What about those who have never heard about Jesus?
The Bible says that salvation is through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
This statement has caused people to ask about those who did not have the opportunity to know the good news of Jesus.
Would they be condemned to hell? Just because they never heard?
Since the Bible says that God is a just God, He will judge individuals based on the light (knowledge and revelation of the truth) that they would have received.
Therefore, by nature, God will not hold anybody responsible for something they have never heard before.
So what is this light? God has given light to everyone, and those who respond to the light will receive more light.
- He has given us the light of creation through which we might know that there is a wise and powerful God. Romans 1 speaks about how vast and intricate creation is, which can only be explained by a creator.
- He has given us the light of conscience to know that there is a moral God. Romans 2 speaks about how the law of God is written on our hearts and that we inherently know what is good and evil.
So if the biblical account is accurate, then by creation and conscience alone, everybody can know that there is a God.
This means that if anybody responds to the general revelation that they already have and believe in God’s existence, He will find a way to get the gospel to them.
God is not far from us (be it in the busy cities or isolated villages); we only need to trust and seek Him with all our hearts.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Throughout history and the Bible, God has proven to bypass the human mechanisms to speak to men and women. He does this via public proclaimers, prophets in biblical times and during our current age through television, media, blogs, etc.
As a result, people now more than ever can know about Jesus through various channels or mediums without ever having come into contact with a church or a preacher.
Even Jesus commanded His disciples to carry out the gospel to every nation. By the end of the first century, it was preached in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Now in the 21st century, the Bible has been translated into every major language.
I do not believe that anybody would stand before God and say if only I had more information, then I would have believed.
Although there is a vast amount of content and scripture available, it all boils down to the individual’s intent of the heart to cry out to God, saying ‘I Need You.’ Then, he would gladly reveal Christ to you.
But on the flip side, if somebody rejects natural revelation by creation or conscience, as mentioned above, God is not obligated to get that person any further information as they refused what God has already revealed about Himself.
If you are one of those who have stumbled on this answer, then guess what? You are not one of those who have not heard, you have heard, and you do know, and you have the evidence of the gospels claim open to you about Jesus claiming to be God and His free gift of salvation for you.
Nobody would stand before God one day and say if only I had more information, then I would have believed.
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