what about-those-who-have-never-heard (1)

WHAT ABOUTTHOSE WHOHAVE NEVERHEARD?

IIt’s one thing to say that thosewho knowingly reject Christdo so to their own loss. But

what about those who havenever been told that Christ diedin their place? Is it possible thatGod would deny heaven to themfor not accepting a Savior theyhad never encountered? Howcould they be held accountablefor what they didn’t know?

These are hard questions thatneed more than theoretical orspeculative answers. So withmillions of unreached people inmind, we have attempted in thefollowing pages to understandwhat the Bible itself says aboutthose who have never heard.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Digital StockScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.© 2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

A Growing Argument In A Shrinking World . . . 2

Is Christ The Only Way To God? . . . . . . . . . 4

What Can We Know For Sure?. . . . . . . . . . . . 13

How Can We Make A Difference?. . . . 22

Have You Really Heard? . . . . . . . . 31

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© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

A GROWINGARGUMENT IN A SHRINKINGWORLD

TThe global influence of Christ is a fact ofhistory. The impact

of His life has gone farbeyond the streets andneighborhoods of Hishomeland.

In The History Of TheExpansion Of Christianity,Yale scholar Kenneth ScottLatourette traces theinfluence of Christ downthrough the centuries intoour current era. He showsthat vast distances havebeen covered and culturalbarriers have been crossed.Around the world, Christ’sfollowers organized first tomeet their own needs andthen reached out to othersin the far reaches of theearth. Yet despite theseenormous accomplishments,there are many who have

never heard that Christ diedfor them.

The unfinished missionof reaching the world raisestroubling questions for thosewho believe that Christ isthe only way to God. What about those who diewithout knowing? CouldGod possibly say to them,“I’m sorry, but you have notaccepted My Son”? If so,will they cry, “But we neverknew that He did anythingfor us! How could we acceptwhat we never even heard?”

These are importantquestions. They are sosignificant that some whohave heard about Christ saythat they could only reject a God who would judgepeople who didn’t believe in a Savior they never had a chance to accept.

The debate over thefuture of unreached peoplehas become more intense inthe last couple of decades.Ironically, as the number of people who have never

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heard about Christ seems to be shrinking, a growingnumber of theologians arewondering whether it ispossible to be saved byChrist without hearing Hisname or His gospel.

While believing thatChrist is the only way toGod, many think that itmight be possible to come to God through Christwithout ever hearing Hisname. One advocate of thisview says, “If the eternalGod, who does notnecessarily view timesequentially, has appliedChrist’s blood to people offaith in the Old Testamentwho have no knowledge of

Jesus, why can He not dolikewise for the unreachedperson today who has noexplicit knowledge of Christbut may believe in the Onewho raised Jesus from thedead? (Rom. 4:23-24).”

By similar reasoning,some appeal to the fact thatmany Christians alreadybelieve that God will applythe death of Christ to infantswho die or to people withsevere mental limitations.They go on to suggest that “evangelicals who are lenient toward these‘innocents’ should extendtheir reasoning further andembrace ‘the untold.’ ”

As we take a closer look, we do so with thisconfidence: If at any pointwe find ourselves doubtingGod’s goodness or losingconcern for those who have never heard, then we have not understood the Scriptures or the heart of the God whoinspired them.

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Would a good God hold peopleaccountable forwhat they havenever heard?



IS CHRIST THE ONLY WAY TO GOD?

IIn this age of globalculture and pluralism,few issues raise more

questions than the claim byJesus’ followers that He isthe only way to God. Sobefore we take a closer lookat “those who have neverheard,” let’s look at thebiblical evidence for whymany continue to believethat personal faith in Christis so important.

What about thesimilarities betweenChrist and otherreligions? Some haveobserved the parallelsbetween the teachings of Christ and other worldreligions. His emphasis ontreating others the way wewant to be treated, whileseeking peace and purity of soul, is not unique to the Bible.

Yet the comparative

similarities are only part of the picture. Buddhismclaims enlightened thinkingwithout making an issue of whether there is a God.Hinduism teaches that there are thousands of gods. Modern Judaismmaintains that the long-awaited Messiah has not yet appeared.

In general, other majorworld religions emphasizethe importance of humanefforts to purify the soul. By contrast, the gospel ofChrist says that we can’tachieve cleanness of heartby our own works but only

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“It is a stubbornfact that

non-Christianreligions are

radically differentfrom Christianity.”

J. I. Packer



by relying on the forgivenessChrist bought for us whenHe paid for our sins on Hiscross.

Where in the Bibledoes it say that Christis the only way toGod? The apostle Petersaid of Christ, “Nor is theresalvation in any other, forthere is no other nameunder heaven given amongmen by which we must besaved” (Acts 4:12). Peterdidn’t come up with such a conclusion on his own.According to the gospelwriter John, Peter was withothers who all heard JesusHimself say, “I am the way,the truth, and the life. Noone comes to the Fatherexcept through Me” (Jn.14:6).

