Will people who never hear of Jesus go to hell?
This is one of the more vexing questions that Christians encounter (or ask themselves): if Jesus is the only way through which we’re made right with God, what does that mean for people who never hear about him? It’s one thing to hear the Gospel and choose to reject it; but what about somebody who never had a chance to hear, let alone reject, the message of Jesus?
Christians have taken many different approaches to this question. I’ll highlight responses from two different online ministries below. Do you agree with either (or both) of them?
Uplook Ministries answers the question by arguing that God works in people’s hearts in many more ways than just through overt preaching of the Gospel. They conclude:
God has promised us that, if we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He is not eager for anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). “For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:12-13). We do not know how God is dealing with people in lands yet unreached by the gospel, but from Scripture we can see that He will never condemn anyone unjustly, but will be faithful to reveal Himself to anyone who looks for His salvation.
We also know that John saw in heaven “…a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'” (Revelation 7:9-10). Not only every nation but every tribe will be represented in heaven.
Notice that they all sing the same song. We are not saying that sincere Muslims or Hindus, trusting in their religion, will make it to heaven. There is only one Saviour, and everyone in heaven will be there through the salvation provided by God’s Lamb, the Lord Jesus.
Read the full answer at Uplook Ministries.
The Faith Facts ministry answers the question:
…the Bible also teaches that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2)! And it implies that whoever seeks after God earnestly will find him (Deuteronomy 4:29; Psalm 86:5; Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7-8). God is fair as well as just. We are confident, for example, that the Old Testament patriarchs who lived by faith before Jesus’ earthly ministry, are in heaven. So certainly some people have gotten to heaven without knowing Jesus in the personal way that the New Testament speaks of. Ultimately only God can judge as only He knows the individual’s heart. We hold out hope that for those who have not heard but have not rejected God, those have been misinformed, or those who are unable to understand (children, mentally ill, etc) may be pardoned by a just God.
Certainly, the Bible does not teach “universalism.” Universalism is the idea that everyone gets to heaven.
The Bible clearly teaches that the only certain way to heaven is through Jesus (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). We are confident that God will not hold anyone accountable for any knowledge he did not receive. At the same time, the Bible emphatically states that Christ is the only sure way to salvation. Anyone who has heard of the saving grace of Jesus, and rejects it, would be thumbing his nose at God (John 3:36).
Read the full answer at Faith Facts website.
Do these answers satisfy you?
Some times we complicate life by the wonders of our mind, if any one has come to know God through Jesus will know the awesome righteousness of God and His unsearchable goodness. I do not see a clear statement in the Bible that tells me one way or another, but I see that God is righteous and will not be unfair to anyone. If the Bible declares that Jesus died for the sins of the entire world then he made provision for every men. He gave the mandate to preach the Gospel to every creature (men)to declare His salvation to all. In the case of men/women/child that never had the opportunity to hear about God I look to God’s righteousness and trust that whatever his judgment will be I do not have the right to condemn it. He is God and know all things, I don’t. Jesus is the only way to salvation, perhaps if any one is trouble by the thought of any one salvation the Holy Spirit is seeking you to pray for them……………
I believe that God knows whether or not a person who has never had the opportunity to know Him, would receive or reject Him, since He and He alone knows the person’s heart.
For example. We have two people who have never had the opportunity to even hear of God. Ok, God knows that Joe Smith never had the opportunity to hear about Him (God,) God knows that Joe would have accepted Him if he had had the opportunity, Bill Olson same as Joe never had the chance to hear of God, but God knows the man’s heart, and knows that he (Bill) would not have accepted Him if he had the opportunity. God alone will be the judge.
People do not go to heaven when they die, they rest in their graves until the resurrections when Jesus comes back to get those who have died in Him. There is no ever burning hell.
Luke 23:43
If God knows that “Bill” would not have accepted him, Bill would seem to not have a choice in the matter; it would have been pre-destined. And so God then judges and punishes someone for an action that they did not and could not have taken? This is just?
