How Will Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel Be Judged?
Part 2
By Dave Redick
While this conclusion may bring a howl of protest from those quick to judge their Creator and Judge, I remind you again that we are in no position to judge the entire lives of other human beings, much less judge the Righteous Judge of all.
Introduction
"On the judgment day, what will God’s response be to those who never had an opportunity to hear the gospel? Will they be lost or will they be saved?"
This is the question I posed for you in my message last Sunday evening. It is an often asked question that should be addressed – and we are endeavoring to do just that. We made several key preliminary points in the last message.
First, we make very poor judges. We cannot see the hearts, thoughts, and intents of other people. We cannot know all the circumstances in the lives of others. We are sometimes subject to big mistakes in our judging. On the other hand, God is a totally righteous judge. He never makes a mistake in judgment.
Secondly, we considered last time is that we are limited in understanding the mind of God to only that which He has told us in His word.
God doesn’t think the way we do. Isaiah 55:8-9 says: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Thirdly, unless God has told us in His word how He will judge the world, we have no sure way to know.
With these preliminaries behind us, we set out to consider three passages from the New Testament that come to bear on the question of the destiny of those who have never heard the gospel:
 | 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 |
| Romans chapters 1-3 |
| Matthew 28:18-20. |
We considered 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10, then we ran out of time. That passage says,
6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-- for our testimony to you was believed.
These words suggest two kinds of people that are relevant to our discussion: Those who do not know God (perhaps because they have never heard?) and those who do not obey the gospel. These two, according to Paul, "will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power…."
It appears from these verses that those who don’t know God will be lost. While this conclusion may bring a howl of protest from those quick to judge their Creator and Judge, I remind you again that we are in no position to judge the entire lives of other human beings, much less judge the Righteous Judge of all.
So is that the end of the subject? It shouldn’t be. Every conclusion we make from Scripture should be considered in the light of what the rest of the Bible says. So we must continue our study.
Let’s move now to the first three chapters of Romans. Because of the volume of verses here I will have to limit us to the pertinent ones. I encourage you to study this entire passage on your own when you have more time.
Romans is one of the more difficult New Testament books to understand because as Paul develops his theme, which is God’s righteousness made possible to man through the gospel, he often takes little side trips to cover issues that might come up in the minds of his readers. As always, a study of this passage would be greatly enhanced by your own independent consideration of it as you have opportunity. With that in mind, let me give you what I believe is a good summary of these three chapters.
The theme of Paul’s writing in Romans is stated in Romans 1:16-17:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."
Notice in verse 16 how many people the gospel is intended for: "for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." The Bible writers frequently divide mankind into two camps – Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles are sometimes referred to as "Greeks," as is the case here. The gospel is a universal message to all of mankind.
From this point Paul elaborates on the need for the gospel under these two headings: (1) those who have limited knowledge of God and choose to reject what they know and willfully turn away from Him (in most cases that is the story of the Gentiles) and (2) those who have the knowledge of God and profess to follow Him but don’t live up to their knowledge of Him (in most cases that describes the Jews of Paul’s day and before.)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Which group would "men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" refer to, Jew or Gentile? Probably Gentile, though some exception might be found to that. Generally, the Gentiles after Noah chose to turn away from God and suppress the truth about God. (The Jews did not suppress the knowledge of God. Their problem was that they didn’t live up to it.)
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
Apparently, God has placed the ability to know about Him (that is, of His existence) within every person. Therefore, in order to turn away from that basic intrinsic knowledge, those who would turn away from Him must "suppress the truth in unrighteousness."
What are such people suppressing? Read on.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
According to the apostle, the creation around us gives ample evidence of the Creator. The complex design of the creation gives evidence of a great and wise Designer who is bigger and more powerful than man. While these attributes are "invisible," the evidence is clear enough so that anyone who will say "God has not revealed Himself clearly enough so I don’t have to acknowledge Him, I’m off the hook" will be without excuse on at the judgment.
Going then with this basic premise that God is knowable to all men through what is made, Paul describes what happened to the Gentiles.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Notice the element of conscious choice there. It wasn’t a case that men didn’t know God enough to honor Him. They rather chose not to honor Him as God. This choice led to an ever darkening cycle of speculation.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
I think this is a clear description of the idolatry that has filled man’s history – particularly Gentile history. Note the downward spiral: From the glory of in eternal God to an image of man, to an image of birds and four footed animals, and finally, in the darkest delusion, crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
God turned them over to follow their own degraded passions – to the extent that they began even to dishonor their own God bodies. Note again the deliberate nature of these acts: "they exchanged the truth of God for a lie…."
26 For this reason [their willful choice to suppress His truth and substitute lies] God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
What is Paul referring to here? He is referring to homosexuality – part of the issue of dishonoring their own bodies. Homosexuality is an example of one thing that results in those who suppress the truth of God in their lives.
28 And just as they did not see fit [another mention of willfulness] to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Sounds like the "non-Christian" world today, doesn’t it? But remember, Paul is talking about those who lived before and during the first century.
Let’s sum up what we have. For all intents and purposes, the non-Jewish world before Christ chose to suppress the truth about God. Though there was sufficient evidence in the creation to cause them to seek after the true and only Creator, they not only didn’t do so, but they actually turned and ran the other way – willfully!
Now as we enter chapter 2 Paul turns his attention to the Jews who knew about God, had His word, but chose not to live up to what they knew.