If it were not for the restof His life, those few wordswould have been longforgotten. The entirety ofChrist’s life, death, andresurrection, however, showwhy His followers concluded

that Jesus had a right tomake such amazing claims about Himself.

The uniqueness of Christis carefully developed byanother apostle in the firstchapter of his letter to theRoman Christians living inthe pluralistic city of Rome.Paul wrote:

1Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2which He promised beforethrough His prophets inthe Holy Scriptures,3concerning His Son JesusChrist our Lord, who wasborn of the seed of Davidaccording to the flesh, 4anddeclared to be the Son ofGod with power accordingto the Spirit of holiness, bythe resurrection from thedead. 5Through Him wehave received grace andapostleship for obedienceto the faith among allnations for His name(Rom. 1:1-5).

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In these opening words, Paul identified somedistinctives that he believedset Christ apart from allother religious founders. Thegospel of Christ was deeplyrooted in the predictions ofOld Testament prophets(v.2). Even though theJewish prophets didn’t know how it would happen, theypointed to a Messiah whowould die a substitutionarydeath for wrongs that werenot His own (Isa. 53:1-10;Dan. 9:24-26).

Verses 3 and 4 refer to additional factors thatdistinguish Christ from all other religious leaders.According to Paul, Jesus was “the Son of God,” whopossessed both a humanand a divine nature. Thiswas something that theapostle had once foundimpossible to admit. All ofhis religious training hadmade him suspicious of anyreligious idea that evenhinted of idolatry. Well

educated in the doctrine and theology of Moses, heprayed daily with the rest ofhis nation, “Hear, O Israel:The Lord our God, the Lordis one!” (Dt. 6:4). As a resultof this training, Paul hadinitially persecuted Jewishcountrymen who followedJesus and declared that Hewas Lord and Messiah (Acts9:1-2). Only through a life-changing encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus did Paul become convinced that Jesus was both Saviorand God (vv.3-22).

In that moment, Paulbecame one of the manywitnesses of Christ’sresurrection—a resurrectionthat distinguishes the gospelof Christ from all otherfaiths. If Jesus’ body hadremained in the grave after His death on a Romancross, He would have cometo the same end as all otherreligious teachers (see 1 Cor.15:12-19). Instead, the

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evidence of an empty tomb,personal appearances, andwitnesses who were willingto die for their claim thatthey had seen Christ aliveafter His death all combineto lead many to believe inChrist as the King of kingsand Lord of lords.

It is on the basis of suchevidence that Paul wrote:

I am not ashamed of thegospel of Christ, for it isthe power of God tosalvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Rom. 1:16).Paul’s enthusiasm was

rooted in the conviction that the God of his fathershad revealed Himself in amanner that now needed tobe declared to all the world.The apostle did not interprethis experience merely as partof his Jewish heritage. Hebelieved that Christ hadprovided a salvation thatneeded to be offered first tohis Jewish countrymen and

then to people of every other nation.

Could people beworshiping the trueGod but calling Himby a different name?Paul had so muchconfidence in Christ that he told a group of Athenianphilosophers that the God hehad come to know in Christwas the God they wereworshiping in ignorance(Acts 17:16-33).

This claim that people all over the world have someknowledge of the one trueGod (Rom. 1:18-21) hasbeen observed by otherswho have brought the gospelto previously unreachedpeople. Don Richardson,author of Peace Child andLords Of The Earth, isknown for finding ideas inother religions that can beused to introduce the God of the Bible. He tells ofpeople living in an isolatedculture who, when toldabout the life of Christ,

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quickly recognized the Godof the Bible as the God theyhad been waiting for. Theytold of traditions of a lostholy book and spoke of aCreator from whom they had been separated. Whenthe gospel was presented tosuch groups, the peopleresponded warmly to themessage of Christ.

Richardson’sobservations suggest that people in unreachedcultures may have remnantsof knowledge about the one true God that have been passed down fromgeneration to generation.But what about thoseancestors who died beforehearing about Christ?

Can a person besaved without hearingthe gospel? Here we mustbe careful. It’s important forus to say as much as theBible says without addingmore. It’s clear that until the beginning of the church,repentant individuals who

put their faith in the onetrue God could findforgiveness even thoughthey didn’t have the wholegospel message as we know it (Heb. 11:1-40).

An example of arepentant person who didn’t have the whole gospelis one of the two thieveswho was executed alongwith Jesus. The message ofChrist’s death for sin andHis subsequent resurrectionhad not yet been declared.But one of the thieves foundmercy when he confessedhis sins and asked Christ toremember him when Hecame into His kingdom. Inresponse to the dying man’sfaith and his less-than-complete understanding ofthe gospel, Jesus said,“Today you will be with Mein Paradise” (Lk. 23:43).

