our justification was granted to us as a deposit because Christ  (incarnate) has already died and risen and paid the price for our sins with His blood (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Heb 9:12;13:12; 1 John 1:7; Rev 1:5). The Old Testament saints were looking forward to the cross anticipating the redeemer; while we in the New Testament are looking back at the cross loving and praising the redeemer for what He has already done for us.