I think that the idea of pre-destination is often misunderstood. In Ephesians 1:3-6 it says; “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
God knew everything that was going to happen before the world was created. He knew that you and I would be alive, and that some would turn against him or disown him. However, he still chose to create the world. Jesus was never a plan B for when humans messed up, he was always plan A. He knew that sin would happen. But because of his great love, he gave us free will to chose him. He chose again in Romans 5:12-21. He knew that some of his children would turn against him, yet he still thought the creation of the world, and his Son, was still worth it. This proves his love.
The word used is in Ephesians is “adopted.” He picked us, he adopted us before the world. In first John it tells us that Jesus died for the sin of the WHOLE WORLD. Not just a select predestined group. However, because God is all-knowing and mighty he knows the hearts and capabilities of his creation. He knows our story before we do. This doesn’t mean we are puppets on strings, we get to chose what we are going to. He is always there, and will never leave us. He sent his Son to die for myself and for you, he loves you and he will never stop loving you. However, he is fair and just and only he truly knows the hearts of his children.
If you can get into heaven by another way other then Jesus, then the gospel should not be preached to anyone, for if by hearing about jesus and then rejecting him, then one stands condemmed, whereas if you never hear there is no condemnation.
Read Isiaih 59: 1-3, “Surely the Arm of The Lord is not too short to save..” God will find find the way to every single person’s heart. Speaking of myself: I would not take Salvation Message from any preacher, until God Himself has touched my heart and my choice was made. That early morning I fond myself saying three words to God: “Lord, I believe”. Those words were mangled with tears and the cry of my heart. Those words were said to no one except Lord Himself, for no one else was there to hear. Every men ever born upon this earth will have to make a choice and God Almighty will accomplish this.
Jesus is the only way to Heaven. There is no other way. He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life.
We will never be be ‘good’ enough to go to heaven. If it wasn’t for Jesus, we would never have the connection between God and us, because we are too evil and sinful that He could not even gaze upon us.
Today’s Evangelicals really have a problem with this question. On the one hand, most people today have enough education and the ability to think beyond one logical step to understand how ludicrously unfair it would be for God to condemn the millions of people who’ve lived and died with no opportunity to make any choices about Christianity. On the other hand, they also need the notion that all people are automatically condemned to eternal torture to keep the already converted corralled into a black and white, us vs. them mind-set, in that EVERYONE outside their belief system is a condemned enemy of God.
But the real question ought to be, “Why would God torture anyone, for any length of time, much less billions for eternity?” And the answer, i.e., if what Jesus originally taught about God’s nature is correct, is that He most certainly will not!
I’ve actually written an entire book on this topic–“Hell? No! Why You Can Be Certain There’s No Such Place As Hell,” (for anyone interested, you can get a free ecopy of my book at my website: http://www.thereisnohell.com), but if I may, let me share one of the many points I make in it to explain why.
If one is willing to look, there’s substantial evidence contained in the gospels to show that Jesus opposed the idea of Hell. For example, in Luke 9:51-56, is a story about his great disappointment with his disciples when they actually suggested imploring God to rain FIRE on a village just because they had rejected him. His response: “You don’t know what spirit is inspiring this kind of talk!” Presumably, it was NOT the Holy Spirit. He went on, trying to explain how he had come to save, heal and relieve suffering, not be the CAUSE of it.
So it only stands to reason that this same Jesus, who was appalled at the very idea of burning a few people, for a few horrific minutes until they were dead, could never, ever burn BILLIONS of people for an ETERNITY!
True, there are a few statements that made their way into the gospels which place Hell on Jesus’ lips, but these adulterations came along many decades after his death, most likely due to the Church filling up with Greeks who imported their belief in Hades with them when they converted.
Isn’t it a shame that such a book as yours needs to be written? Who would think such a thought that anyone that is not a believing Christian justified in God is going to hell. It sounds like a bunch of fundamentalist pastors looking for job security to me. If my religion says the down syndrome baby next door is going to hell because he cannot comprehend the New Testament, sign me up for another religion. As I said in my post, people who choose to fight against the gospel teachings are in a spirit of NON BEING and will live and die in hell. They will be miserable in their lives and in eternity. So on that point I disagree that there is a hell, created by man.