What we know from thispassage is that Christ offered“deathbed assurance” to aman who acknowledged hisown sin and asked the right

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Person for help. What wedon’t know for sure is towhat extent we can applythis example to others who recognize their sin and appeal to the one trueGod for mercy, even thoughthey’ve never heard the fullgospel of Christ. This raisesanother question.

Will God use thedeath of Christ toforgive everyone? In adesire to see everyone benefitfrom the salvation providedby Christ, some believe thatbecause of Christ’s death onthe cross, God will eventuallyforgive all people regardlessof whether they have heardof Christ or whether theyhave believed in the gospel.They go on to say thatbecause Jesus paid the pricefor everyone’s sin, He could,on that basis, follow throughon His own desire when He prayed from His cross,“Father, forgive them, forthey do not know what theydo” (Lk. 23:34).

The problem with such a view is that it is not supported by some of the most foundationalbiblical texts. Consider, forinstance, these well-knownwords of Jesus:

For God so loved theworld that He gave Hisonly begotten Son, thatwhoever believes in Himshould not perish buthave everlasting life. ForGod did not send His Soninto the world to condemnthe world, but that theworld through Him mightbe saved. He who believesin Him is not condemned;but he who does notbelieve is condemnedalready, because he hasnot believed in the nameof the only begotten Sonof God. And this is thecondemnation, that thelight has come into theworld, and men loveddarkness rather than light,because their deeds wereevil (Jn. 3:16-19).

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Both Old and NewTestaments follow thispattern of offering spiritualforgiveness only to thosewho acknowledge their sinand accept God’s terms of forgiveness.

Our own systems ofjustice follow a similar path. Little mercy is extended to hardenedcriminals who show noapparent conscience,remorse, or evenacknowledgment of wrongdoing. Yet somethingdifferent happens to thosewho come to terms with theharm and pain they havecaused others. When justice allows, leniency can be extended within theboundaries of the law. Evenwhen prison terms anddeath sentences are legallymandated, there is a level ofhuman reconciliation that ispossible when individualsshow a willingness to facethe harm they’ve done.

In a similar way, the

Bible shows that Godsacrificed His own Son toassure that the balance ofjustice was met, but Heoffers His mercy only tothose who are willing tocome to terms with theirown wrongs.

Why isn’t it enoughto be sincere? Theprophet Jeremiah, speakingon behalf of God, wrote,“You will seek Me and findMe, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer.29:13). His words show

that an honest heart isimportant. Jeremiah clearlyacknowledged that God

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“You will seek Me and find Me,when you searchfor Me with all

your heart.”Jeremiah 29:13



honors those who seek Himwith their whole heart.

But honesty of heart isonly one part of the picture.From Genesis to Jesus, theBible also shows that Godwants sincere people toknow the truth about Him.The God of the Bible expectssomething all of us canrelate to. Just as we don’twant others to believe falseand dishonoring rumorsabout us, so the God of theBible insists that those whoworship Him do so on thebasis of what is true.

Expressing His concernthat people worship God in both sincerity and truth,Jesus said to a skeptical,non-Jewish woman:

You worship what you donot know; we know whatwe worship, for salvationis of the Jews. But thehour is coming, and now is, when the trueworshipers will worshipthe Father in spirit andtruth; for the Father is

seeking such to worshipHim. God is Spirit, andthose who worship Himmust worship in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:22-24).

Here Jesus spoke ofworshiping “in spirit” in thesense that God is looking forthose who will respond toHim from their heart. ButHe also said that God islooking for those who willworship Him in truth. Thatone word adds profoundimplications.

The requirement of truthcan be both comforting anddeeply troubling. On onehand, believing reliable

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“God is Spirit,and those who

worship Him mustworship in spirit

and truth.”John 4:24



information about Godbrings great assurance tothose who accept Him as Heis. But that same knowledgecan also fill us with deepconcern for those who stilldon’t have an adequateunderstanding of what theyneed to know.

The apostle Paul’s letterto the Romans shows thathe was heartbroken over his countrymen who didn’tunderstand that they neededto rely on God’s mercyrather than on their ownmerits. Even though JesusHimself declared that“salvation is of the Jews” (Jn. 4:22), Paul knew thatmany zealous Jewishworshipers were rejectingthe part of the truth theyneeded to be saved. So the apostle wrote:

Brethren, my heart’s desireand prayer to God forIsrael is that they may besaved. For I bear themwitness that they have azeal for God, but not

according to knowledge.For they being ignorant ofGod’s righteousness, andseeking to establish theirown righteousness, havenot submitted to therighteousness of God. ForChrist is the end of thelaw for righteousness toeveryone who believes(Rom. 10:1-4). Paul’s words in verse 3,

“seeking to establish theirown righteousness,” remindus why everyone needs tohear the gospel of Christ.The Jewish family, friends,and neighbors Paul cared so much about were notmuch different than the rest of us. We are allinclined to rely on our own accomplishments.There is something within all of us that believes wedeserve not only the goodthings God gives us, but also His forgiveness andeternal life.

