What About Those Who Have Not Heard of Jesus?

What About Those Who Have Not Heard of Jesus?

by Pastor Richmond Goolsby

This question comes in many forms, but it always comes.  How can God hold people responsible for their sins if they have not heard of the saving grace that comes through Jesus?  Would God actually allow people who have not heard the gospel to spend eternity in hell?  What about the person living in the deepest, darkest jungle who does not have exposure to the Christian message?  Will God condemn the one who sins and has not heard of Jesus?  In order to properly respond to these questions we must  consider what the Bible says about the modes through which God makes Himself known.

The Scripture states that God reveals Himself generally.  Psalm 19:1 says, “the heavens declare the glory of God.”  As a person looks into the heavens and sees the sun, moon and stars, the handiwork of God is revealed.  The creation of God’s hands manifests the reality of God.  Romans 1:20 says, “since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.”  The majestic characteristics of the created order reveal to humanity the majestic character of God.  His “invisible attributes” are seen by the magnificence of His creation.  We can see that God is powerful, for by the power of His word He spoke the universe into existence and sustains it day by day.  God tells the sun when to rise and set.  He has told the oceans how far they may extend and commands the mountains to stand.  We can see that God is benevolent, for by His mercy He provides breath to every living being.  He fills His created beings with provision for existence each day.  We can see that God is orderly in His providence, for He has established laws in the universe which maintain its order.  The awesomeness of the universe reveals the eternal power of God.  Acts 14:17 reminds us that, “God did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”  God sends the rain from heaven as a testimony that He is real and active.  He provides fruitful seasons to testify that He oversees the universe and mercifully provides for His creation.  God is the primary witness of the reality of His existence.  The heavens declare His glory, His attributes are clearly seen, and He has provided an eyewitness account of His being through general revelation.  This form of revelation is enough for man to know that God is, but it is not enough to know who God is.

The Bible says that the general form of divine revelation given to men is not enough to save man from his sin.  2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says, “the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded.”  The god of this age, the devil, is using his deceptive tactics to blindfold the minds of the human population through sin.  People are living in the midst of general revelation which is declaring daily the glory of God but they will not see Him unless, “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine upon them.”  Although everyone is surrounded by the glory of God, His attributes will remain invisible to those without the light of the gospel of Christ shining upon their hearts.  The Apostle Paul declared to the Areopagus at Athens, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30)  God has mercifully allowed the continuation of life without pouring out His divine judgment upon sin, but now is commanding those who have heard the truth of sin and salvation to turn away from their personal rebellion and trust Christ.  In verse 31 he provides the reason for the urgency of immediate response, “because God has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man (Jesus) whom He has ordained.”  The message is clearly presented, God has been merciful but you must repent and trust Christ or receive divine judgment.  Romans 10:14 removes any uncertainty with these words, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?”  Although God has revealed His divine existence through His creation, no person can be saved without believing in Christ.  No one will hear the truth of Christ unless the gospel is preached (declared) to them.  While God has extended great kindness by the manifestation of His existence through general revelation, only the gospel of Jesus Christ is sufficient to save man from sin.

Salvation only comes through the particular revelation of Christ.  The created universe declares to us that God is real, but only the gospel tells us how God saves man from sin through Christ.  The heavens declare the glory of God but only Jesus can reconcile us to the glory of God.  Acts 4:12 provides eternal truth for all, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  Although the stars of the sky point to the splendorous Creator, the heavenly luminaries did not die to receive the penalty of sin.  Majestic mountains refer us to the beauty of our God, but they cannot provide righteousness on behalf of the sinful soul.  Only Jesus has accomplished the necessary work for man to be at peace with God.  In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Me.”  He is the only way to God.  He is the only way to know the truth of God.  He is the only way to gain the true life of God.  No person can receive these gifts apart from Jesus Christ.  The Philippian jailer realized the condemning presence of his sin and cried out, “what must I do to be saved?”  Paul and Silas responded with liberating truth, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31)  They did not call him to believe that God created the sun.  There was not a commendation for believing merely in the existence of God, but the command, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Salvation comes only through faith in what Christ has done through His substitutionary death and victorious resurrection.  Sincerity in the pursuit of worshipping one’s idea of God is insufficient to save.  One must receive the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice as the appeasement of God’s wrath upon their own sin to be saved.  God has revealed this glorious truth specifically in the good news of His Son, and it is this particular revelation that must be cherished for the reception of salvation.

A most logical question is in order at this point in the discussion.  What happens to the person that recognizes the existence of God but has not heard of Jesus?  Can someone who sincerely responds to the general revelation of creation alone be saved?  Will God condemn someone who has not heard the gospel of Christ before they die?  Remember this, God grants further revelation to those who respond to the revelation they have been given.  The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 was earnestly reading Isaiah 53 while sitting in his chariot.  He was sincerely responding to the revelation God had given him but he did not understand all that he was reading.  God sent to him Philip, who preached Jesus to him, beginning at the Scripture in Isaiah 53.  The eunuch responded by believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was baptized as a follower of Christ.  The man from Ethiopia responded to the revelation God provided and God delivered to him the further revelation necessary for salvation.  Recently, while in a small village in Uganda, I met a young man working on the side of the road.  I shared with him the message of Jesus and asked him if we would like to receive Christ and follow Him.  The young man said that he knew that God was real and that he had been longing for this message of good news.  He told me that he had been asking God to show him more of the truth and so God sent me there to that tiny village with an open Bible in my hand, declaring the way to reconciliation with God through Christ.  That young Ugandan man now has eternal life because he responded to the revelation God had given him and God sent to him the gospel.  

In the immutable faithfulness of God, He will not neglect one precious soul who desires to be saved.  We can trust in the infinite justice and mercy of God as He requires perfect righteousness for salvation and provides the righteousness of Christ for all who believe.  God reveals Himself to all, and to all who respond in repentance and faith in Christ, God saves.