2:1 Therefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.
That Paul is now addressing the Jews can be seen in his words in verse 17:
17 But if you bear the name "Jew," and rely upon the Law, and boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?
The Jews were confident that they were "in" with God. They were the keepers of the Law, the correctors of the foolish, etc. The words in this second chapter refer to the Jews. They passed judgment upon the Gentiles, yet they were guilty of the same kinds of things that they accuse the Gentiles of doing!
3 And do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
Remember how Paul started his words back in chapter 1, verse 18?
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness….
Not just Gentile unrighteousness, but Jewish unrighteousness as well!
2:9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
Well, then, how will God judge? How will he deal with the differences between those who knew Him and those who didn’t?
12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
Will there be a class of men that escape judgment because they didn’t have sufficient knowledge of the word of God? No, everyone will be judged. Those who sinned in ignorance of the law will "also perish without the Law." What then will be the standard of judgment for those who do not have the law of God?
14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
The Gentiles who do not have or know the law of God will be judged by what God has placed within them "the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them…."
What about the Jews? How will they be judged? We’ve already seen in verse 12 that they will be "judged by the law." (See 2:12)
Paul now continues to lecture the Jews for their hypocrisy. We’re going to skip over the next few verses because of the limit of time.
So… the Jews will be judged by the Law and the Gentiles by the law in their hearts. What will be the outcome? Will any be saved on either basis?
3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that
both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written,
"There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one. "
13 "Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,"
"The poison of asps is under their lips";
14 "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness";
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace have they not known. "
18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
How many of the Jews and Gentiles lived up to God’s standard for them? None! Not even one!
The next couple of verses state that not even the Jews with the law were justified. Then, with all men pronounced as sinful, against this dark and ugly background, Paul introduces another way:
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.
Let’s sum up what we have. How many Jews lived up to the standard of the Law of Moses? None.
How many Gentiles live up to the standard of God’s law written in their hearts and the knowledge of God’s existence through what has been made? None. ("There is none righteous, not even one.")
Where is everyone headed who doesn’t know God (unless they seek Him through the gospel)? They’re headed for hell. What if they have never heard of Jesus? Then they will be judged by what they do know. Will this standard of judgment somehow allow them to be saved? No because they don’t live up to that standard any more than the Jews lived up to the standard of the Law.
Where is everyone headed who knows God but doesn’t live up to the standard of God’s word? They are headed for hell.
What is the answer then? How can anyone possibly be saved?
Remember our passage in 1 Thessalonians 1:8? "… dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Those who want to be saved must obey the gospel.
"But that doesn’t set well with me. I don’t think that it is fair."
So will you, O wise "pot," become the judge of the "Potter?" Remember, we make very poor judges.
What then is the hope for people who want to be saved? I’m glad you asked! I would direct you to the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20:
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. "
Knowing the fate of all men, that no one lives up to what he knows, and as a result, all are headed for destruction, and that the only hope is for those who obey the gospel, can we stand by and do nothing about Jesus’ orders to spread the gospel?
Can we see the urgency in the Great Commission? If we don’t reach them, they will be lost!
"But I still cannot accept what you are teaching me," someone says.
OK, for the sake of discussion, let’s assume for just a moment that somehow I am wrong about this. Those who have never heard the gospel are going to be saved because of their ignorance. If that is the case, then why take the gospel to them? Wouldn’t preaching them the gospel actually have the potential of making their situation worse? If ignorance can save, then ignorance is bliss. Leave them alone! If you speak of Christ and they come to understand, and then reject the message, they will move from "saved by ignorance" to "lost be rejection!" So stop all preaching of the gospel. Call in the missionaries. Shut down all the outreach efforts. Throw the filmstrips and tapes and lessons (and Bibles for that matter) into the trash ASAP. We might mess up someone’s ticket to heaven!
You know that what I have just said cannot be true. Jesus’ words were not to hold the message to ourselves. It was to spread it far and wide. But if Satan can somehow convince us that obeying the gospel isn’t the only way to be saved, we might just lay off and leave the whole world in a lost condition.
"But couldn’t there be somewhere among all those lost people a few good and honest hearts who would respond to Jesus if given the chance?" Yes! And our job is to find them. There is a very precious promise in Luke 11:9-10 that bears on this:
9 "And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 10 "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.
It is my assumption based on this passage that whenever there are those who do seek God according to what they know, God will reward them with a messenger to give them the gospel. I can think of a couple of biblical examples of this. Perhaps you can think of a few more.
Remember the Ethiopian Eunuch? God, in His providence, brought Him together with Philip, who taught him the gospel.
Remember the Macedonians? Remember how God interrupted the plans of Paul and Silas and forbade them to go into the areas they had planned to enter and gave Paul a dream of a man saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"
God will reach out to those who truly seek as long as we are available to Him to go – or we will support those who go.
Conclusion
Here are some concluding thoughts for you to consider.
| God’s judgment is certain. |
| God’s judgment will be righteous. |
| God’s judgment will be dreadful for some. |
| There will be no excuses for ignorance. Man, without the gospel, will be condemned for not living up to what he knows. |
| The standard for salvation is obeying the gospel. |
| To say that some will be saved without the gospel flies in the face of the gospel message itself. |
| Our job and purpose here is clear. We must preach the gospel!
|