Since Dick's post is on the list, I'll respond to a couple of things.
In response to my pointing out that Paul's words in Romans 2: 14,15 are
understood by most Christians and explained in most Bible commentaries to
mean that God has given moral consciences to all people, Dick wrote: "We all
sin and come short of the glory of God, both the redeemed and the
unredeemed." And "Jer. 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?"
The fact that we all sin and have hearts inclined towards unrighteousness
does not show that we do not all have God given moral consciences. Any boat
will quite naturally drift in the direction the wind is blowing or that the
water's current is moving. Knowing this, boat makers always give their boats
rudders to help keep them moving in the right direction. God created us as
free people, and with a necessary instinct for self preservation. Having done
so, He knew that our selfish interests would often make the prospect of
harming others for our own gain a very attractive prospect. In this way, God
created us all as "sinful" people with "wicked" hearts. Fortunately, like the
boat maker who always adds rudders to his boats to help keep them moving in
the right direction, I believe Paul's words clearly indicate that God gives
moral consciences to all people to help keep all of us "in line."
Dick wrote: if all mankind from let's say 1 million years ago had this
spirit, it would seem pointless to wait until only 6,000 years ago to give
them any means of redemption.
I responded: No more pointless than to give all people from the time of Adam
"a spirit
capable of redemption or condemnation," [while informing very few of them
since then of His means of redemption.]
Dick responded: Of course it is more pointless, it is a much, much longer
period of time.
Time is not what would be the determining factor here. The number of people
who have not been informed of God's provision for their salvation is what
would be. Since the time God created the human race until the time He created
Adam, I doubt there were any more people who lived on this earth who were not
informed of His means for their salvation than there have been since the time
He created Adam.
You wrote: I don't know when "God began giving all people souls." It isn't
spelled out in Scripture.
As you know, I think it is. At the time He first created preadamic man in His
image. (Gen. 1:26,27) If you do not at least say that God began giving all
people souls from the time of Adam (though as you point out, according to
your apologetic method, the Bible does not say when He did) you leave open
the possibility that some people even now may not have souls. Certainly you
realize this is a problem for your method of explaining the scriptures.
You asked: So what would be your assumption for men with souls who lived for
a hundred thousand years before Adam, thumb up or thumb down?
The same as my assumption for all the billions of men who have never heard of
God's means for our salvation who have lived in the thousands of years since
Adam, Christ will judge them based upon their works and their hearts.
Mike
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