What happens to those who never hear the

What happens to those who never hear the gospel?

• Little old man in the middle of nowhere who is a good, kind, loving, gentile, humble man who loves his family and pets and takes care of the poor and helpless….

What Evangelical Christians believe

Those who hear the gospel and accept Christ as their Savior go to heaven when they die.

Those who hear the gospel and don’t accept Christ as their Savior go to hell when they die.

But What about those who have never heard?

If people die without hearing the gospel, are they lost? Would a loving God send people to hell if they never even had a chance to hear the gospel?

A related question that we will not have time to look at this morning is what about babies and those who are intellectually unable to understand the gospel? The Bible has gracious words about this.

The reality Is…. These are difficult questions without many direct Bible verses to answer them.

However, based on several passages, as well as an understanding of God’s character and His dealings with men, we can develop a good idea of how He works in such situations.

The plumb line

• Illustration: Daddy and the plumb line and building our car port.

Amos 7: 7 -8 7 8 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Amos? " "A plumb line, " I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel…”

• Amplified Version of verse 8 “I am setting a plumb line as a standard…”

What really matters is not what you or I think or feel is right or fair or just about this emotional issue. What matters is what God says about it.

How often have we heard • I don’t think God would do that • I believe God will make exceptions about this • Story Talking with the JW at the San Diego Airport

The Bible is the plumb line of truth.

• Alan Richardson Don’t believe anything anyone tells you about God’s Word unless they can show you chapter and verse. • Plumb line with my girls • Acts 17: 11

2 Tim 3: 16 -17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

John 17: 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth.

• I don’t really want to know someone’s opinion on what is or is not true. I want to know what the Bible says is true. • Objective VS Subjective

So, what does the Bible say about those who have never heard?

First, we should do our best to take the gospel to them! 18 19 20 Matt 28: 18 -20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. ""

• Story Bill Huse and the cleaning lady at the airport • PHP at Wal-Mart on the day of Coretta Scott King’s funeral

But what happens to those we don’t reach?

Some basic bible truths that we do know

Romans 3: 23 “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. ” Every human being ever born has been a sinner from birth because of the sin nature that we all inherited from Adam.

John 14: 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ” There is only one way to heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ.

Acts 4: 12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. ” Salvation is found only in Jesus. Period.

Bottom line Knowing Jesus as savior is the only way anyone gets to heaven.

So, what does that mean for those who never hear?

As harsh as it may sound, the Bible clearly teaches that only those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their savior, whether they have heard the gospel or not, go to heaven when they die.

• Mean people • Nice people • Friendly people • People who love animals • Rich people • Poor people

John 14: 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ”

NO ONE!! • Not the Pope • Not the Dahli Lama • Not Billy Graham • Not the person who has never heard the gospel.

But that’s not fair!!

Fair? The issue is not what is and is not fair. If we got what was fair then we’d all go to hell.

EVERYONE deserves to go to hell because we are all sinners. Even those who have never heard the gospel.

You deserve to go to hell. I deserve to go to hell. Those who have never heard deserve to go to hell. Everyone deserves to go to hell.

WHY? Because we have all inherited the sin nature from Adam. Therefore, we are sinners from birth, and deserve to suffer the full wrath of God’s holy and righteous judgment against sin. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners by nature.

Rom 3: 10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one. ”

Isaiah 64: 6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.

The other side of this is that, because we are all sinners, nobody deserves to go to heaven.

So the question is not only… If God is so loving, how can he allow anyone to go to hell?

But also… If God is so just how can he accept anyone into heaven?

“It is not difficult to understand why a just God does not save sinners…[but] how a just God saves any sinners. ” B. B. Warfield

The greater question for me is not, “Why do some go to hell? ” But, why do I get to go to heaven?

grace Ephesians 2: 8 -9 For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast.

John 3: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

What about Romans 1: 20? Doesn’t that say that people can know Jesus through observing creation?

Rom 1: 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

“The Bible says that God’s general revelation, even when correctly grasped, yields knowledge of creation, providence, and judgment only, not of grace that restores sinners to fellowship with God. ” —J. I. Packer

So, then, are those who we never reach with the gospel doomed? Not necessarily.

While the Bible affirms that Christ is the only Savior “There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. ”-Acts 4: 12 It also states that God is completely just and always does right.

Genesis 18: 25 Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Job 34: 12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.

Ps 119: 68 You are good, and what you do is good.

The Bible also clearly declares the depth of God’s love and patience towards us.

Jeremiah 31: 3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love…”

2 Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Other Considerations • Reports from around the world have verified that Jesus has revealed himself to some people apart from the help of human beings. They heard the gospel through an angel, dream, or other way from God.

• Only God knows for sure if someone has or has not trusted Jesus as savior before they die. We are not the judge of that.

• James Tschenkins in South Africa • Eryn & the angel • OM stories from the Middle East • YOU may be one of those stories…

A final question Some argue that those who never hear the gospel automatically go to heaven.

If that is the case, then wouldn’t it be wiser and kinder for Christians to try to isolate those who have never heard the gospel from hearing it rather than trying to take it to them?

Because once they hear the gospel, they could reject it and then be accountable?

Of course that would be absurd!!

Conclusion: When it’s all been said and done

1. All human beings are sinners and deserve eternal punishment. (Romans 3: 23)

2. Accepting Jesus Christ as savior is the only way to escape this punishment. (John 14: 6)

3. Our mandate is to proclaim this message of salvation to everyone we can. (Matthew 28: 18 -20)

4. God is rich in mercy and we can trust Him to act righteously towards those who never hear the Gospel from another human being.

Our job as Christians is to take the whole gospel to the whole world so that the whole world might wholly worship Jesus Christ.

• Story Uncle William • D. L. Moody Why don’t you mind your own business? • Jim the Candy Man at HOP

And we can trust God, who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son Jesus, to do what is loving, righteous, and just towards those who never hear the gospel.

Written by Chip Kirk Operation Mobilization At Least He Tried, Ltd. A Rocks 2 Rolls Production 2003