What About the Person who Never Hears About Christ?

What About the Person who Never Hears About Christ?

By Matt Auxt

Introduction

When the discussion of the sovereignty of God or the Doctrines of Grace comes up there is a common question, “What about the person who never hears about Jesus?” in this short blog the goal is to answer that question biblically, theologically, and tenderly. The appeal is one that seems genuinely concerned for the lost, as all Christians should have an innate desire for people who are slaves to sin to be released into the mercy of God’s goodness through faith and repentance. For it is by faith that one is saved and by Christ’s death on the cross that one’s sins are paid for and through the resurrection that the greatest enemy death is defeated. 

To answer this question the first thing one must do is not to respond emotionally but practice a good hermeneutic by actually going to the Bible. If you were to search the Bible for a phrase like “the person who never hears about God” or “what about the person who never receives a Bible” how are they saved? You won’t find anything. The Bible does not address the person who never receives a Bible. So instead of pontificating due to the absence of a direct quotation one MUST go to what the Bible DOES say on the matter. So, let’s take a look at how the Bible says one is saved. 

Gospel

In John 14:6 says this, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”” This is commonly referred to as the exclusivity of Christ. Only Christ, was fully man and fully God. Only Christ took on flesh and died in the place of sinners. Only Christ could pay for the sin debt of sinners, and only Christ could withstand the full weight of the wrath of God. A biblical understanding of sin will aid in this conversation. The wages of sin is death (Rm 6:23). So, every time we sin, we are earning for ourselves death. Isaiah 64:6 says that even our righteousness is nothing more than filthy rags. This is the condition of man before salvation, and it is threefold: deception of the Prince of this age, deception of this world, and the deception of our hearts. We do not want to minimize the work of the devil in the deception. We see this, in Revelation 12: 9-11, where Satan deceives the world, but also in 2 Corinthians 4:4,11:13-15 where it describes the devil as blinding the eyes of unbelievers so that they won’t see the goodness of Christ. Then we have the lures of the world that blind unbelievers, we see that in Jesus’ parable of the soils (Mt 13:18-23) where the thorns and thistles strangle the so called “converts” with the lures and desires of this age. Demas is said to go after the pleasures of this world (2 Tm 4:10) and was choked out by the thorns and thistles. So, the unbeliever has the Devil deceiving them, unbelievers have the world distracting them from seeing Christ, and finally unbelievers have their own desires and nature blinding them from Christ. We see in Jermiah 17:2 that it is the central being of a man, his heart, that causes him to be deceived. We see in Romans 3 that no one seeks God and in Romans 8:7 it goes even further by saying that all who are of the world actual hate God. Therefore, there is no moral middle ground on this subject. People are either deceived or are born again. This condition is not caused by culture or someone’s surroundings but starts at birth (Ps 51:5, Rm 5:12-14). 

This begs the question, how is one cured from this three-fold deception or threefold blinding? And what does this have to do with the person who never heard of Christ? Really it has everything to do with it, because we are seeing the need before the solution. Matthew 28:18-20, commonly known as the Great Commission, is a good starting point to answer the question. Christ does not say, go trick people to believe or go have big pizza parties or dig wells but He says go and make disciples, teaching them all that I have commanded you. We see in Acts that a church begins with preaching and God blessing that preaching (Acts 11:20-21). Acts is essentially the apostles living out the Great Commission. Someone might object by saying we are not the apostles, so this doesn’t apply. We may not be apostles, but we can still see the apostolic example. Along with the example of the apostles, we do have didactic passages that command us to do as the apostles. Paul is literally teaching a Gentile church (that he had never been to) how to see people converted. 