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WHAT CAN WE KNOW FOR SURE?

IImagine asking theapostle Paul thequestion we are

considering in this booklet.“Paul, what about thosewho have never heard?”What if we followed up with a second question:“Paul, do you think it’spossible for someone torespond to the light he’sbeen given and to be saved by Christ without ever hearing His name?”

If we use Paul’s letters to try to guess how he wouldanswer, we might concludethat he would encourage usto leave those answers inGod’s hands. He wrote asone who believed that Godwould be a fair judge to all(Rom. 2:1-11), withoutsaying how God would dealwith persons who respond infaith to the light they’ve beengiven.

Whom was Paulmost concernedabout? Instead ofanswering such questions,Paul showed that he was far more concerned aboutthose who turn away fromwhat God has revealedabout Himself through bothnature and His messengers.

The man who sawhimself as “the apostle to theGentiles” was concernedabout people of all nationswho, without intervention,would continue to run fromthe light of God. His letter tothe Romans shows that hesaw all people, Jew andGentile alike, as entangled intheir own tendency to avoid,suppress, and deny the truththat was self-evident even inthe natural world (Rom.1:18-21; 3:10-23).

This universal tendency to deny personalaccountability and error is ahuman trait that Paul didnot underestimate. What hesaid about human nature

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seems to parallel a story thatshowed up in our localnewspaper. It described theactions of a couple of menwho tried an unorthodoxmethod of trimming a row of bushes. Since they didn’thave hedge clippers, theytried lifting a lawn mowerand using it like a trimmer.Unfortunately, one man wasseriously injured when helost his grip on the mower.Their misfortune became apart of the daily news whenthe injured man tried to suethe manufacturer for failingto label the machine with awarning against using it as a hedge trimmer.

Blaming others for our own irresponsibility issomething we all are inclinedto do—especially when itcomes to our relationship to our Creator. Just as ourfirst parents tried to shiftblame after their first act ofdisobedience (Gen. 3:8), weare all prone to try to avoidthe consequences of our

own choices (Gen. 3:12-13).Thoughtful reflection showsthat we are all wrongdoerswho need the forgiveness ofGod.

Paul saw all of humanity in this category(Rom. 3:23). He was notcontent, however, to provethe liability of guilty people.Instead, the apostle wasdeeply concerned aboutthose who needed to hear that Christ had died for their sins (Rom. 9:1-3;Phil. 1:12-18).

Did Paul believethere was anyone whohad never heard? InRomans 10:18, the apostleasked this question andthen answered in a way thatmight surprise us. Instead ofacknowledging that therewere many who had not yetheard the gospel of Christ,he continued a theme thathe began in chapter 1.Asking and answering hisown question, he wrote:

I say, have they not 14



heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, andtheir words to the ends of the world” (v.18). It’s important to see how

Paul answered his ownquestion. He didn’t write asif there were a fairness issue

at stake. Instead, he quotedfrom a Psalm that speaks ofthe evidence God has left of Himself in nature. InRomans 10:18, Paul referredto Psalm 19, which begins:

The heavens declare theglory of God; and thefirmament shows Hishandiwork. Day unto day utters speech, andnight unto night revealsknowledge. There is no speech nor languagewhere their voice is notheard. Their line has goneout through all the earth,and their words to the endof the world (vv.1-4).By quoting these words

of King David, the apostlerepeated here what heemphasized in 1:18-21.Once again he reminded hisreaders that the Creator hasrevealed enough of Himselfin the natural world to hold all people everywhereaccountable for their lack of heartfelt worship andgratefulness (1:21).

Yet Paul didn’t use the truth of Psalm 19 as an excuse to stop caring. Instead, he went on to write about his own Jewish countrymen:

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People of allnations are

accountable not for what they don’t know

about Christ but for what they

do know and yetturn away from.



Did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I willprovoke you to jealousy by those who are not anation, I will move you toanger by a foolish nation.”But Isaiah is very boldand says: “I was found bythose who did not seekMe; I was made manifestto those who did not askfor Me.” But to Israel hesays: “All day long I havestretched out My hands toa disobedient and contrarypeople” (Rom. 10:19-21).If Paul believed that

someone could have savingfaith in response to naturalrevelation, that’s not wherehe focused his attention.Neither did he use a lot ofink expressing fear that Godwould not be fair injudgment. Instead, thedominant emphasis of hisletters is on the tendency ofhuman nature to reject theGod behind natural creationand to worship the creationinstead of the Creator. As a

result, Paul spent his lifedoing what he could tomake sure that as manypeople as possible heardwhat God had done forthem through the life, death,and resurrection of Christ.

