[i]What about people who have not heard of Jesus?

• The question of the fate of those who have not heard of Jesus Christ raises profound theological concerns about God’s justice, mercy, and fairness, particularly in light of Christianity’s claim that Jesus is the only way to God.
• How does God judge those who have never received the Gospel message?
• The Bible offers a comprehensive perspective, affirming that God is just, loving, and merciful, judging individuals based on the light they have received through creation, conscience, or special revelation.
• This text explores this question in depth, explaining how God’s attributes manifest in His dealings with all people, while emphasizing the importance of sharing the Gospel and trusting in God’s perfect justice.

God’s qualities: Justice, Love, and Mercy

• The Bible describes God as just, loving, benevolent, and perfect, attributes that form the foundation of His interactions with all humanity, including those unaware of Jesus.
• Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV): “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”
• This verse underscores that some aspects of God’s will remain beyond human understanding, but what is revealed is sufficient for trusting His justice.
• God knows every individual’s heart, ensuring fair judgment.
• 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV): “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
• God’s justice guarantees that each person is judged according to the knowledge they have received and their response to it, balancing mercy with accountability.

Responsibility for Rejecting the Gospel

• Those who hear the Gospel and freely reject it face the consequences of their choice.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (NIV): “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”
• This passage clarifies that punishment results from wilful rejection of revealed truth, not mere ignorance.
• For those who have not heard the Gospel, God evaluates them based on their response to the light available to them, as explored below.

God’s justice and mercy in judgement

• God desires to show mercy and judges all people with perfect fairness.
• Isaiah 30:18 (NIV): “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”
• Exodus 34:6-7 (NIV): “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.”
• These verses highlight God’s balance of mercy and justice, offering opportunities for repentance while holding individuals accountable based on their response to His revelation.

God’s desire to save everyone

• God loves His creation and desires the salvation of every person, regardless of their exposure to the Gospel.
• 1 Timothy 2:4 (NIV): “Who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
• 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV): “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
• This divine desire extends to those who have not heard of Jesus, suggesting God works in ways beyond human comprehension to offer opportunities for salvation.

Public Revelation in Creation and Conscience

• God reveals Himself through creation, making His existence and power evident to all humanity.
• Romans 1:20 (NIV): “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
• Psalm 19:1 (NIV): “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
• Additionally, God’s moral law is inscribed on human hearts through conscience.
• Romans 2:14-15 (NIV): “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness.”
• This general revelation ensures that all people are accountable for responding to the light they receive, whether through creation’s testimony or their innate moral sense.

The Faith of Old Testament Heroes

• Old Testament figures like Abraham, Job, and Moses believed in God without full knowledge of Jesus or the Gospel, responding to the revelation available to them.
• Hebrews 11:26 (NIV) regarding Moses: “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
• Genesis 15:6 (NIV) regarding Abraham: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
• These examples demonstrate that God accepts the faith of those who sincerely seek Him based on the light they have, suggesting a principle applicable to those unaware of Jesus.

God’s all-encompassing grace

• God’s grace extends beyond human knowledge, encompassing all who respond to His revelation.
• Revelation 7:9 (NIV): “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”
• This vision suggests that God’s salvation includes individuals from all cultures, even those who may not have heard of Jesus but responded faithfully to the light they received, reflecting the breadth of His grace.

[ii]The Call to Preach the Gospel

• Jesus commanded His followers to spread the Gospel to all nations, underscoring the urgency of proclaiming His message.
• Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV): “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
• Examples like Jonah preaching to Nineveh (Jonah 3) and Philip sharing with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:30-31) illustrate God’s use of missionaries to deliver His message.
• Acts 8:30-31 (NIV): “Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’”
• This call emphasizes Christians’ responsibility to share the Gospel, trusting that God prepares hearts even before missionaries arrive.

[iii]Rewarding the honest seeker of truth

• God rewards those who sincerely seek Him, regardless of their access to the Gospel.
• Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV): “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
• Hebrews 11:6 (NIV): “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
• Romans 2:12 (NIV): “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.”
• These verses indicate that God judges individuals based on their response to the light they have received through conscience and creation, ensuring fairness for those without explicit Gospel knowledge.
• God intervenes in special ways
• God employs supernatural means, such as dreams and visions, to reach sincere seekers.
• Acts 10:3-4 (NIV): “One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked.”
• Cornelius’ vision led him to Peter, who shared the Gospel, demonstrating God’s initiative to reach those who seek Him, even in regions where the Gospel has not yet spread.
• Jesus as the only way
• Christianity maintains that Jesus is the exclusive path to God.
• John 14:6 (NIV): “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
• Acts 4:12 (NIV): “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
• While these verses affirm Jesus as the sole mediator of salvation, they do not exclude God’s mercy for those who have not heard, as He judges based on their response to available light.
• God’s mercy for children and those who have not reached the age of responsibility
• The Bible suggests that God extends special mercy to children and those not yet accountable for their actions.
• Deuteronomy 1:39 (NIV): “And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad they will enter the land.”
• 2 Samuel 12:23 (NIV): “But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
• These passages indicate that God views young children and those not yet responsible with compassion, entrusting their fate to His just and loving hands.

God’s Justice in the Historical Context

• Historically, God interacted with peoples who lacked full Gospel knowledge, such as Gentiles in the Old Testament.
• Rahab’s story in Joshua 2 demonstrates that those outside Israel who responded to available light received salvation.
• Nineveh’s repentance in Jonah 3 shows God’s mercy when people heed His warnings, highlighting His willingness to spare those who turn to Him, even without explicit knowledge of Jesus.

[i] What About Those Who Have Never Heard? – Three Views on the Destiny of the Unevangelized   Gabriel J. Fackre, Ronald H. Nash, John Sanders 

[ii] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-about-those-who-have-never-heard

[iii] https://www.gotquestions.org/never-heard.html