3 Wrong + 3 Right Questions
The 3 Wrong Questions Disciple Makers frequently find themselves trying to answer
AND
The 3 Right Questions all people should be working to answer.
Spending a few minutes going through these will help you be better prepared to deal with questions. And give you a deeper understanding of God.
Let’s get started …
We will go through these in pairs of Wrong and then Right Questions.
The “Wrong” question that is being asked and its companion “Right” question the should be asked.
Normally, what happens, is the Disciple Maker is asked the wrong question by a genuine skeptic. Then the Disciple Maker spends a significant portion of the conversation trying to provide a satisfactory answer to a straw man question.
Understand the Disciple Maker’s responsibility is never to make God look “good” in the eyes of an UnBeliever or the culture at large.
The responsibility of the Disciple Maker is to accurately and lovingly reflect who God is to the UnBeliever and culture.
Don’t get caught up in trying to make God look good.
God is who He Is and He has NO problem with who He is. For some people this is a barrier too high for them to surrender to Him. That is God’s issue to deal with — not the Disciple Makers.
What we, as Disciple Makers, want to make sure is that if a person (or culture) chooses to reject God, that rejection is because of Who God Is and not because of how we shared God with them.
Our only motivation must come from a love for God and wanting Him to be Glorified. AND a love for the person or people of a culture.
Wrong + Right Question #1
The Wrong Question #1:
“What happens to the Innocent person on some deserted island that never heard the Gospel — will that person go to hell when they die?”
At first appearance this is a reasonable and honest question. The problem with the question is that this supposed “Innocent Person” doesn’t exist.
Paul makes this clear in the first 3 chapters of Romans where he lays out the explanation that …
People know of God through creation, their conscience, and Jesus. By inference would could include God’s Word also.
Even a person who has existed their entire life on a deserted island still knows there is a God by creation and their conscience.
Romans 1:18–20
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
Roman 2:14–16
“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. 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 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”
Even the person on the deserted island knows there is a God. They will have NO excuse when they stand before God and say “I did not know You existed.”
The Right Question #1:
“What happens to the Guilty person on some deserted island when they die because they are Guilty of rejecting God?”
Paul explains clearly that every person knows there is a God and is guilty of rejecting God.
The question that needs to be addressed is, “What happens to this guilty person?”
Paul explains in Romans 3:23–24
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”
Be careful saying the person who has not heard the message about Jesus is okay and will get into heaven. If this is true then are we not also implying that Jesus did not need to come, suffer, die and be raised from the dead. Aren’t we implying there is another way to heaven.
If this is true then the best thing for someone who has never heard about Jesus is to never hear about Jesus. Having never heard they are safe. However, once they hear then they are accountable for either accepting the message of Jesus or denying it.
God does promise that …
Acts 17:26–27
“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us”
Jeremiah 29:13
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
God has put every person in a place where they should seek Him. And He has said if you seek Me with all your heart you will find Me.
Wrong + Right Question #2
The Wrong Question #2:
“How can a Just God send a good person to hell?”
Again, seems like a good question at first glance.
However, this assumes there is such a thing as a “Good Person”.
The Bible makes clear there is no such thing as a “Good Person”. That person doesn’t exist.
In Romans 3:9–18 Paul says …
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands; no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Once again from Romans 3:23
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Take note of the number of times Paul uses the all-inclusive words of: both Jews and Greeks, none, not one, All, and not even one. These leaves no room for exceptions.
Who is included in “All”? All — that’s who. Every person without exception.
The Right Question #2:
“How can a Just God allow a wicked person into heaven?”
It is true, if there is a person who has never broken God’s Law. Who has never gone against God. Who has never sinned. Then, yes, that person will get into heaven.
But, the problem is that according to God there has been only one such person that has ever and will ever live that life. That person is Jesus.
The rest of us are the “Wicked Person”.
God says in Proverbs 17:15
“He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.”
If God were to allow a wicked person into heaven then God would be an abomination to Himself. This will not be.
Therefore, the only solution to this problem is found in Romans 3:21–26
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
The only way for any person — past, present, future — to ever be “Just” before God is through Jesus as a gift received through faith.
This is the only solution to problem of God becoming an abomination to Himself by justifying wicked people.
Wrong + Right Question #3
The Wrong Question #3:
“Why should we go and send people to the UnReached in others parts of the world when there are so many here that are not Christians?”
Initially this appears a logical question. Why allocate money and manpower to people in other parts of the world when there are so many where I live they are not Christians.
There is a difference between the UnReached who are not Christians and those in your community who are not Christians.
Both are not Christians. That is true.
The difference lies in access to hearing the message.
Those who live in your community have access to hear the message.
There are many churches in your community from which they can and should have the opportunity to hear the message of Jesus.
And, you live in their community. They should at least have the opportunity to hear the message from you.
Those classified as UnReached will in all probability live and die having never had the opportunity to hear and respond to the message of Jesus.
There are no Christians and no churches where they live from which they may hear the message.
The Right Question #3:
“Why should some have the opportunity to hear the Gospel 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 times while others have never heard the Gospel once?”
I will leave this question for you to answer yourself as you listen to God.
Summarizing Review
The 3 Wrong Questions are:
“What happens to the Innocent person on some deserted island that never heard the Gospel — will that person go to hell when they die?”
“How can a Just God send a good person to hell?”
“Why should we go and send people to the UnReached in others parts of the world when there are so many here that are not Christians?”
The 3 Right Questions are:
“What happens to the Guilty person on some deserted island when they die because they are Guilty of rejecting God?”
“How can a Just God allow a wicked person into heaven?”
“Why should some have the opportunity to hear the Gospel 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 times while others have never heard the Gospel once?”
Next Steps to Developing God’s Heart:
Two Questions for you To Think About:
1st Based on What God Has Shown Me…What Am I Going to Do About It? — (Loving God)
2nd Who Am I Going to Attempt to Share with About Jesus? — (Loving People)
Spend some time with God. Listen to what He shows you in response to those questions. Then DO what He says.
Wrap Up:
We Are Working to ….
1 Raise up an Army of 100% Sold-Out Committed Disciple Makers … And
2 Change the Definition of a Successful Church from its “Sunday Attendance Numbers” to its “Lifetime Sent Out Numbers”.
In order to see God’s worldwide plan completed in this lifetime.
Consider Joining Us.
So … Let Us Be About Doing Our Job!!!
Going Out and Serving as a Disciple Makings Ambassador for the King.
Because Remember:
We Are NOT Living for NOW. But We Are Living NOW … For Eternity.
Until All Hear
Brad Taylor
