The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by David Lee of Malaysia, from the tape GC 1301-N, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 16." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1981. All Rights Reserved.
Questioner
In witnessing to a non-believer, how can we enter this type question. When someone says, "If Christ is the only way to heaven, then how does the little child who cannot discern the truth go to heaven? And how does Christ’s atonement come into play for the Old Testament (OT) people?"
John MacArthur's Answer
Ok, let’s take the little child first of all.
You have to bring into focus the sovereignty and the justice of God. I think that the key thing is in the OT where David’s little baby died, in infancy, prior to reaching a period of life where he can make a conscious commitment to God. And David said when he died, “he cannot come to me but I shall go to him.” And I believe that David had that confidence that that child went into the care of God. Because God is a God of justice and love and mercy, and God is not going to damn an individual to an eternal hell who has absolutely no capacity to make a choice.
Now, in the New Testament (NT), Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me." Remember when the disciples said, "Send the kids away. You know this is an adult operation." And Jesus said, "No, no, you allow those little children to come unto me, for of such is..." what? "The kingdom of heaven." I think Jesus affirms what David knew in his heart, that when a little child dies, that little child is taken into the arms of God. Now, after that period of time when they reach the point of having to make their own decision, I think it becomes a different issue.
And you are still asking that question too, what if they don’t have the information? I believe that Christ is the light, that lights every man that come into the world, and I believe Romans 1 says man has enough knowledge intuitively and innately to be without excuse, and he lives up to the light he has, God will give him more light and redeem him. You can tell story after story after story about that.
I remember the story of Samuel Morris, called Angel in Ebony, I read
it when I was a kid, it fascinated me. Some missionaries went into a tribe in
the darkest part of Africa, and they started evangelizing in this tribe and
there was one young boy in the tribe who was worshipping all by himself, a God
all by himself that no one else knew about. And they got to talking to this
young boy and he told them about this God, and that this God was a God of love
and grace and mercy, and he laid out all this things, and this God had a son who
came into the world and died on a cross and became man…he gave them the whole
gospel only without the terms. He knew the whole thing, and they explained to
him the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he said, "That’s my God, that’s my God." So
I believe that that’s how God deals with those kinds of people. I think that we
have to leave the justice of God with God. "God is not willing that any
should..." what? "Perish." And if that expresses what’s in God’s heart toward
man then we don’t have to feel that God is going to unjustly condemn.
Now what is the second part of the question?
Questioner
In regards to the OT saints?
John MacArthur's Answer
Right. "Abraham believed God and it was..." what? "...counted to him
for righteousness." What did you have to do to be saved? You had to be
righteous. How do you get righteous in the OT? You have to be counted righteous
because you weren’t righteous. How did you counted righteous? Abraham what?
Believed God. What did you have to believe about God? You had to believe
everything God said about Himself right? And if all you had was Genesis, that’s
all you had to believe. Believe in God.
What did Noah believed when he got into the ark? Basically he believed that it was going to rain. I don't think he believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the gifts of the Spirit. I think he believe that God was God and if God said it's going to rain, it’s going to rain. He believed God’s word, right? And he was a just and righteous man. At any point in time, it was a question of faith. It was never a question of law or works. Always in the OT when a Jew went through the sacrifices and through the works of the law, he was manifesting an inward faith. Otherwise it was legalism. Were the Pharisees keeping the sacrifices? Sure. Were they cranking out the law? Sure. And Jesus damned them all didn’t He? Because it was superficial. But what He was after was a true heart. In fact in Malachi He says, "You offered me the lame, the blind, and the maimed animals." Showing that it was false. So what God said is, "I want a true heart of faith, and a true heart of faith will express itself in keeping the sacrifices and obeying the law. And when you have a true heart of faith, I will count to you as righteousness.
Now, what dealt with their sins in the OT? What dealt with their sins?
Sacrifices? Can the blood of bulls and goats take away sin? No. What was it that
dealt with the sins of the OT saints? It was the death of Jesus Christ. It just
didn’t happen till later. But the cross is a pinnacle of history. It covers
everything before and everything after, so that the blood of Jesus Christ on the
cross dealt with the OT saints' sin. So you have to see the cross of Christ as a
point in history that goes forward and backwards. Does that give it to you? But
they were not saved by obeying the law, they obeyed the law because they
believed God when their hearts were true and the obedience was simply the
working out of that faith. And the death of Christ is was took care of their
sins. Abraham was saved by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, because only
Christ's death could atone for his sin. But it’s no more a problem, that he was
before it than the problem that we are way after it. Because in God’s eyes,
there is no time anyway, right? So the cross stretches through all of the eons
of time.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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