I agree with what many had said , I add that God’s mercy and forgivness is very powerful , God is rentless and eager for every one to share the Goodness he have prepared to every one , I beleive in his mercy and love , since I am the worest person in the world with all the sins I have and i was forgiven , god can heal the worest and the darkest soul if they get the chance to repent and return to him in the name of jesus . so every one will get a chance and every one will face god some where somehow
In response to “Faith Facts ministries”, You speak of people getting to heaven but the bible says “no man hath ascended to heaven” except Jesus. HOSEA 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Does that mean that the millions who have never heard of Jesus will perish? Of course not! That is why there are three resurrections listed in the Bible. First fruits = those living by Gods law (Ten Commandments) today. The Sabbath (4th Commandment) is a mark of His people. They will help Christ govern on this earth for 1,000 years. Some will rule over (govern) 10 cities, some 5 cities etc.. These are people who have been changed to spirit. Then the great White Throne judgement = All whoever lived, will be ressurected to physical beings (flesh). Now, those who have never heard of Jesus will have their FIRST chance to understand and live the way of God. God gives everone a chance. God is not trying to save the whole world now. Jesus says he will return to this EARTH! We do not go to heaven when we die. The bible says “the dead kmow nothing” We await the resurrection. I pray to be in the Resurrection of the First Fruits”.
Why does Paul then say to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord? The Rich Man realized himself in the torments of Hell that Christ taught, and Lazarus was comforted in “Abraham’s Bosom” a euphamism for Paradise. When resurrection occurs those who have gone before will be united with their mortal bodies from the grave, oceans, ashes, etc. and they will be changed to new immortal bodies. Those of us who are alive on the Earth at the time of the resurrection will be caught up in the air with those whose bodies have been changed.
When hell is easy to dismiss by our sensibilities, then Heaven surely won’t exist either.
Someone can be justified with God without understanding the teachings of Jesus Christ. If this were not the case, every mentally retarded person who did not have the ability to understand the gospel would be in hell.
I would not make the statement that all people go to heaven, but perhaps we have to broaden our understanding of heaven as a metaphor for a state of BEING, not a state that can be earned. Romans 3-8 really says all of this but far better and with the authority of St Paul and ultimately God.
If it follows there is nothing we can DO to get to heaven, then we do live for a God whose “rain falls on the just as well as the unjust”.
There is nothing we can DO to make God love us less. There is nothing we can DO to obtain God’s grace and have Him love us anymore. This is because we already have God’s grace and God’s love since we were created in his image.
Heaven is then a state of NON-BEING because we are born into God. If we kick against the goad as St Paul did, we will live in hell and die in hell. If we live the gospel, whether we are Buddhist, Lutheran, Catholic or Jew, we will live and die in heaven. This is what St Paul teaches us through his experience and his writings.
Keep the faith
I concluded the above statment saying Heaven is a state of NON BEING. I mean the opposite. Hell is a state of NON BEING. Heaven is a state of BEING.
It’s really pretty clear in the Bible:
Romans ch1:
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Jon ch14
6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
I think if Jesus (who is God) says that he is the ONLY way, then I would believe him.
I think that it is worse for you to have had the chance to believe in Jesus and did not than to have not heard at all. I would not trust any man to have the mind of God and have the answer to this. This is definitely secondary doctrine and not crystal clear in the Bible. Maybe some of the dead sea scrolls may have a clearer answer. I feel very blessed to be covered in Jesus’s blood. This discussion should have us poised and ready to tell the Gospel to anyone who wants to discuss what they believe.
