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What About Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel?Part 2 – What is known to mankind?
Introduction
This is part 2 of this series. Please watch part one first because there we set out some basic truths on which we build on in this part.
As said, I work as missionary in the middle of nowhere on Madagascar, and I have heard this question many times: What will happen to those who never heard the Gospel? Where do they go when they die?
In the first part, we have found out that actually every single person on this earth deserves to be punished for his or her sin. That is the only just and honest position God can take. But we concluded also that this is not the end of the story. Let’s dive in a little deeper, shall we.
What is known to mankind?
Nature
It might be good to examine what we, as humans, actually do know. You see, there are at least two things all people can know about God. Let me take you to the first thing. Let’s read Romans 1:19-20
“…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…”
So by just looking around us, we should know there is a God! I don’t care how highly educated you are, how much you think to know about biology. It should be abundantly clear that the world with all it’s living creatures has a creator. And really, the whole mumble-jumble about evolution isn’t even discussed among most un-reached people groups so the first thing they can see, the first thing they realise, is the fact that there most be a creator.
In the Netherlands, before you want to share the Gospel, I first have to explain that there is a God. That is not the case, where we live now. People are already aware of that, just by looking around. And since I like anecdotes, I’ll give you one to think about:
My Malagasy friend, who is an electrician in the capital, ones asked me what people in my country believe. I told him that many believe in Jesus. “All of them?” He asked. “No,” I said. Actually, I wanted to avoid talking about atheism and the like. But my friend persisted and I gave in. Many believe that there is no God, and they believe that everything came into being by pure chance.
He was quiet for a moment. Then he asked me a new question. “Do the Dutch go to school?” Yes, almost all go to school. I immediately knew where he was going. “Do many of them go to universities?” Again, yes, we have many high educated people in Holland. This was difficult to grasp for my friend. He said. “How can it be that people so smart as the Dutch still believe that there is no God. How on earth can they believe that all we see came about out of nothing?”
Okay, I hope this anecdote made something clear.Conscience
Let’s move on to the second thing people can know. Let’s read Romans 2:14-16“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 meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another; in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”
And whatta you know! Wherever you ask people whether murder is wrong, they would almost always say yes. Morality is universal. I admit that there are things in this world going on that undermine good morality. Abortion is such an example. But deep inside the human brain there is this knowledge of right and wrong. Their conscience will either accuse them or excusing them for the things they say and do. The Bible teaches us that God will judge men according to their secrets. So, when someone who never heard the Gospel appears before God, they can not say that they never knew anything about God’s standard. Everyone knows right from wrong! Maybe they don’t know the nitty-gritty of God’s laws, but the basic stuff is there. In the end, men will be judged by their own conscience.What do we know now?
So, what do we know now? Well, first of all we can dismiss the idea that somehow God isn’t fair towards the people who’ve never heard the Gospel. Fair would mean that every single man and woman receives punishment. Nobody is without sin, and that’s why everyone falls short big time. Nobody is sent to hell because God arbitrarily chooses to do so. No, we end up separated from God because of our own misbehaviour, our own wrongdoings.
Secondly, we also know that nobody is without an excuse. Looking around and being honest, we all have to recognise that there is a God. I admit that this doesn’t perse means that we should recognise Him as the God of the Bible, but at least we know that there is a higher Being. Also, and this is the third point, it is our own conscience that accuses us or excuses us. We all have this build in compass that tells us that what we are doing is right or wrong.
Move on
From this point on—justice is that we are all condemned and everyone is aware that there is a God, and every human is aware of morality—we can try to find out how God is dealing with this issue of people, who have never heard about the saving grace of the Gospel. However! I’ll save that for the next part of this series.
Do take a look in the description of this video. I’ll put the link to an essay with the title ‘Why Mission Matters – Seen From a Secular Viewpoint’ in there. Also, you’ll find ways to support me and an invitation to Odysee.com. My videos can also be watched on Bitchute and YouTube, but I am mostly active on Odysee. So, if you want to comment on this video, I would suggest doing so on Odysee. But, to comment you’ll need an account and if you use my invitation we both get some LBC for free.
Thank you for watching, and I wish you God’s blessing for the rest of your day… or week.
We’ll see each other in the next one!
