What Happens to People who Never Hear About Jesus?

Jesus Is the Only Way to God

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is the only way to salvation. The only way that any person can have a relationship with God and be forgiven of their sins is through Jesus.

Acts 4:12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

This leads to the natural question, what happens to people who have never heard about Jesus? Are they condemned to an eternity in hell simply because they never heard about Jesus?

Romans 1 and 2 answer this question for us so let’s look at a summary of what we find there.

God Is Not Hard to Find

Every person, whether they are religious or not, can find God. You don’t need the Bible, a church, or a priest to believe in God’s existence. All you have to do to know that God exists is to look at creation.

Romans 1:19-20 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 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.

Simply looking at the oceans, mountains, or the power of a storm teaches us that God is real. And we can learn a lot about God’s nature (what Romans calls his “invisible qualities”) by spending some time reflecting on creation.

Additionally, the Bible teaches that God has written a moral code into each of us. Even without the Bible, every culture generally believes that certain things are right and certain things are wrong. People have an inner sense of morality, even if they don’t always agree on the details of that morality. This is no accident. It is because God created us this way.

Romans 2:14-15  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. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

For these reasons we can confidently say that every person in every part of the planet in every period of human history has had access to God. Again, every person, without the help of the Bible or a pastor, can know that God exists and is active in the world.

Most People Reject the Truth About God

However, most people refuse to accept the truth about God. Although God’s existence is clear, most people would rather follow a god of their own making than submit to the true God.

Romans 1:21 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.

We see the truth of this verse when a person is explained the Gospel and refuses to believe in it. And we see this demonstrated when a person worships an idol of a man, woman, or animal, and acts as though their idol is god.

But Those Who Seek God Will Find Him

While most people reject God, the Bible does say that some will seek after him. And the good news of the Bible is that those who seek after God will find him.

Romans 2:6-11 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil…but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good…For God does not show favoritism.

There are some people who look at creation and their own inner sense of God, and realize that God is out their. They persist in “doing good” and as a result they find God. Now, these verses aren’t saying that simply by being a good person you will earn your way to heaven. That would go against the message of the book of Romans and the Bible.

God is saying in these verses that anyone who seeks God will find him even if they don’t have easy access to a Bible, a church, or the name of Jesus. But how does Jesus reveal himself to these people?

An Example from the Book of Acts

According to the Bible and church history, God often reveals himself to people in extraordinary ways. We see a biblical example of this is the story of a Roman soldier named Cornelius.

Acts 10:2-5  Cornelius was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.”

Cornelius was a person who feared God, but had no idea who Jesus was. Since Cornelius was honestly seeking God, God came to him through an angel. And God had Cornelius meet the apostle Peter who explained the good news of salvation through Jesus to Cornelius and his entire household.

God may use dreams, visions, and missionaries to reach people who are honestly seeking him, but have no access to the message of Jesus. In fact, church history is filled with examples like this.

Therefore, God reveals himself to anyone who wants to know him. No person will ever be able to stand before God and say they didn’t have a chance to know him. God will hold us responsible for the information we have about him, whether we had the Bible or only knew about God through creation.

The question for us is what will we do with Jesus? Will we reject him or accept him as savior?