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Jesus in the Jungle

September 2nd, 2008 by Jeremy Sprouse

There is man that is in the thoughts of thousands of people, even though they do not know his name and have never met him. He is frequently mentioned in Bible studies. Usually, he comes up after studying about the gospel and hearing that the obedience of faith is necessary for salvation. Someone will ask: “What about some guy in the deepest darkest jungles of Africa who does not have a Bible?” What about this man? Will God condemn him even though he never heard His word? Would an all-loving God be just to condemn this man who has never read a Bible?
In Romans 1:18-20, Paul writes that God will pour out His wrath on all ungodliness and unrighteousness. He writes in universal terms; there are no exceptions. God is just in His condemnation, however, because He has made His presence known through His Creation. That man in the deepest darkest jungle of Africa can look at the world around him. He can see design in his body, in the trees, and the creatures around him. He can come to the conclusion: there must be a designer. No one is outside of creation. Everyone has the evidence of God right before their eyes. Men are without excuse no matter where they live—even in the deepest darkest jungle of Africa.
After coming to the conclusion there is a higher power and designer of the world around him, that man in the jungles of Africa may make the decision to try to learn more about that power and His will. If he truly seeks God, God will provide answers for that man. Matthew 7:7 tells us: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” This is a promise given by God, one that far too many people have minimized. God has promised that truth seekers will be truth finders. In Acts 8, the Ethiopian Eunuch was on a desert road in the middle of nowhere, but God sent Philip to him and he was saved. Likewise, some way, some how God will make His will known to that man in the deepest darkest jungle of Africa. Maybe a missionary will find him. Maybe he will move to a city. Maybe a Bible in his translation will fall from a plane into his hands. We do not know how God may fulfill His promise, but we can be assured that the promise will be fulfilled.
God is declaring that all men everywhere repent (Acts 17:30). He has given man the ability to do this if man has the inclination and the desire to do so. We do not need to worry about that man in the deepest darkest jungles of Africa. God will take care of him. We need to take care of our own salvation and problems before we worry about another’s (Matthew 7:1-7).

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 11:48 am and is filed under Bulletin Articles.

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