i get heartbroken when i think about friends and loved ones who are atheists or really hateful towards religion. i feel so sad when i read some person who is a christian or claims to be just dismiss someone else and say you are going to hell, you are obviously going to hell. and they don’t do anything else. and i get heartbroken when that’s the only exposure to the gospel my friends have, and i hurt because they don’t like me to talk about my faith because that’s the only image they have. and i’m especially heart broken that i don’t give 100% of myself to god 100% of the time. i am heartbroken that my heart is so broken, so twisted, so vain and selfish and full of pride. i hate having doubt, even though faith requires a little bit of doubt from time to time, and even though it’s good to go back over our faith and review ourselves, and it’s probably good that sometimes we doubt, so we will be prompted to say ‘am i right with god? i need to make sure again, i need to review things and make sure i’m on the right path’ and i also hurt because it feels like i am never on the right path. i don’t trust feellings but i still feel bad. god does not rely on feelings, thank god. but still, i get scared sometimes. and i really am heartbroken because you cant just walk up to some stranger, or even a friend, and say, ‘you’re going to hell unless…’ i don’t want to fear god in the sense that i am afraid of god. i want to have that healthy fear which is actually just deep deep respect. i don’t want to avoid sin because i will go to hell. i want to avoid sin because god doesn’t like sin and it might hurt his feelings. the analogy is, i don’t want to buy flowers for someone because it’s their funeral. i want to buy flowers for someone because it’s their favorite flower. i don’t want to get someone a bouquet of my favorites, i want to give them a bouquet of their favorites. but then, i either don’t have enough to pay for the flowers, or i get discouraged and can’t find the flowers, or they are all wilted. mostly, they are wilted. that’s me, i feel like i am wilted. and so i am depressed and a slave to sin, and i can’t really tell someone ‘don’t live like me or you will go to hell’ it’s like, i can’t say a thing. sometimes i want to lock the doors and stockpile food and water and never come out of my bed again, never go on the internet, send an email, call someone. i hate being judgemental and i hate it when people dismiss me out of hat. and they do, friends and enemies, christians and non christians. i even have gotten told i’m going to hell, end of story, by christians in forums where i have an honest and non controversial question. just like that. you ask a question, you go to hell, we’re not going to answer you or even bother with your eternal soul. your eternal soul isn’t even worth the effort. and i hate judgemental people, but i know some of my friends are going to go to hell because they outright mock god and jesus. they don’t even know jesus, they didn’t even give jesus a chance because nobody gave them a chance. they’re taking it out on jesus and god and sometimes on me. or they’re just plain wicked, bad seeds. and i feel judgemental for saying that and letting them go. and i let them slide too. i don’t know how to hold on myself much less hold on to them. deep down i hold out hope for my soul, and i know god keeps his promises. i just know that i don’t keep my promises, and there’s no use lying about it to you or god or myself. sometimes i feel like, why try anymore, i can’t do it.
i know there is nothing i can do to earn salvation, that it is a gift. i hope i have accepted the gift in the correct way. i also hope that there is no way i can lose my salvation, because if there is a loophole, then i might as well give up and live for today.
even if hell is me being in a palace with lots of hotties having sex 24/7 and drinking and doing drugs all day and never overdosing and never having a hangover and eating gorging on food and pure debauchery 24/7, if hell is me getting everything i want, being on the suite in a cruise ship for all eternity, except god is not there, then hell is still as bad as a lake of fire. i think hell is me being god. god says ok you want to be god, you can be god. i think that would be the most miserable thing, because i’d get bored with myself, and i’d miss god. i think we are created to serve. i don’t serve very well. i am a bad servant. right now i need a hug from god. i just want him to hold me and i want to hide in him forever and never come out from under his throne and his robes.
XX If you are truly saved by the grace of God and by the blood of Jesus Christ, then you can NEVER lose your salvation. When Jesus said “It is finished” as He hanged on the cross, He said that all the sins that He paid for ( not everyperson in the world but those who the Father gave him ) were paid for and that can never ever change.
Remember that and when you sin ( and you will, we all will every day ) you can confess them to the Father and in Jesus name you have been forgiven.
Christ either paid for ALL of your sins from birth till the day you die, or He didn’t.
Believe in Him, trust Him, follow Him and keep His word in your heart to guide you through each day till you reach your eternal home. AMEN!
I can relate to the feelings that you are experiencing. It sounds like God has given you a loving heart and the spiritual gift of intercession. There is one thing I know about the God of Abraham. He loves his creation. He is passionately in love with us and he will never stop hounding your friends. Rest in the fact that is isn’t your job to save anyone. God is always at work wooing those who don’t know him and encouraging the ones who do. My prayer is that God will give you peace and hope in the salvation he has given you. God remembers that we are just dust. He understands failings and he is constantly enabling us to live in his will. This is called grace and we can do no good without it! God gives his good gifts to us freely. Know that you are loved, forgiven, and equipped! God won’t let you slip out of his hands once you’ve come to him.