What did Paul see as the greatestdanger? In Romans 1:18-25, the apostle wrote:

The wrath of God isrevealed from heavenagainst all ungodlinessand unrighteousness ofmen, who suppress thetruth in unrighteousness,because what may beknown of God is manifestin them, for God hasshown it to them. Forsince the creation of the world His invisibleattributes are clearly seen,being understood by thethings that are made, evenHis eternal power andGodhead, so that they arewithout excuse, because,although they knew God,they did not glorify Him

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as God, nor were thankful,but became futile in theirthoughts, and their foolishhearts were darkened.Professing to be wise, they became fools, andchanged the glory of theincorruptible God into an image made likecorruptible man—andbirds and four-footedanimals and creepingthings. . . . [They]exchanged the truth ofGod for the lie, andworshiped and served thecreature rather than theCreator, who is blessedforever. Amen.Here Paul described a

process that could be called “the death spiral of human history.” By their own choices, morallyresponsible people end upworshiping creation ratherthan the Creator.

Paul’s explanation isbased on the Old Testamentrecord that ever since Adamand Eve started down a path

of spiritual independence,their children have inheritedan aversion to the truth.Like nocturnal animals whonaturally avoid the light, allof Adam’s children are bornwith an uncomfortablesensitivity to light.

All who inherit the legacyof such human nature findmany ways to reject Christ.Not believing the gospel isonly one of them. The LordJesus Christ is more than the Messiah who died on

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Ever since Adamand Eve started

down a path of spiritual

independence,their children have inheritedan aversion to

the truth.



the cross for our sins. He is also the Creator who isconstantly revealing Himselfthrough the natural world(Jn. 1:1; Col. 1:16-17).

Here, though, we need to consider an importantquestion.

Does the Bible saythere is more than oneway to accept Christ? IfChrist is not only the Saviorwho died for us but also ourCreator and Sustainer (Jn.1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17), is itpossible to accept Christ byreceiving Him in any one ofthe ways He reveals Himself?Is bringing a repentant heartto our Creator the same asaccepting Him as Savior ifwe have no knowledge of the gospel?

The Scriptures plainlyshow that before Christ’sdeath on the cross, peoplewere accepted by God whenthey responded in faith towhat He revealed to themabout Himself and abouttheir sin. Hebrews 11 shows

that in many different ways,God has taken the initiativeto reveal Himself and toreceive those who respondin faith to His messengers.

Abraham is an exampleof someone who was savednot by hearing the gospel aswe know it today, but ratherby believing God when Hepromised to give him a child

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The Scripturesplainly state that before

Christ’s death onthe cross, peoplewere accepted byGod when theyresponded in

faith to what Herevealed to them

about Himself andabout their sin.



and a legacy in his old age(Gen. 15:5-6; Rom. 4:1-5;Heb. 11:8-19).

The author of Hebrewsbegan his New Testamentletter by saying thatthroughout history Godrevealed Himself in manytimes and in many ways(1:1-2). His point was thatall of this self-disclosure was moving toward the daywhen His own Son wouldstep into history to revealthe love of God and then die for our sin (v.3).

At that point in time, the breaking news was thatthe Creator Himself hadpersonally visited our planet(Jn. 1:1-3,14). After Christdied for our sin and rosefrom the dead to prove it,He sent His followers outinto the whole world withthe message that God theFather had sent His Son into the world, and that all who believed in Himwould be saved.

A New Testament

example of this unfoldingstory is seen in the life of a Roman military officernamed Cornelius. In Acts10, he is introduced to us asa devout man of prayer whofeared God and gave to theneeds of others (vv.1-2).

One of the reasons thatCornelius is important tothis study is that he is anexample of a Gentile whohad not heard about Christand yet was known by God.He was called “one whofeared God” (v.2), whichwas a term used of Jewishproselytes. So it appears thathe was a Gentile who firstresponded in faith when hecame in contact with theGod of the Jews. Thensometime after the deathand resurrection of Christ,an angel from God appearedto Cornelius in a vision andsaid, “Cornelius! . . . Yourprayers and your alms havecome up for a memorialbefore God” (vv.3-4).

In the events that 19



followed, the Scripturesdescribe how God sent theapostle Peter to Corneliusand his family. Peterexplained to the Romanofficer that the God he had been worshiping hadrevealed Himself in Christ.Cornelius and the rest of hishousehold heard Peter say,“To Him all the prophetswitness that, through Hisname, whoever believes inHim will receive remissionof sins” (Acts 10:43).

This is just one exampleof what is seen elsewhere inScripture. Cornelius showsGod’s willingness to usesupernatural means, ifnecessary, to respond tothose who want to knowHim.

How will those whohave never heard thegospel of Christ bejudged? While the Bibledoes not tell us everythingwe would like to know abouthow God will judge thosewho have never heard the

gospel of Christ, some thingsare clear. We’ve already seen that people will not be condemned because theyhave not heard about thelife, death, and resurrectionof Christ. Those who arecondemned will be judgedbecause they have notresponded to what God has revealed about Himselfthrough conscience and theeloquent witness of nature(Rom. 1:18-21; 2:12-16).

