What about those who don't have the gospel?

One question that comes up often while witnessing to the lost is the obvious question, "what about those who don't have the gospel." I think the answer is clearly given in Scripture, but not to many people's satisfaction. A lengthy passage that spells things out pretty clearly is Romans chapter 1 and 2.


1. God is not to blame.

• Generations ago, their ancestors did not like to retain God in their knowledge.
• God did not cast them off, but He let them go (gave them over).
• Thinking themselves wise, they never returned to God.
  

2. They are without excuse.
Why?

• The unseen God can be inferred from creation.
• Even God's nature (eternal, all powerful, Creator) can be inferred from creation.
• When men do other than what they believe to be right or defy their own conscience or judge others for things they themselves commit, then they become a law unto themselves, guilty by their own standards of justice. Thus, if they had the Law of God, they would break it too.
  

3. If they follow the light they are given, God will send more light. This is not directly stated in Scripture, but both in Scripture and in the testimony of many men, we've observed this to be a pattern. That said, I would not go as far as saying that God is obligated here. It is just how He seems to normally work.

4. When the lost judge others by a standard they themselves violate, they violate the law they DO have and show that if they had further law from God, that they would violate that too. They become guilty by *their own* standards!

5. Why don't we naturally blame the parents of those who never hear? Or their grandparents, or great grandparents? It was they that "did not like to retain God in their knowledge"! Thus, their progeny never heard about Christ.

As Christians, we should be sure not to say things like, "The Bible doesn't say, so I don't know" or "Oh, they won't be judged, that doesn't apply if they haven't had an opportunity to believe" or especially, "Ya, that doesn't seem fair". God is just. Ezra tells us that God punishes us less than our iniquities deserve. But don't give people a false sense of security that the lost sheep of this world might somehow escape destruction, having lived in rebellion to Him all their lives.