I asked this question of an elderly Christian woman. Her answer to me has never left my mind. “Aren’t you just really glad that God chose you now. You didn’t have to wait until you were on your death bed to receive him. When you get to heaven, the answer to that question will not matter. You will spend enternity worshipping God.” I believe she had great wisdom.
Amen Ashley,
It is not our place to know the future, nor is it our place to judge. As believers and followers, in true relationship with Christ, it is our job and place to spread and speak the gospel, the good news. To tell all we encounter that if we repent, and accept Christ as our Saviour, who died for all of our sins before we were ever born, has a place for us to live with Him in eternity.
Our God is righteous, He is just, He is forgiving and He created every person on this planet and knows every hair on our heads. He loves and cares for each and every one of us. We are to serve Christ, that was why we were created and born. To try to figure out the answer to such a question that we could never know until we can ask God face to face in Heaven is calling God a liar.
God is God, He can do all things and not because of us but in spite of us. He doesn’t need any of us to reach His children, we are all indespenible, but He uses us because He loves us. Geese follow geese, people follow people, that is why God came to us in a human form, His one and only Son, Jesus, to show us how much we are loved and to relate one on one.
Christ left us the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us how to be His followers, not to question or try to figure out what we can never know until we are reunited with Him in heaven. We should not waste our time, which is God’s time, trying to figure out such things. We should be spending our time seeking those that do not know Christ and telling them of His love for us. This is why we were created, this is showing God our love for Him.
One last note for those of you that believe their is no hell for eternity, please read Matthew 25:31-46 with special interest in verses 41 and 46. 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” We are sheep, because we are stupid and in dire need of a Saviour.
God Bless each of you and may the Peace of Christ shine for all the world to see. May the Holy Spirit guide and lead you in the ways of Christ to spread His love and His Word.
Don’t complicate your lives and create burdens for yourselves, live simply for Christ.
Hell is a Greek word that simply means ” the grave”
God is NOT sending anybody to an eternal fire to burn forever.
That is NOT the God of love. Think of it….God who knew everything from before even creating this world, that He would create billions of people, most who would never become saved, who never asked to be born in the first place and then after they die, send them to an eternal place of suffering for what He knew they would never believe in???
Is this God confused ???? Do you see the problem with an everlasting torment of suffering for anyone who did not ask to be born, who was never chosen of God to then suffer for ALL ETERNITY ???
No, they will suffer forever in the way that they no longer have the chance of salvation and enjyment of eternal joy with the Lord and they will simple cease to exist. There are multitudes of verses in the Bible that state this fact. God is just and holy and merciful in ALL His ways.
Never forget that. Don’t believe everything you were taught but search the Scriptures for yourself ( in prayer ) and may God Himself open your eyes to see His great mercy and compassion.
“Hades” is a greek word for where we go after death, and it means “the grave”. The word Jesus used was the word “Gehenna” which means hell. Jesus preached that there was a place of everlasting torment. He came so that we would not go there.
No one deserves to go to heaven. In fact every single one of us deserves to go to hell because we are sinners. The only way we can be redeemed is to accept the gift of salvation that has been offered to everyone although not everyone accepts it. If someone does not accept the gift of salvation then it is their fault. You cannot blame God for sending someone to hell. We all have a choice of where we go.
We don’t need to worry about those who we think may have not heard. But, we do need to worry about those whom God has plaeced on our heart.
We are called to witness in two ways. #1. God calls us to live a life that is a witness at all times. #2. God also places people on our hearts and in our minds that He wants us to share with, minister to, etc… We don’t need to be running off to the ends of the earth just to preach to people, UNLESS God has called us to do so. If there is someone that God wants to come to a knowlegde of His love and His grace, and He wants to use you, then He will call you. People always wonder, “What if I fail? What if I don’t hear God’s calling? What if I don’t go?” The person you were supposed to witness to will not go to hell, God will just find someone else to witness to them. This may offend some, but it is entirely possible that God won’t even use you or anyone else to witness. God certainly doesn’t need us to bring people to a knowledge of Himself, but He is certainly joyed to use us where He wants and joyed when we are obidient to His calling.