In addition, it’s importantthat we don’t make themistake of thinking that all lost people will suffer thesame punishment. The Bibleshows that even though noone can earn his way toheaven, the rewards ofbelievers (2 Cor. 5:10) and the punishments ofunbelievers (Rev. 20:13) willbe a matter of degree basedon works. Jesus Himselftaught the principle ofjudgment by degrees when He said:

That servant who knew 20



his master’s will, and didnot prepare himself or doaccording to his will, shallbe beaten with manystripes. But he who didnot know, yet committedthings deserving of stripes,shall be beaten with few.For everyone to whommuch is given, from himmuch will be required;and to whom much hasbeen committed, of himthey will ask the more (Lk. 12:47-48). Justice, by its very nature,

calls for varying degrees ofreward or punishment.

What if we findourselves strugglingwith issues of fairness?Some of us will undoubtedlyfind ourselves strugglingwith the thought that Godhas not given everyone anequal opportunity to hearthe message of Christ. Wemay be deeply troubled bythe fact that not everyonehas had a chance to hearthe gospel.

If this is our concern,then we might also betroubled by the fact thatmany people live withprofound mental retardationor disease that makes itimpossible for them to hearand consider the good newsof Christ. Others die at avery early age. We all comeinto the world with differingabilities and opportunities.

Even among those whodo hear the gospel, there areprofound differences. Somehear clearly about the loveof Christ from loving parentsor godly spiritual leaders.Others hear the message ofChrist from those who abusetheir power and exploit theirfollowers.

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God’s love must be just

and His justice must be loving.



This is when, once again,we must trust the Judge ofall the earth to do what isright (Gen. 18:25). We don’thave it within ourselves toresolve such problems. Godalone knows how to dealwith people in a mannerthat allows for the choicesthey had in light of whatthey knew or didn’t knowabout Him.

HOW CAN WE MAKE ADIFFERENCE?

AAs we consider thequestion “WhatAbout Those Who

Have Never Heard?” there isanother important question:What can we do to helpothers once we know whatChrist has done for us?

Thankfully, we are leftwith more than just thestatistics about those whohave never heard. There ismuch that we can do. Let’sconsider, for instance, fourpractical ways we can make a difference.

By Praying ForUnbelievers. The first waywe can make a difference isby praying for those who donot yet believe in Christ.Once again we can learnfrom the apostle Paul whenhe wrote:

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications,prayers, intercessions, and

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People desperatelyneed to hear that

Christ died for them, that He rose from the

dead to prove it,and that He offersforgiveness of sinsand everlasting life

to all who will believe and trust Him.



giving of thanks be madefor all men, for kings andall who are in authority,that we may lead a quietand peaceable life in allgodliness and reverence.For this is good andacceptable in the sight of God our Savior, whodesires all men to be saved and to come to theknowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:1-4).Paul wrote this while

giving counsel to a youngpastor named Timothy. Inthe process, the wise andseasoned apostle describedseveral kinds of evangelisticprayers. We are to offer:

• “supplications”—prayers arising from a sense of need as werealize the desperatecondition of the lost.

• “prayers”—a generalword for prayer thatconveys an attitude ofawe and respect forGod, recognizing thatthe salvation of the lost

brings honor to Him.• “intercessions”—

a word of involvement,sympathy, andcompassion for thosewho do not know God.

• “thanksgiving”—a spiritof gratitude to God forthe saving gospel ofChrist that can beproclaimed to thosewho do not know Him.

The apostle understoodthe influence of governmenton the mission of Christ. Asa result, he urged Timothy tomaintain well-balancedprayers both for leaders andthose living under authority,so that the people of God“may lead a quiet andpeaceable life in allgodliness and reverence.”

Then, almost as asurprising afterthought, Paulmade the statement thatGod “desires all men to besaved and to come to theknowledge of the truth” (v.4).

What did Paul mean by this comment? Was he

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saying that all people will besaved because that’s whatGod desires—even if theydon’t believe in Christ?

Such an interpretationwould not fit the rest of whatPaul wrote. Instead, theapostle was referring to theheart of God. The God ofcompassion wants His ownpeople to live in peace. ButHe also has a deep love forthose who have not come to know His Son. That

compassionate desire willnever override the humanresponsibility to respond.God wants everyone to say“yes” to Him, but many willsay “no” instead.

As we pray, God wantsus to reflect His desire for all people to be saved. Hewants us to pray not only for ourselves but also forthose who don’t yet knowHim, and for anything that would enhance theirreceptivity to the gospel.

By Helping To Bring In The Harvest.The Lord Jesus spoke of themission of world evangelismin terms of the team effort ittakes to harvest a crop:

Behold, I say to you, liftup your eyes and look atthe fields, for they arealready white for harvest! (Jn. 4:35).The harvest truly isplentiful, but the laborersare few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest tosend out laborers into His

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“For this is good and acceptable inthe sight of Godour Savior, whodesires all men to be saved and to come to theknowledge of the truth.”

