Today
I was confronted with the view that those who haven’t heard the gospel, at
least those who are decent people are heaven bound. According to this view the
worse thing we could ever do is share the gospel with those who have not
already heard. If we tell them about Jesus and they reject Him then all we did
is condemn them. This view might sound logical, and I certainly understand the
appeal. I mean, isn’t it harsh for God to send people to hell who have never
heard the gospel? It certainly seems so from a human stand point. But is this
view Biblical? Allow me to give a brief
explanation of why this view isn’t Biblical, and explain why it is of upmost
importance that we get the gospel to the unreached.
The
belief that people who have never heard the gospel will be saved might be right
if people were naturally good. However the Bible teaches and the behavior of
man confirms that all men are naturally sinners and deserve eternal hell
outside of Christ (see Romans 1-3, 6:23, and Ephesians 2:1-10). Without Christ
everyone is heading towards hell, and no one can receive Christ without first
hearing the gospel. This is why Paul says, "For “everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord (Jesus) will be saved.” But how are they to call on him in
whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they
have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how
are they to preach unless they are sent" (Romans 10:13-15)? So the only
hope for lost sinners is to repent and believe in the gospel and the only way
they can do that is if they hear it.
Again,
if man was inherently good I might agree that those who haven't heard could be
saved without the gospel, but that simply isn't the case. Though most are not
as bad as they could be we all are sinners in some way. And even the smallest
sin is an infinite offense that deserves an eternity in hell because God is
infinitely holy and good. Though the offense of sin is terrible, the offense is
not what earns us eternal hell in and of itself. The truly terrible thing about
our sin is Who we are sinning against. It's Who we are offending that makes the
punishment just. If I get into a fight with some random guy on the street there
will be consequences but they probably won't be that severe. If I get into a
fight with a cop I may get shot and I'm definitely going to jail. If I get into
a fight with the president I'll probably get killed but if not I'm definitely
never getting out of prison. Why? The offense was the same in each case, but
who I offended changed. It's the same with God.
Because
God is infinitely holy and good He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. He cannot
simply overlook sin because someone was unaware of the rules or the gospel.
Would a judge be a good judge for overlooking a murder or a rape simply because
the person who committed the crime didn't realize what he was doing was wrong
or because they were sorry? Or perhaps they had done a lot of really good
things that should compensate for the crime they committed. Should the judge
turn them loose? Of course not. Justice must be served. And justice was served
on the cross. God poured out His wrath upon Jesus for all those who will repent
of their sins and believe in Jesus. For all those who don't trust in Jesus
justice will be served in an eternal hell.
When
someone repents and believes in the gospel God counts them as righteous because
Jesus exchanged His righteousness for their sinfulness. "He (God) made him
who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness
of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took the punishment for every sinner
who would trust in who He is and what He did and continues to do, by faith. But
not only did Jesus take the punishment but He provides righteousness. Only
those who have been covered in the righteousness of Christ can be saved; and
again this happens by faith, faith in the gospel.
The
gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). There is no hope of
being saved without it. Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love
God and love people. Christians wouldn't be very loving if they sat idly by
while billions perished without hearing the gospel, their only hope for
salvation. That is why Christians must be committed to getting the gospel to
everyone, especially those who have never heard.
"God
shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us" (Romans 5:8). That is good news! But it is only good news to the lost
and unreached if they hear about it. I realize how crazy this might sound, but
God did things in this way for a reason.
"For
the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God... For since, in the wisdom of God, the
world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what
we preach to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21). Why would
He do things this way? "[S]o that no human being might boast in the
presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our
wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as
it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord'" (1 Corinthians
1:29-31).
God
is mighty to save! He saves us by grace through faith in Christ to His glory
alone (Ephesians 2:8-10).And “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the
word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The word of Christ is the good news that Jesus,
the Son of God lived a perfect-sinless life, died a wrath absorbing death, and
conquered the grave through a death-defying resurrection so that everyone who
will repent and believe in this good news will be saved from the wrath to come.
But people must hear it before they can repent and believe it; so we must go
and tell.
This post is not
exhaustive. There is much more that could be and should be said about this, I
simply wanted to provide a brief explanation of why the gospel is
necessary.
