What about Those Who Have Never Heard of the Gospel or Christ?

I do not know about you but this this is a question that I have asked since I became a Christian. I know many others have asked the same thing but never really got a satisfactory answer.

Until now.

Dr. William Lane Craig, who is philosopher and theologian, has a short 5-minute video from Reasonable Faith that you can view at the bottom of this blog, but I will attempt to lay out his article in print here.

When Christians claim that Jesus is the only way to God, an objection is often raised: If Jesus is the only way to God, what about those who’ve never heard of Jesus? Is God unfair?

Are some people just unlucky – born at the wrong time and place in history?

They can’t possibly be saved … or can they?

What About Those Who Have Never Heard of the Gospel or Christ?

Is Jesus the only way of salvation? The only way to forgiveness? The only way to God?

Many people consider that Christ is the only way to God unacceptable and deeply offensive.

People ask what about those people that have never heard of the gospel or Jesus.

God is not unfair. The Bible says God wants all people to be saved.

Those that have not heard of Christ will not be judged on what they do not know but will be judged on what they do know.

What about those who have never heard of Christ know?

Two truths God has revealed to everyone everywhere.

1.) God Exists. In nature.

By observing the natural world around us.

2.) There is a Moral Law

Our conscience within us. Every one of us has a sense of right and wrong.

So those that have not heard of Christ can respond to the light they have been given through God (nature) and Moral Law (Conscience) if they turn to God for forgiveness and new life.

Just like people who lived prior to the time of Christ they can be saved through Christ even though they have not heard of Christ.

But what about people who don’t respond to God’s self-revelation through nature and conscience?

Granted, they freely separate themselves from God and God will not force them to believe if they do not want to.

But maybe they would have believed if only they had heard of Him?

Are they just victims of bad luck? Born at the wrong time and place in history?

According to the Bible, people are not born as a result of an accident, but that God decides where and when each person will live. So, it is possible that God so ordered the world anyone who would believe in Christ if they heard of Him, is born where he does hear about Him.

No one is lost through historical or geographical accident. Anyone who wants or would want to be saved will be saved.

Our eternal destiny truly lies in our own hands.

How about you?

“God made every nation of men… that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history… and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for Him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” Acts 17:26-27