1 Timothy 2:3-4



harvest (Mt. 9:37-38).We are not called to

carry out His mission alone. Bringing in theharvest is a team effort that God Himself is deeplyinterested in. Therefore, Heencourages us to look toHim for the additionalpeople and help that areneeded to supplement ourown prayers, interests, andefforts. And in the process,our Lord wants us to havean attitude that is far moreinspired than overwhelmedby the task before us.

Sowing The Seed.Mark 4:26-29 adds another word picture to the illustration of harvestinga crop, which helps us tothink in even more basicand strategic terms.Speaking of our role inbringing the gospel to ourfriends, the Lord said:

The kingdom of God is asif a man should scatterseed on the ground, andshould sleep by night and

rise by day, and the seedshould sprout and grow,he himself does not knowhow. For the earth yieldscrops by itself: first theblade, then the head, afterthat the full grain in thehead. But when the grainripens, immediately heputs in the sickle, becausethe harvest has come.This simple story reminds

us that growth of the seed tomaturity is similar to thegrowing receptivity withinthe heart of an unbeliever.Responsiveness to thegospel takes time. As wecontinue to think aboutthose who have never heard,we need to remember that aperson usually doesn’tunderstand the gospel inone hearing. This gives usreason not only to provide a one-time witness to ourfriends but to invite theminto other environments,where over time they canhear the good news of JesusChrist in different contexts.

25



Working And Waiting.In verse 27, Jesus remindedHis followers that the soweris not the one who bringsabout new life. Rather, he is one who “should sleep bynight and rise by day, andthe seed should sprout andgrow, he himself does notknow how.”

Time can be an allyrather than an enemy to thefarmer. The growth processoccurs as he does what hecan and then waits on thenormal processes of nature.He goes home at night andgoes to sleep. Early in themorning he rises and takes care of other dailyresponsibilities. As he waits,the days turn into weeksand the weeks into months.

During that time heremoves hindrances to thegrowth of his crop. He putsfertilizer on the earth toenrich its natural fertilityand he removes stubbornweeds that rob the plants of food and moisture. But

he doesn’t dote over thefield. He attends to otherresponsibilities, trusting intime as his ally.

As we share our life andfaith with friends, time is ourally as well. It often takestime for nonbelievers tobegin to grasp what thegospel means. Think of allthe experiences you havegone through to developyour values and currentview of the world. Yetsometimes we expectunbelievers to change theirentire outlook on life afterhearing the gospel onlyonce. Most people needmore time to come to anawareness of their need and to a confidence in whatChrist has done for them.Usually, the Lord of theharvest takes time tocultivate and grow such aconviction in those who aremoving toward Him.

Honoring The SourceOf Growth. In verse 28, the Lord said that “the earth

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yields crops by itself: firstthe blade, then the head,after that the full grain in the head.”

The word translated “by itself” is automatos(from which we get the wordautomatic). This implies thatgood seed depends on goodground. The open heart is the good ground thatproduces fruit. The word for“blade” refers to those firstappearances of a crop thatindicate growth is takingplace. This process ofnatural growth seems to

illustrate the initial signs of spiritual life within thehuman heart. A genuineconversion is never just theindependent response of anindividual. At the heart ofthe process is the convictingand calling ministry of theHoly Spirit, who makes theWord come alive and stirsthe heart of the unbeliever.God the Holy Spirit willgerminate the seed of theWord, though to us it lookslike it produces “all byitself.”

The ultimate sign of ripegrain is the development ofthe “full grain in the head.”If the farmer harvests toosoon, he will have an unripecrop. If he waits too long, itwill rot in the field.

Timing The Harvest.Verse 29 continues, “Butwhen the grain ripens,immediately he puts in thesickle, because the harvesthas come.”

Just as the plant showsthe farmer when it’s ripe

27

Sometimes weexpect unbelievers

to change theirentire outlook onlife after hearing

the gospel only once.



enough to harvest, sounbelievers send signals thatthey are ready to respond.

In the ancient world,when the farmer saw theripe grain beckoning to him from the field, heimmediately ordered theharvest to begin.

This reminds us that aswe do our part by waiting on God, we also need to bealert and sensitive to theright time to encouragepeople to make a decision to accept Christ. If we try to force their decision, wecan do damage. But if wecontinue to show them that we care, and look fortimes to ask appropriatequestions, God Himself will give us the wisdom weneed to help them make themost important decision oftheir life.

We’ve just been talkingabout what we can do tohelp those within our ownsphere of influence whohaven’t heard or who may

need to hear again. Butbeyond our neighborhood is a world of other fields,

other teams of workers, and other strategies ofoutreach. Here too we have an important role.

