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Deutsche Version | Wiki Start | Topics Collection viii
Clear and Heavy Words III ...
Tuesday, August 30, 2016. In various discussion and bible study groups we have always come to the following question: is God just? What about all those people who do not know him? Is it not injustice, when he judges them as well? Recently we have been discussing this with some refugees from Iran. They know many people who are Muslims, and they were concerned about what happens to them - realizing how fantastic and important the Christian message might be for all of them.
Role of God's Mosaic Law …
The apostle Paul addresses this topic. He talks about judgment by the Mosaic law as given in the books of Moses, and he talks about the judgment without this law, based on our nature, by our human conscience. Let us listen to his words:
12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (from Romans 2)
Natural Law …
The role of the natural law is of course a big point of discussion. But our modern society has developed this law in the form of many “basic human rights”. It is very interesting, that we claim these - just based on who we are and how we are made. The atheistic branch of the human rights movement still comes to a lot of conclusions which Christians base on God himself and his creation concept.
Of course, the human rights movement does not know judgment day, it does not know the eternal dimension of our life, it does not know heavenly powers and spirit, nor the holy spirit of the Lord. But all what it says about ethics is in line with Paul's words on the natural law written into our human hearts.
We can be very glad that God is there, that we have a heavenly father. We can be glad that he is good and full of mercy. We can be glad that in Christ he has forgiven our sins, that he has saved us from being lost. There is so much to gain, when we live with him. So much! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts