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The thought of people going to hell just because they had not heard of Jesus was something I struggled with for many years, but didn't become terribly bothersome until 2006. I remember asking this question to several people as the Lord was opening my heart to His truths about salvation.
I was listening to the audiobook, "Desiring God" by John Piper when I heard him talk about this very difficult question. Here I will post what he said:
At stake in missionary outreach to unreached peoples is eternal life. Conversion to Christ from any and every other allegiance is precisely the aim.
"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12
God is not unjust. No one will be condemned for not believing a message he has never heard. Those who have never heard the gospel will be judged by their failure to own up to light of God's grace and power in nature and in their own conscience. This is the point of Romans 1:20-21:
"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
Apart from the special saving grace of God, people are dead in sin, darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, and hardened in heart. Ephesians 2:1, 4:18.
I think this is the best answer I've heard on the question. Think about it. If we look around us, we can do our best to deny that God made this place, however, there's always that question, isn't there? Well, many questions:
Why am I here?
Where did I come from?
What happens after I die?
Nature, as John Piper puts it reveals God's power. Here's a test: go outside and pick up a handful of dirt. You say, "now that's easy, what does that prove?" Nothing. That's just step one! Now, step two: make some dirt. Now that's a little more difficult, you say? Yes, it is. In fact, it is impossible. You and I are mere human beings with limited abilities. One is that we cannot create something from nothing. There has to be some power behind creating that we just don't have! Remember that the next time you meet an atheist. Ask him to make some dirt.
Secondly, John Piper says we have a conscience. Conscience as defined by the Webster's Dictionary says:
the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one's own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good
Let's test to see if we have a conscience in the first place. Both Piper and the Bible say we do.
1. Is it ever right to rape a woman?
2. Is committing adultery with someone ever right?
3. Is child abuse right in any situation?
If you answered "no" to any of the above questions, you have a conscience! Some might argue, "oh, but moral right and wrong are relative." Really? So when is it right to rape a woman? What situation would it be okay to abuse a child?
Some may say, "yes, this all sounds fine, but your morals here are learned from community or parents." Is that so? Did your mother or father have to sit you down and say, "Now son, we know you are now twenty and we need to give you some guidance on rape. I know you came out of the womb thinking it's okay to track a woman down and rape her, but..." No! That's just stupid.
So if we have a conscience, the next question is, "from where did it come?" If the answer truly is, "from God," then we either have a lot of explaining to do when we see Him after death and hope He winks at sin (lawless, bad things we have done) or we need a Savior.
God sent a Savior. His name is Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian church in his day and said:
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." - 1 Corinthians 15:3,4
Paul considered this "of first importance." Do you?
- Tamara Slack
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