By Developing AGlobal Perspective.Just before Jesus ascendedto heaven, He told Hisfollowers:

You shall receive powerwhen the Holy Spirit hascome upon you; and youshall be witnesses to Mein Jerusalem, and in allJudea and Samaria, and

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Reaching thosewho have never

heard begins with a down-to-earth,caring interest inthose who are

the closest to us.



to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).The cause of Christ

has been a global enterprisefrom its beginning. Thestrategy outlined by our Lord is simple but not easy.We are to depend on theHoly Spirit’s power as wewitness to the life-changingclaims of Christ. Some of uswill carry this out locally inour own sphere of influence(Jerusalem). Some of us will extend our witness toinclude a nearby region(Judea). Others will go topeople of a different culture(Samaria). And still otherswill go to the “end of theearth.”

The largest concentrationof people who haven’t heardthe gospel of Jesus Christ arelocated in a part of theworld often referred to as“The 10/40 Window”—aregion 10 degrees to 40degrees north of the equator,stretching from West Africato East Asia.

Organizations have been set up to assist insending a larger number of missionaries to this veryneedy part of the world. Bygiving, praying, or evengoing, you too can helpaccelerate this importantoutreach to “those who havenever heard.”

We care about thesepeople because all who havenot heard and all who haveheard without believing willeventually give account ofthemselves to God.

By Trusting In God’s Character. In the last book of the Bible,the apostle John wrote:

Then I saw a great whitethrone and Him who saton it, from whose face theearth and the heaven fledaway. And there wasfound no place for them.And I saw the dead, smalland great, standing beforeGod, and books wereopened. And another bookwas opened, which is the

29



Book of Life. And the deadwere judged according totheir works, by the thingswhich were written in thebooks. . . . Then Deathand Hades were cast intothe lake of fire. This is thesecond death. And anyonenot found written in theBook of Life was cast intothe lake of fire (Rev.20:11-12,14-15).A loving, all-wise God is

the only One who has thecharacter to carry out suchjudgment. He alone knowsall that we could have doneand all that we actually did.He alone understands themitigating circumstances ofeach act. And He alone is aGod of complete justice aswell as mercy.

Once humanindependence has beenlooked at under the blindingsearchlight of God’s scrutiny,all will realize they havebeen treated fairly.

In their own moment ofaccountability, believers will

be rewarded according totheir faithfulness (1 Cor.3:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:10), andunbelievers will be givenappropriate punishment for

the lives they have led (Rev.20:13). Eternal life can bereceived only as a gift, but both believers andunbelievers will be heldaccountable to God for howthey responded to Him.

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Once humanindependence

has been looked atunder the blindingsearchlight of God’s

scrutiny, all willrealize they have

been treated fairly.



HAVE YOUREALLY HEARD?

WWhen we werechildren, many of us heard

frustrated parents asking if we really heard theirreminder to finish anunwanted chore. We mayhave claimed to have heard,but our attitude and actionssaid otherwise.

As you have read thisbooklet, you may havethought about your ownresponse to the gospel. Have you heard it? And if so,how have you responded?

It’s easy to put off making a decision. And thisbecomes an even greatertendency when eternalconsequences are at stake.But God wants us to make a decision about His Son.

The gospel is a simplebut heart-penetrating truth.The Bible tells us that all ofus have sinned and fallenshort of God’s perfect

standard of righteousness(Rom. 3:23). The terribleconsequence of this is thatwe are separated from aholy God (Rom. 6:23). But the Bible also says that because of God’s deepcompassion for us, He

became a man and allowedHimself to be nailed to across to pay the penalty forour sin (1 Pet. 3:18).

It’s not enough just toknow these great truths. We must respond to them

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“All have sinnedand fall short

of the glory of God. . . . For the wagesof sin is death, butthe gift of God is

eternal life in ChristJesus our Lord.”Romans 3:23; 6:23



by personal choice. TheScriptures tell us, “As manyas received Him, to them He gave the right to becomechildren of God, to thosewho believe in His name”(Jn. 1:12).

Will you respond to this spiritual light God hasplaced before you? Rightnow you can go to God inprayer and express thedesire of your heart. Receivethe Savior’s forgiveness andHis gift of eternal life withHim.

It can be expressed in a simple prayer like this:

Jesus, I know I’m asinner and can’t savemyself. Thank You fordying on the cross to paythe penalty for my sin. Ireceive You as my Saviorand Lord. Take control ofmy life and make me thekind of person You wantme to be.Did you pray that prayer?

Were you sincere? If so, youcan have the assurance that

Jesus Christ has come intoyour life and given you thegift of eternal life (1 Jn. 5:12-13). Can you think ofanyone you’d like to shareyour new discovery with?

Remember, there are peopleall around you who stillhaven’t heard the savinggospel of Jesus Christ.

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“He who has theSon has life; he

who does not havethe Son of God

does not have life.These things I havewritten to you whobelieve in the nameof the Son of God,that you may know

that you haveeternal life.”1 John 5:12-13



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