Bible Questions Answered:
Pastor I have tried to get the following question answered, but with no good response, what can you tell me regarding the heathen, who have never heard God's message, what happens to them?
Raidon/ Shinjuku, Japan
Bible Answer:
This is a question that has been asked for centuries, so is nothing new.
First of all let us begin by saying that all men, created in the image of God, have a conscience, which understands, by seeing “the gospel of nature,”earth and the starry sky above, the greatness of the Creator.
Romans 1:18-22 NLT
18 But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
19 They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them.
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
John 1:1-4,9 KJV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Romans 2:14,26,27 NLT
14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.
26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be His own people?
27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.
Matthew 11:20-24 NLT (Christ's message to Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.)
20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where He had done so many of His miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.
21 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.
22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.
23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.
24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”
Surely one thing may be said here, the peoples of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom who were wicked and yet ignorant, will be dealt with more mercifully than, Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, who saw the Son of God, and the works of God, and yet did not repent!
Which leads us to another most interesting scripture.
Luke 12:42-48 KJV
42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Is there “Second-Chance-Salvation” after death? Absolutely not!
But, we are not, to say, what the mercy of God is towards, those who have never heard the gospel, and have died!
Justin Martyr, Clement, and Zwingle, held that those who lived, according to the good they knew, and died in ignorance, they would, indeed be forgiven and saved.
That these, would fall under Divine Mercy, seems to be the case, just as to what that mercy extends to, is for us today, uncertain at best.
Now, can't you hear some poor misguided soul say, well, if that's the case, we don't need to worry about evangelism.
Except, we as Christians have been commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ to evangelize the world!
Mark 16:15 KJV
And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Luke 24:45-47 KJV
45 Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Romans 10:10 NLT
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
Why, should we evangelize?
Man has been created to bring glory to God!
How can unregenerate man bring praise and glory to the God, if he is ignorant of Him?
Answer, he cannot.
Christians our call is clear, confession of our faith, regardless of the cost!
Revelation 12:11 KJV
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
And for those who are not sure,....
Ezekiel 3:17-21 NLT
16 After seven days the Lord gave me (Ezekiel) a message. He said,
17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel (And for us, the world). Whenever you receive a message from Me, warn people immediately.
18 If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths.
19 If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed Me.
20 “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.
21 But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”
