What About Those Who Have Never

Heard About Jesus?

 

By,

 

Gannon Murphy

 

Jesus states emphatically in the Bible, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  Stemming from this crucial statement has emerged one of the most common objections proffered against Christianity.  The objection usually sounds something like this: “What about the poor native in deepest Africa who has never had the chance to hear about Jesus?  Does God send him to hell simply because he’s never heard the gospel?”  It appears that many have assumed, wrongly, that Christianity promulgates some horrid doctrine that those who never get the chance to hear the gospel are somehow immutably destined to eternal damnation.

This objection, while seemingly poignant and incisive on the surface, is nevertheless wrong-headed on several fronts.  The error begins with the very assumptions inherent in the objection.  Historic Christianity has never subscribed to the monstrous notion that humans beings are sent to Hell on account of their simply never hearing of Jesus.  Think, for a moment, about what such notion implies.  It implies that God, the paragon of moral perfection, has set the criterion for damnation unto Hell upon a logistical technicality—namely, whether or not the individual happens to ever hear of Christ.   Such an idea, however, is a manifest absurdity especially when we consider the fact that the Bible itself teaches that it is God in the first place who is responsible for determining where each one of us lives and for how long!  Acts 17:26 says that God creates all people and has “determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”  Thus, nothing, according to the Bible, is left to mere chance with regard to how, when, and where a person is or isn’t able to hear of Jesus Christ.

Far from suggesting that people arbitrarily wind up in Hell based on some inane technicality, the Bible teaches that all people, regardless of where they live, are justly and condignly deserving of Hell because of their sin whether they hear the gospel or not.  This is the sour fruit of the Fall from the beginning of human history.  According to the Bible, we—as an entire race—have corporately chosen to rebel against God and to serve ourselves instead of Him.  The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  It also says that those who do not recognize their sinful condition “deceive themselves” and that that “the truth is not in [them]” (1 John 1:8).  So let us be clear about why humans really go to Hell.  They go there because it is both what they want (C.S. Lewis once described Hell as being locked from the inside), and because it is what we deserve in the face of a Perfect Judge.  We may choose to believe that it isn’t so, but that won’t change a thing if it is in fact true.  Perhaps it is also worth noting that Jesus, who is most often portrayed only as a gentle, unconditionally benevolent preacher, taught more about the reality of a living Hell than any other figure in the Bible.  Jesus, for one, believed Hell to be all too real.

There is, however, a “brighter” side to the picture.  While the Bible does teach that “the wages of sin is death” it also teaches that despite this fully deserved condemnation “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:23) so that, “Though our sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).  This, of course, is the good news of the Christian gospel.  God is in the business of showing grace and mercy to sinners.

But what, we still ask, of those who never get to hear, and thus personally articulate, this glorious message?  Is salvation still possible for them?  I believe it is.  But we must be very careful here.  For, what the Bible teaches is that those who are really seeking God would and will embrace Christ if given the opportunity to hear about Him.  The apostle Paul says that God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6)  And, according to other Biblical passages (e.g., Romans 1), humans beings have been supplied with enough information to do this very thing (i.e., diligently seek God) based on several criteria.  These criteria have often been described as three “lights” which are given to all human beings and for which we are all held accountable.  In order, these “lights” are creation, conscience, and Christ.

With regard to the first “light” (i.e., creation), the Bible says the following: “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 men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).  The Book of Psalms puts the reality of this knowledge of God in somewhat sterner fashion saying, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).  Thus, all one needs to do in order to know that there is a God is to look at “Exhibit A,” the world!  For, the Bible says that “the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2).  Thus, we are accountable for the knowledge of God we have received through the nexus of the splendor of the world God has created.

The second “light” identified in Scripture is the light of conscience.  All human beings, to varying degrees, have been given an inherent knowledge of God made manifest in the conscience.  The Protestant Reformers called this the sensus Divinitatis, the “sense of the Divine.”  The reason one “feels” that something like cheating or stealing is wrong is because it really is wrong!  When we feel guilty over committing a sin of some kind, we are manifesting the very outworking of a little bit of God’s own moral character in ourselves having been created in His image (Genesis 1:27).  All of us, however, without Divine intervention in our lives, tend to fight our conscience and make excuses for our wrongdoing saying, “Oh, its not that big a deal, everyone does it!” or “At least I haven’t murdered anyone.”  We make concerted efforts at ignoring the light of conscience that convicts us of sin as a result of the darkness that conjures up from our fallen nature.  We consciously militate against what little knowledge we have of God from the conscience He has instilled within us.  Yet, when we are fighting our conscience, we are fighting God Himself and we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8).

Now, here’s the rub.  In the final analysis, if we are constantly fighting the first two “lights” given us by God, it will be impossible for us to embrace the light of Christ.  Yet, for those who respond to the knowledge given them by God through the first two lights, they will ultimately be received unto salvation through the very same passage way as all people are saved:  Jesus Christ!  This is precisely the way in which the saints of the Old Testament were saved, not of their own merits, but through the grace and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

But why bother then, we might ask, to bring people the gospel message in the first place?  First of all, Jesus commanded it.  Secondly, for those people who are really “diligently seeking God” (Hebrew 11:6) no greater gift can be conceived of than for them to finally have the opportunity to hear the good news of the gospel and to hear, for the first time, the very Name of the God they have been worshipping all along and trusting in for their salvation!  Hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ also separates the true seekers from those who only have the appearance of a true seeker.  Jesus said that there are those who, “honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mark 7:6).  Thus, hearing the gospel often acts as a sort of “litmus test” distinguishing the true seekers from the disingenuous.  For Jesus says, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37).

 

Further, the apostle Paul (addressing Christians) says that “by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor 4:2).  Thus, all people are taken captive by their conscience in the eyes of God when they hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ.  For those who are truly seeking Him, this is wonderful news indeed!  Yet, for those who are still fighting God, and continue on that path, these words can only be described as a terrible omen foreshadowing their condemnation from which there is no return or end (Matthew 25:41).

Finally, when the fullness of time has been reached and the world as we know it comes to an end, not one single person will be able to wag their finger at God accusing Him of being unfair.  God is the Perfect Judge of all humankind and will deal fairly with each and every person.  Ultimately, the eternal destiny of all those He has created is completely within the purview of His sovereign control and good purpose.

Have you embraced God’s gift of salvation?  Do you know where your eternal destiny lies? The Bible says that you can know for sure whether you will spend eternity in unending felicity with God or if you hang precariously over the jaws of Hell.  Jesus says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9).  Elsewhere He says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).  The Bible says that these things “are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

CS Lewis once suggested that there are two types of people:  those who, at the end of time, will say to God “Thy will be done” and those to whom God will say, “Thy will be done.”

Won't you embrace the light of Christ today?  The Bible says that “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation…” (2 Cor 7:10)  Ask God to forgive you, to come into your heart, and to rescue you from the stronghold of darkness.  By doing this sincerely in your heart, you may rest assured that you have been granted eternal life in Christ Jesus.  For, we have God's very promise that it is so.