It has been said that the testimony of creation may be used to convert men in heathen darkness -that is, that on the basis of the work of the cross, men may be turned to God and be saved by the testimony of creation, having never heard the gospel-that is, without the gospel.
But if this were so, what need of the gospel? Why should men imperil their lives in heathen lands? and why should Paul say, "Why stand we in jeopardy every hour ? I protest by your rejoicing, I die daily." And again in 2 Tim. 2:10, "I endure all things for the elect's sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
But where does Scripture warrant the thought of creation's testimony leading men to God? It says, "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12); and again, " Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." The water is the word, the word of the gospel, not the witness of creation; a word that must be believed as in i Pet. 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever . . . and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
This being true, surely Scripture decides this question for us. To be saved a man must be born again of the word-which word can only be received by faith, " Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we might become a kind of first-fruits of His creatures" (James 1:18).
This is the teaching of Scripture that by the word, through faith, and in no other way can the soul be saved.
As to what is recorded in the first of Romans about the testimony of creation; it is recorded to show that men are without excuse, not at all to show that testimony converted any one-"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness," and then follow details of wickedness wrought by the nations, showing clearly that as under law, so under the testimony of creation, men were only, and universally hardened, while responsible and without excuse. No one was saved of this creation-witness. That could only be by the word and the Spirit. So in the second chapter, seventh verse, those who are accepted of God, in any time and place, are supposed to know the gospel; that is, they are those who seek for glory, honor and incorruptibility. They know about the revealed glory, and the resurrection when " this corruptible shall have put on incorruption." Chap. 2:14, where the Gentiles do by nature things contained in the law, speaks of good fruit in the Gentiles, but it is not salvation; it was better to be a moral and industrious Gentile, than to be an immoral Jew. Salvation is not in question, but rather that the example of upright Gentiles was a rebuke to Jews whose ways caused the name of God to be blasphemed among the Gentiles. Therefore the conclusion of the third chapter naturally is that all have sinned, there is none righteous, no not one, none that seeketh after God. Neither the testimony of creation (as in chap. 1:) nor the law (as in chap, 2:) had brought anyone to God. They were all, without exception, simply proved without excuse and under condemnation.
But a man cannot be saved by the word, except knowingly; he must hear the word, be exercised by it and believe the gospel. All this is essential by the nature of the case, and proved by Scripture-by scriptures already quoted from James 1:and i Pet. 1:and John 3:In Acts 17:where Paul speaks, at Athens, of God's dealing with men apart from His word " that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him and find Him " we find God's goodness to men in His government, as in the testimony of creation.
But while He so governed that they might seek Him, still we know the result from Rom. 3:; not one responded to His goodness! "There is none that seeketh after God." Could we think that His voice in creation and government would do what the law, His plainly expressed will, could not ?
There may be formed wise reflections to a degree as to life and death, in the writings of Cicero, by the light of creation and government of God, but evidence of repentance will not be found, and could not. "Repentance toward God" goes with "faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," and cannot be found or thought of elsewhere-cannot be supposed apart from the gospel.
An error here would cripple zeal in the gospel; for if men can be saved without it, as before said, Paul might well have said as to this what he did as to the denial of the resurrection, "Why stand we in jeopardy every hour?" (2 Cor. 15:) And why should men hazard their lives, and deny themselves, to communicate a gospel which if this error were the truth, would not be essential. But Scripture clearly excludes this error, and shows that without the gospel no man can be saved,-that is, without hearing and believing the word of truth.
Solemn as is the condition and prospect of the world at large, of the nations of men, we must leave all that in God's hands, who " so loved the world." We can rest with perfect repose in this word, "so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Still, "they that have sinned without law shall perish without law " (Rom. 2:12); "and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law …. in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Without this gospel, men must perish. Let us be fully persuaded of this, and let us hold forth the word of life to men, and our own souls will be sanctified by the truth; while on the other hand, every error corrupts.
"Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." Error is a wile of Satan, and he is ever
ready, we know; for we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Therefore we must "put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Let us "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might;" and having done all, we are to "stand"-"praying with all prayer and supplication." Humility is needed that we may not be a prey to the enemy. We must walk softly, or be thrown down, sooner or later. May the consolation of the truth be ours, that we may be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord." (i Cor. 15:50.) E. S. L.