What of Those That Have Never Heard of Christianity
This objection is, however, fallacious, because it assumes that those who have never heard about Christ are judged on the same basis as those who have. But the Bible says that the unreached will be judged on a quite different basis than those who have heard the gospel. God will judge the un reached on the basis of their response to His self-revelation in nature and conscience. The Bible says that from the created order alone, all persons can know that a Creator God exists and that God has implanted His moral law in the hearts of all persons so that they are held morally accountable to God (Rom. 1.20;2.14-15). The Bible promises salvation to anyone who responds affirmatively to this self-revelation of God (Rom. 2.7). Now this does not mean that they can be saved apart from Christ. Rather it means that the benefits of Christ's sacrifice can be applied to them without their conscious knowledge of Christ. They would be like people in the Old Testament before Jesus came who had no conscious knowledge of Christ but who were saved on the basis of his sacrifice through their response to the information that God had revealed to them. And, thus, salvation is truly available to all persons at all times. It all depends upon our free response.
The book or Romans says anyone who would be saved, will be saved. So it matters not where someone is born as everyone willing will be saved.God knows who will accept him by there reaction to nature and there conscious. No one is sent to hell for not hearing the bible, but for sinning against a holy god.
12 Some people do not know God's law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God's law when they sin. They will be judged by the law. 13 For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous. 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law,are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men
Romans2 13-16
31“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God,and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Jeremiah31 31-34
all know god through creation and what is made
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse
Romans1.20
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skiesproclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forthspeech;
night after night they revealknowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
nosound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all theearth,
their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm19.4
so he will sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Isiah 52.15
Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
Acts14.17
In Colossians 1.23 Paul says every creature under haven has had gospel preached to them, the book was written in 60-62 A.D I believe some people who claim to be atheist will be in heaven
“I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
Isaid, ‘Here I am, here I am,’
To a nation that was not called by My name.
Isaiah 65.1
but many that hear about god will not accept him
I spread out My hands all day long
to arebellious people
who walk in the wrong path,
following their own thoughts
Isiah 65.2
In Matthew chapter 25 Jesus says he will reap were he has not yet sown, i believe in context this parable talks of those who have not herd of Jesus. In v 34-39 gentiles will be saved and entire paradise and say to Jesus when did I know you?
In Jeremiah 22.16 it says
16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
andso all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?”
declares the LORD.
no one will be judged for sins they were unaware of
for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Romans chapter 4. 15
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
John15.22 also 9.41
13In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not chargedto one's account when there is no law.
Romans 5.13
Paul argues with the Jews in Romans chapter 3 saying how can the law save? Is god, god only to those that have the law?
28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Romans3 28-30
A example of a believer in god who had not yet heard gospel message in Acts 16 v 14 it reads
14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatir a named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity said
"There are people in other religions who are being led by God's secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it. For example a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ's birth may have been in this position."
According to world famous evangelist Billy Graham, people can love or know Jesus without being conscious of it. If unbelievers who do not know the name of Jesus turn to the "only light they have" they are going to be in heaven:
"I think that everybody that loves or knows Christ, whether they areconscious of it or not, they are members of the body of Christ. .. . [God] is calling people out of the world for his name, whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ because they have been called by God. They may not know the name ofJesus but they know in their hearts that they need something they do not have, and they turn to the only light they have, and I think that they are saved and they are going to be with us in heaven."
-Billy Graham
The official stance of the catholic church agrees.
“Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart,and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they knowit through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation” (quoting, Lumen Gentium, 16).
“Although in ways known to himself God can lead those, who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men” (quoting AdGentes,7, another document from VaticanII).
“I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me” (John14:6),which I quoted above, this same Jesus also said, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin” (John15:22;see also John9:41).Jesus presents a very important principle here. Aperson is not responsible for what they could not have known. …... “those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of Godand with His grace strive to lead a good life” will not be denied by Divine Providence what the Council fathers called “the helps necessary for salvation” (LumenGentium,16).
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