If a person, while not clearly understanding the plan of salvation, acts up to known duties, will this bring him where he can better understand and appreciate this truth, or will it only show that he is seeking justification by his own works?
What says the Scriptures? "God is no respecter of persons; But in every nation he that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him." (Acts 10:34-35) "If any man wills to do His will; he shall know of the teaching." (John 7:17) "When the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves, Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or also excusing one another." (Romans 2:14-15) "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works." (Psalm 145:9) "He has looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death." (Psalm 102:19-20) "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." (2 Corinthians 5:19) "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light." (John 3:19)
God is anxious to save, not to condemn. God is listening to hear the first faint longing of every human heart for that which is good, and is waiting to supply the want; for: "He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalm 107:9)
This being the case, it is evident that God will not condemn any soul for that which he does not know. If a man knew only one single thing as being right, and loved and did that one thing, he would certainly be saved. And if he really loved the good, he would certainly do all the good that should be revealed to him; and more would certainly be revealed, for: "Light is sown for the righteous." (Psalm 97:11)
And when this man, loving the good, should find out, as he very soon would, that in the Lord alone is there righteousness and strength, he would most surely lay hold of that only means of righteousness. In the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17)--Present Truth, January 3, 1901.