Dr. Mike Jones

Are Those Who Never Heard The Gospel Going To Hell?

Q: You sufficiently answered the question, of “Whether I should immediately ‘assure’ someone of their Salvation, after I witness to them;” My follow-up question is, “Are Those Who Never Heard The Gospel Going To Hell?”

A: [Thank You!] I find a more pressing issue of getting salvation right, here in America! As I attend funeral services, of loved ones of my extended church families, around the region, I’ve actually left the services wondering about the relationship some of the eulogists have with God our Father.

Certainly no disrespect to the grieving families, because as a minister that have conducted a number of services, I too have grieved with family members; but, my pet peeve is this: some of the persons that are being eulogized have biblical and theological strikes against them! For example, in their 40 plus years of life here on earth, they’ve not once acknowledged Christ as Savior, they’ve had no church affiliation, some were criminals and died violent deaths, and they were ‘worldly’ and lived their physical lives to the fullest – satisfying their fleshly desires.

When I hear ministry friends talk about the deceased, their conversation usually goes something like this, “I tried to witness to them, but they just weren’t interested in hearing anything about the Gospel, because they loved SIN more than God! Some even acknowledged that they weren’t as bad as so-and-so, and they’ve done some good things in life, as if God grades our entrance into His heavenly kingdom, on a curve of our good out weighing our bad.”

No, my issue is with the minister doing his best to comfort the grieving family, by, making a damnable statement by saying, “We’re here at Franklin Graves Funeral Parlor for the service of Brother Dirtt Caskin. And though his death was a tragic one, you can be assured that he’s in a better place now – no more sorrow, no more pain. His spirit has been returned to God to be kept safely, until the day we all meet Him for judgment.”

You have so many lost souls in these services, who are alienated from Holy God, and when they hear such a watered down version of the true gospel, it certainly leaves one to believe they’re thinking, “I know that I’m not as bad as he was; so all I got to do is keep trying to do more good than bad.” This is what the Bible calls a ‘grace based on works’ not of faith, as described in Titus 2:11-14, and Ephesians 2:8.

The question of, whether people who haven’t heard the gospel is going to hell, has always been an emotionally charged question.  And it’s asked by people who are sincerely concerned about loss souls; who are terrified at the thought of people isolated in parts of the world, that mankind has deemed, somewhat impossible to reach, even with modern and sophisticated modes of transportation.

Then you have the nay-sayers, who know very little about the providence and sovereignty of our Holy God, and they ask, “How can a loving and merciful God ever contemplate sending people to hell, who never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ?”

We have to look no further than the first epistle of Apostle Paul (Romans) for a direct biblical answer to this all important question.  The Book of Romans presents us with the good news of the redemptive work of Christ.  (It has been labeled ‘The Overcoming life’ because it talks about the riches and glory of God’s GRACE, that are well able to keep us from the wrath to come – JUDGMENT, that awaits the ungodly and unrighteous (wicked) souls.

The Epistle to the Romans introduces us to the eternal God, that has manifested His omniscience to every human being that has lived and is alive here on planet Earth.

In Chapter 1:18-21, sacred Scripture reveals, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” This passage informs us that mankind knows that there is a God and that there is an accountability to Him.  Man’s problem is: he elects to disobey, because it’s built into his DNA.  God has plainly revealed Himself through creation (Psalm 10:1-6).

If any be lost, it is because the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.  They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.  God is able to be found.  In Deuteronomy 4:19, we are told, “And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.”

Therefore, we are encouraged that everyone who truly seeks after Jehovah God will find Him.  Without God’s assistance, mankind is incapable of seeking God on his own, because of the sin nature of the heart.  No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.

It is our Christian duty to make sure that as many people as we come in contact with, that we preach the Word, in season and out (evangelism).  Therefore, when we’re confronted with the question, “Will God condemn the innocent ‘nomad’ tribesman in the Amazon who may not have heard the preaching of the Gospel?  We can, with confidence, give the Pauline answer, which is an emphatic, “No!” Why?, because, there are no innocent nomadic tribesmen in the Amazon.

In conclusion, the great 18^th Century Theologian, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” said, “Visit many books, but live in the Bible.” He was simply admonishing us to read other good books, but immerse ourselves in God’s Word, where we truly find hope, our strength, and stability from sacred Scripture.