I do believe God is a God of order and omniscience. As humans, it is certainly logical to wonder how a just God would condemn someone to eternal hell for simply not hearing the truth about Jesus and the resurrection, but I believe it is God’s will that as many as possible enter his kingdom. Therefore, it is much more likely that he divinely times the entrance of His believers into the world according to the era and environment which he knows will guarantee the acceptance of His truth. Unfortunately, not everyone will accept him, REGARDLESS of how many opportunities and situations they are presented and so one would assume it really doesn’t matter whether or not that group ever hears His word or not. BUT, it is important that we share the word as commanded because God needs people to be His voice to spread His truth about Christ to all those who are destined and open to accept His truth and ultimately enter the kingdom of heaven.
Interesting to read this blog . Trust me , I am a Hindu and I weill not go to Hell. How come all of us who are created by God himself will go to hell. This beutiful life (yes Only ! One) is playground for Karma, whatever we do we will get here only. Make your Karma good to keep you happy, your family Happy,community happy. You will lead a contended life and that is what Heaven is ? Otherwise we are in Hell.
Trust me again I will go to heaven and prove me ( with logics) that I am wrong ?
Yes, it is true we were created by God, but it is our choice if we chose to follow Him. Not all of us will go to hell. If you have faith and believe in Jesus, you will be accepted into Heaven. Good Works will do nothing if we do not have faith and hope that Jesus will come again.
This life that we are in is not beautiful, but full of evil. Can we be content while our countries are fighing each other? Can we be content while innocent people are dying to protect our country? Can we be content that people believe abortion is right? Can we be content while we kill innocent babies who never have a chance to live? If we do not believe and trust in God, we will go to hell, an even worse place than this. Life will never be contented unless you believe. When I was still a sinner, I hated life. I thought that it wouldn’t get any better, but I was wrong. Life with Jesus in your heart is the most wonderful thing ever, and I can’t believe that I waited this long to accept Him in. Life doesn’t get easier, but it gets more easy to live with. That is all I have to say.
This is a very interesting and needed topic of discussion. From my reading Lk 10:25-28 speaks to eternal life (heaven) as we understand.(25) “And a certain lawyer stood up and tested Jesus, saying ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’. (26)He said to him, ‘what is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’.(27) So he answered and said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ (28)And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you WILL live’.”
You cannot truly love yourself or others without a loving relationship with God!
One thing we can be sure of is that the “spirit shall return unto GOD who gave it. (Eccl.12:7b) ALL return to the Creature and the flesh back to earth. Sin is separation from God and absence of light. If one does not know they are in darkness, and is content to stay in darkness, obviouly they are not held accountable. But when one has been exposed to the light and desire to remain in darkness, they are condemned. Since.Jesus’ message was to inform the world of God’s love, He was also the plan and Way to eternal life;still is The Way!
May the Spirit of God enlighten you with all spiritual knowledge and understanding what is His will.
Paul answered this question for us very clearly in the first three chapters of Romans. Please see Romans 1:18-32, 2:14-15, 3:9-20. He explains that the Gentiles are “without the law” (familiar with the scriptures) are just as guilty as the unbelieving Jews who have the law.
Q. ‘Will people who never hear of Jesus go to hell?’
A. Yes.
Next ‘vexing’ question…
I appreciate the advice that the patriarchs who lived before Jesus’s earthly life are in heaven, so that some who did not know Jesus personally in the way we usually speak of it, are in heaven. That is clarifying.
I object to the implication that children and the mentally ill know God less than grown-ups and those we deem ‘mentally healthy’. They have more faith!
God says there is only one way to heaven and this is through His son Jesus Christ. Many ask “would God really send someone to hell” NO He doesn’t YOU send yourself by making the choice of not accepting Christ as your personal savior……Tom said – Will people that do not hear of Christ go to Hell? I am trying to find the scripture but I am pretty certain somewhere in the Bible it speaks that the whole world will hear of Him before He returns and before you pass away – He knows when our time is to come to an end so I feel certain He puts His name and gospel out in front of you so you can make the choice……I just have to find the scripture……
Well I have been reading the site and it has me thinking maybe you have not given the questioned to GOD. Wake up please, God created all things and the Devil named Lucifer. There is a place for him surely it is a place for those who choose (I say choose) because every creature will be given a chance to hear the gosple. Life and Death is in your tongue.