Romans 10

If you have your Bible around, turn to Romans 10. Notice the tone of the text: this is not Paul being mean or numb to the lost but verse 1 speaks of his desire for the salvation of Israel. If you look up the page to the end of chapter 9, we see that the Gospel is going to the Gentiles and to the Jews, the gentiles are obtaining it by faith while the Jews are pursuing the law of righteousness and are not obtaining righteousness because they wished to achieve it by works and at the end of chapter 9 he makes it clear he is also talking about Gentiles. So, the context is both Jew and Gentile, the tone is that of one who desires for the lost to be saved, including Israel. Paul reiterates the Jews desire to make their own righteousness in verses 2-4 and yet they do not subject themselves to God. Then in vs 4 he says that Christ ended or fulfilled the law, to make a way to be reconciled to God. He further explains the righteousness of God is by living according to the law, which is utterly impossible for man to do but Christ did it so that righteousness can be imputed to our account. Vs 6-7 is a reference to Mount Sinai where the law was established, but the purpose is that this righteousness from Christ is made possible to be obtained by faith not by works. Vs 8 then quotes Deuteronomy 30:14 that the Word of life is near, in Deuteronomy the Word of life comes from Yahweh bringing Israel to repentance and putting His Word on their heart. But Paul says that it is this Word of Life that is preached and believed by faith that brings life. Which brings us to vs 9 which tells what the sinner with the three-fold deception should do is to confess that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved. And vs 10 further explains it as the heart, the command center must be taken over by Christ and the lips will proclaim the change that has occurred. Then in vs 11-13 we have that glorious passage that whoever believes, with his heart, will without exception, be saved. This is the wonderful truth that the Gospel is for all people and any who comes with a broken and contrite heart will not be turned away. No matter the earthly distinction or separations any who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Now the question is how will they call on the name of the Lord? Which is the question that Paul poses to his readers in vs 14 and then answers it verse 14 with rhetorical questions. “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear with a preacher?” First question is how will they, who do not believe, believe? They first have to hear about Christ. How can they hear about Christ if someone has not preached Christ to them? Then Paul says in vs 15 that the preacher must be sent and then quotes Isaiah 52:17, that the person who brings good news is welcomed. The preacher is preaching the Good News. The Good News of the Gospel. This is how the threefold deception is defeated. It is by the faithful preaching of God’s Word and then what? Do we as individuals cause a response? Absolutely not, but as Paul said (1 Cor 3:5-9) I planted, Apollos watered, and God brought the increase. One might say, is this only for preachers? The Word preached used in the New Testament is referring to one who is proclaiming the Gospel. This is how the early church got started, the apostles preached and spent time in the church, but the church grew because the individuals followed the Great Commission of proclaiming the good news of the Gospel. It is the Gospel being verbally proclaimed that has power to save (Rm 1:16-17). 

Position

            With that being said, what is given from Scripture is clear: salvation comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God. It is through the regular preaching and teaching of God’s Word that the lost are saved and the saved are sanctified (Jn 17:17, Acts 2:42). It was Jesus who said in John 17:20, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone (His disciples), but for those also who believe in me through their word;” This is Jesus praying for His apostle and then He transitions to praying for all believers who will believe. Jesus says it explicitly that they will believe by the Apostle’s words which is written down for us. This is the Bible. Written clearly so that we may believe (Jn 20:31). The proclamation of God’s Word, by the preacher, elder, deacon, congregant alike is the means that God has chosen to bring salvation to His people. This should excite believers as it is a solemn and exciting call to be a part of God’s plan like this, not in a boastful way, but in a humble way that God would choose to use such instruments as broken people. Richard Baxter once said, “We are dying men preaching to dying men.”  

Objection #1

Some may object to this saying that Romans 2:14-16 states that people in the Old Testament that did not receive the Law were only subjected to what their conscience states or that the Law is written on their hearts and they could have been made right with God by obeying their conscience. However, that’s not quite the case. People, no matter the dispensation, century, or country, all are saved by faith not by works. This section of Romans 2 is explaining that there is no partiality with God according to 2:11. Chapter 2’s context is about judging or better put the condemning aspect of God, condemning unrighteousness and unrepentant people rightly. This text is about how individual knowledge is not enough to save them, but it is enough to damn them. Verse 16 of chapter 2 says that on the last day God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. So right here in chapter 2 we see that the objection of not having heard the truth has been already asked and answered. There were people who never received the Law, yet they still judged others, by telling them not to murder and such, which put themselves under the Law. In that, they demonstrated a knowledge of sin that their conscience attested to themselves. This shows that people without the Law, pre-Christ, God was right to judge them, condemn them for the sin that they committed. Romans 5:12-14 further explains this that people died and were condemned before the Law was given. The same is true for this disposition or age that those who never hear the Gospel are still judged by their works and rejection of what they knew to be true which brings nothing but condemnation. This may be a hard truth to hear but we must remember that everything that God does is good. There is no darkness in Him at all. We know that God is just, and we see in Genesis 7 that God saved Noah but the other thousands of people, if not more, were killed by God. So, we must trust what Scripture does say and trust in the good nature of God. 

Objection #2

One might object and say what about their conscience, it was their conscience that informed them so before hearing the law, if they just followed their conscience they would not have been judged by God. The issue with this line of thinking is what is the purpose of a conscience? The conscience cannot inform someone of right and wrong. The conscience is to attest to wrongdoing, according to Titus 1:15 says that those who have not been made right with God (pure) have a defiled conscience. The conscience has been affected by sin and is imperfect so if it gave the way to justification, it would be an imperfect way due to the contamination of sin. More importantly, the conscience does not confirm truth, but it convicts evil. When someone does something right, they are not encouraged by their conscience. Yet if someone does something that is wrong, they are bothered by their conscience. 

Objection #3

Another objection to what was previously said about the Gospel being preached is the only way to salvation might be Romans 1:20. Romans 1:20 says this, “For since the creation of the world His (God’s) invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine Nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Being made clearly seen through creation is what is called general revelation. People all over the world have creation screaming the existence of God who is eternally powerful and divine. Now one might object by saying they are without excuse due to creation. So, people who have never heard the Gospel can still be living by faith due to their worship of the god of creation one might even go as far as saying that they worship in ignorance. There are some problems with this line of thinking. For starters the context of Romans 1:20 provides what is being revealed, if you look up the page to verse 18-19, we see that the wrath of God is what is being revealed not salvation. Paul continues to write that what has been made known to people by God in verse 19 has been made evident through verse 20 which is through creation, and what was made evident was suppressed. So, there is no accidently worshiping God, natural revelation or general revelation only condemns it does not save. 

