If They Never Heard of Jesus?

[Caretaker]

Originally posted by thefixer:
[qb] Dear brothers and sisters,
Could anyone give me some insight into a question a brother posed to me a little while ago and of which I cannot find a biblical response to. The question was: “What became of all the people who have died after Jesus returned to heaven but had never heard His message of salvation. Were they lost or saved?” There has been countless people who have lived in places that the Gospel has just recently reached who never heard of Jesus. What became of them?
I could only respond by supposing that Jesus or a messenger would meet them, after they died and in a place other than here or heaven, and 'preach' the Gospel to them so that they would have the opportunity to accept or reject the gift. Is my supposition correct or is there some passages that I missed?
Your brother in Christ, LeRoy (thefixer). [/qb]

We can be assured that God is absolutely just, and those judged before the Great White Throne and cast into the Lake of Fire are without excuse, and are not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY ISOLATED FROM CHRISTIANITY? HOW CAN THEY RESPOND TO CHRIST?



Every person, no matter what his geographical location, has at least two sources of information about God to which he can respond.

Nature is one source. As we observe the universe around us, we see design and beauty far beyond anything we or even nature itself could produce. In chapter 12 we deal specifically with natural revelation. What is important to point out here is that everyone has the same natural wonders around him, and they point to a superior being beyond man whom anyone may choose to seek.

If I were to live in your house a while, I would know you existed even if I never met you. The pictures, artifacts, and designs I would find around the house would tell me of your existence as a distinct person with a definite personality. I would have enough information to decide to try to find you if I wanted to. The apostle Paul put it this way: "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" (Romans 1:20).

But nature is not our only source of information about God. Another one is within ourselves--conscience. We have the idea of a standard of goodness beyond what we are able to keep. Conscience tells us about sin: the difference between the way we live and the way we know we ought to live.

A few days ago, I had a man in my office who had been an atheist most of his life. He told me how as a teenager he had rejected the beliefs of the church he grew up in and replaced them with a moral code that he thought he should live by. Then he tried to live by it.

"To my surprise," he told me, "I couldn't keep my own moral standards. What's worse, I found myself pretending I was the kind of person I had decided I should be, even though I couldn't pull it off."

"That's fascinating," I said. "You made up your own religion, converted yourself to it, then backslid from it, so you became a hypocrite about it!"

He agreed.

We both had a good laugh. But there is a point here not to be overlooked. Even though he outwardly rejected God, he could not escape his inner knowledge of a goodness beyond what he was able to keep. Speaking of those who have never heard, the Bible says, "They show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thought alternately accusing or else defending them" (Romans 2:15). What finally brought him to a belief in God was his realization that man has a sense of goodness far greater than he needs for basic survival.

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[Deleted]

One of the proofs that God is the Author of Scripture is the simple fact that man would not have included these verses:

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:17-20).

In fact, Romans 1 is a very unpopular chapter with universalists and homosexuals. In fact, it wraps all sinners into the whole ball of yarn and condemns all without Christ . . .

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Romans 1:28-32).

And then Paul ties on the heavenly bow with these words:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

For those in between . . ., and I admit, a rather difficult passage in Scripture . . . grace.

"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel" (Romans 2:12-16).

God's arbitration will be just and based upon the knowledge of the Christ-Accepter, or Truth-rejecter.

An interesting verse is this one:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).

The italicized portion is based on the word kataekw which means to "Hold Down", or "suppress." What it means is that what little truth the rejecter possesses, he pushed away . . . as we so clearly see with the evolutionists. Creation proves the existence of a Creator . . . and they know it . . . but they would rather push that truth away and choose to accept the ridiculous.

[Caretaker]

Oct 16, 2011 11:02:43 GMT -6 @bbb said:

One of the proofs that God is the Author of Scripture is the simple fact that man would not have included these verses:

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:17-20).

In fact, Romans 1 is a very unpopular chapter with universalists and homosexuals. In fact, it wraps all sinners into the whole ball of yarn and condemns all without Christ . . .

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Romans 1:28-32).

And then Paul ties on the heavenly bow with these words:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

For those in between . . ., and I admit, a rather difficult passage in Scripture . . . grace.

"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel" (Romans 2:12-16).

God's arbitration will be just and based upon the knowledge of the Christ-Accepter, or Truth-rejecter.

An interesting verse is this one:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).

The italicized portion is based on the word kataekw which means to "Hold Down", or "suppress." What it means is that what little truth the rejecter possesses, he pushed away . . . as we so clearly see with the evolutionists. Creation proves the existence of a Creator . . . and they know it . . . but they would rather push that truth away and choose to accept the ridiculous.

Amen!!!

Excellent!!!!

[Deleted]

Oct 16, 2011 11:02:43 GMT -6 @bbb said:

For those in between . . ., and I admit, a rather difficult passage in Scripture . . . grace.

"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel" (Romans 2:12-16).

God's arbitration will be just and based upon the knowledge of the Christ-Accepter, or Truth-rejecter.

As I stated, this is a rather difficult verse, but I think the answer has come to me.

Who are they without law? I've been saved for 35 years, and studying the Word for 32 or so of those years, and I have never understood this verse . . . even when memorizing the Book of Romans.

Who are they without law?

I believe Paul answers it for us in this passage . . .

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:7-12).

When did Paul live without the law? When did the commandment come . . . to slay him?

When he was a child, under the age of accountability.

It seems to me that this is the answer.