What About Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus?

The other night I had the opportunity to speak at MTSU to some great college students on the question Is Jesus the Only Way to God? In the Q & A time afterwards, this question came up and what follows is the biblical framework I shared with them. Any distinctively Christian answer to this challenging question must account for (at least) the following passages / revealed truths as we reason from the scriptures.

God is compassionate and just (Gen. 18:25; Deut. 32:4; Pss. 7:9; 85:11; 89:14; 145:8–9; Rev. 16:7).

All are sinners in need of a savior (Rom. 3:10–18, 23; 5:12–21; 6:23; Eph. 2:1–3).

Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5; 4:10; 1 John 2:2) and the only way to God.

Since the time following the resurrection of Jesus, no one can be saved apart from the knowledge of Christ (Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:14; Acts 17:30-31).

God genuinely desires all to be saved (Ezek. 18:23; John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:3–6; 2 Peter 3:9).

God has revealed Himself to the whole world both in creation (Ps. 19:1–2; Acts 14:15–17; Rom. 1:19–20) and human conscience (Eccl. 3:11; Rom. 2:14–16), so that people are without excuse.

God’s Spirit is at work convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8–11).

Christians are commanded to take the gospel to the whole world (Matt. 28:19–20; Acts 1:8).

God has providentially arranged the world so that people might seek Him and everyone who seeks Him will find Him (Acts 17:24–28 cf. Heb. 11:6; Jer. 29:13; Acts 10:35).

There will be people from every tribe, tongue, and nation in heaven (Rev. 7:9).

The awful reality of hell indicates that not everyone is saved in the end (Matt. 10:28; 25:31–46; 2 Thess. 1:7–9).

There is not a second chance after death to accept the Gospel (Heb. 9:27).

It Is Crucial to Remember:

First, people are Judged for their sins—not what they don’t know. The Bible clearly teaches that people are judged for their willful sins (Rev. 20:12–15; cf. Isa. 64:6–7; Matt. 5:48; 12:36; 2 Tim. 4:14; James 2:10–11) according to the standard of revelation they have received (Rom. 2:4–16; James 4:17). They are not condemned because a missionary never made it to them and they never heard the name of Jesus.

Second, they are already condemned and actively choosing life away from God (though this will look differently for all of us). Humanity’s universal problem is that we suppress the truth available to everyone that God exists (cf. Rom. 1), mute our conscience and fail to live up to even our own standards (Rom. 2), and ultimately want to go our own way (Rom. 3).

Finally, God has many ways to get the message of the Gospel to those who seek him–(through missionaries, dreams, visions, radio, Bibles, internet, TV, tracts etc.).

At the end of the day, God doesn’t specifically answer this question to our (emotional) satisfaction in the Bible. We are left with some mystery when it comes to saying exactly how God will work out His plan of salvation among the nations. Therefore we trust ultimately in His goodness and justice. Will not the judge of the earth do right?

*Thoughtful, Bible believing Christians approach this question in different ways in light of the passages mentioned above, but I have found William Lane Craig’s approach to this question to be helpful (click here to listen)

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