Now let’s entertain the line of thinking of the objection for a moment. Let’s say these verses really are talking about the Gospel being revealed through creation (which it isn’t) but for argument’s sake let’s look into this. We know from Genesis 1 that God created all things. But we have a major event happening in Genesis 3 where the Fall of mankind occurs. God then curses the line of Adam, from Adam to you and me. He curses the devil and promises his defeat. He then curses the ground. Creation is cursed due to the fall. So, if you say that creation provides information that could lead to salvation you have to admit that it would be flawed because creation is flawed and is groaning to be made right (Rm 8:22). 

Also, if that were not clear enough the writer of Hebrews brings clarity to this subject as well. Hebrews 1:1-2 says that in the past, before Christ, God spoke through the patriarchal fathers, the prophets in different ways and with different portions. But today, after the incarnation, He spoke through His Son. Today, and until Christ returns, He is the only way to salvation. Acts 4:12 says there is only one name under heaven given to men to be saved and that is Christ’s name. Jesus said that He is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Christ. 

Objection #4

Some may say that this is all well and good but what about dreams and visions, when someone never heard of Christ and then had a dream and became a believer. This is what would be called direct revelation. Where God Himself reveals Himself infallibly and directly to a single person. God has this right to do this, don’t get me wrong, people have claimed this, and I genuinely hope they are true conversion. But let’s be Bereans and examine this claim according to Scripture. Do we have an example of people receiving direct revelation absolutely. It’s called the Bible. Do we have people, who are dead in their sins, receiving direct revelation that converts them? There’s Balaam in Numbers 22, but Balaam was killed in Numbers 31 when he was trying to lead Israel into sin, he wasn’t converted. One might say Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 but that wasn’t a vision that was a great light, which was the great glory of Jesus. In Acts 10 Cornelius received a vision pre-conversion but it wasn’t until Peter came and preached the Gospel that he was converted. In neither case do we see someone’s vision or dream being the means of their conversion.

Visions or dreams without the Gospel should not be the object of one’s faith. If dreams and visions were means unto conversion, then people should actually be concerned for their own salvation. Why? Did they see Christ, or did they see the devil? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 that Satan and his false teachers masquerade as beings of light or righteous, yet their end will be according to their deeds, which is nothing short of God’s wrath. 

The Bible is clear, in this age of time or dispensation, the Gospel goes out when God’s inherent Word goes out. Christ is revealed through the pages of Scripture, and the Gospel is revealed through the pages of Scripture. We have a more sure Word than visions and prophecies (2 Pt 1:19). The Word of God is living and is active (Heb 4:4). A helpful illustration is Acts 11:20-21 where people were preaching the Word of God and the Lord was with them, so people believed. If that were not enough, one could return to Romans 10:14-15 with the rhetorical questions: How will they hear without a preacher? “A vision” That wouldn’t fit in the flow of the text. The text is clear the only answer in Romans 10 is the preaching of the Gospel. So again, we can hope that the conversions of others are genuine but how can we verify or be sure about another person’s salvation? Do they know the Gospel? Do they have a changed life and, though imperfectly, are striving to please God and kill sin. As Jesus said you will know them by their fruits (Mt 7:16). 

Conclusion

This is why the Great Commission was given, go to all nations making disciples and teaching them all that Jesus commanded the apostles. This is why Paul taught blessed are the feet of those who bring good news. It is a blessing to be the means that God uses to bring His sheep to Him. These are the means that God has prescribed and given to us today. It is to go and bring people the Gospel so that they can be made right by God. If general revelation was enough, if ignorance was enough, then going to give people something they can reject would be removing their excuse and be unloving. But if these are the means that God has given to us to go and preach the Gospel then to not go and share the Gospel would not only be unloving to the lost but disobedient to God. Please hear me I am not saying everyone should move to the mission field but what I am saying is that there is one sickness and that is sin and there is one solution and that is the Gospel of Christ being clearly and accurately presented to those who are around you. When Christians cannot shut up about the grace that has been lavished to us, our response is to give it to others, that people can hear the Gospel and the goodness of God leading them to repentance. God will do the work, and He will regenerate and the means He has established has been His Word and He will honor those who will be faithful to His Word. 

So dear reader, let me end with this: be faithful to the Word of God. Do not rely on what the world wants to see, do not rely on movie clips, great music, and events to attract people to your church. Pour your attention to the clear preaching of God’s Word. To the individual, do not put your faith in yourself or feelings or what is thought to be visions but look to the surety of God’s Word and rest in what is known. We must share this Gospel with our families, we must teach our hearts to respond according to the Word of God and with it, we must call the lost to repentance not on our authority but the authority of the written, infallible, inerrant, living Word of God.