What happens if you don't know Christ?

[Live2Serve]

Hello All,

Been reading these boards casually for a couple months now and decided to post my first question.

The Bible states that salvation is thru Christ and all that is needed is for one to believe that he indeed died on the Cross for our sins.

My question is, what happens to those who have never heard of Christ. All those young children sold into sex slavery and grew up knowing nothing in their life but the prostitution and drugs that were forced on them and never once were exposed to the Glory of Christ. When they die, do they go to hell, even if they were never exposed to Christ? Or even small villages in Brazil and other third world countries where they are still hunting with bows and arrows and never heard of Christianity. Do all these people go to hell??

I have a hard time believing that they can lead a good life, but never been told about the Gospel that they would be punished for all eternity, but the bible is pretty straight forward with what is required for salvation, so it would seem that these people would be punished for the failure of other christians to go out and preach the Gospel as we were commanded.

Thoughts??

[Butch5]

Hello All,

Been reading these boards casually for a couple months now and decided to post my first question.

The Bible states that salvation is thru Christ and all that is needed is for one to believe that he indeed died on the Cross for our sins.

My question is, what happens to those who have never heard of Christ. All those young children sold into sex slavery and grew up knowing nothing in their life but the prostitution and drugs that were forced on them and never once were exposed to the Glory of Christ. When they die, do they go to hell, even if they were never exposed to Christ? Or even small villages in Brazil and other third world countries where they are still hunting with bows and arrows and never heard of Christianity. Do all these people go to hell??

I have a hard time believing that they can lead a good life, but never been told about the Gospel that they would be punished for all eternity, but the bible is pretty straight forward with what is required for salvation, so it would seem that these people would be punished for the failure of other Christians to go out and preach the Gospel as we were commanded.

Thoughts??

Hi Live2serve,

Welcome to the board. Your question is difficult, the Scriptures do not tell us what happens to those who do not hear the gospel. However, we do see a similar situation in Scripture, those of the OT, they did not hear the gospel message of repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ either. I think we can get an idea of what "May" happen to those who never hear, but again we do not know for certain. The Scriptures tell us that after His death Christ spent three days in the heart of the earth, David, who is called a prophet said, speaking of Christ, 'You will not leave my soul in Hades'. So, it appears that the heart of the earth where Jesus spent those three days is Hades. Peter tells us that while there Christ preached to the spirits that were disobedient in the days of Noah.

1 Peter 3:18-20 ( KJV )
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

He also says,

1 Peter 4:5-6 ( KJV )
Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

From this it appears that Christ preached the Gospel to those who had died and never heard. This is what many in the Ante-Nicene period of the church also believed. I think it is possible that something along these lines will happen again just prior to the resurrection, but again this is just speculation, no one knows for sure.

[Servant89]

God is not unjust to send everyone to hell that never ever had a chance to hear the gospel. They will be judged like this:

Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 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:
15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Shalom

[crossnote]

And as far as infants go, the bible is silent and so should we be. There is a possible hint of salvation for infants but this verse is debatable.
Matt 18:10 See that ye do not despise one of these little ones; for I say unto you that their angels in [the] heavens continually behold the face of my Father who is in [the] heavens.

[Sirus]

Hello All,

Been reading these boards casually for a couple months now and decided to post my first question.

The Bible states that salvation is thru Christ and all that is needed is for one to believe that he indeed died on the Cross for our sins.

My question is, what happens to those who have never heard of Christ.

I have a hard time believing that they can lead a good life, but never been told about the Gospel that they would be punished for all eternity,
Thoughts??

As pointed out Romans 1 and 2 says man is judged by knowledge/conscience and that even w/o the written law can by nature do the righteousness in it.

Also, Jesus said His brothers are they that do the will of the Father, and in Matthew 25 the sheep that enter the kingdom of heaven are individuals that unknowingly did the will of the Father to Him because they did it to His brethren.

In another instance a man asked "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?".
Jesus asked "What is written in the law? how readest thou?"
The man said "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
Jesus answered "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."
But the man "willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"
Jesus told the parable of the 'good Samaritan' which said the Samaritan "was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves" "He that shewed mercy on him".
Jesus said "Go, and do thou likewise"

Now, I'm not saying not to preach the gospel. Far from it. These are not an excuse for those that know better. They do however tell us what is important to God for those that have not heard the gospel. The work of His law written on the heart, acting by nature (the sinful nature crowd cringes), love and mercy to neighbor.

[Sirus]

And as far as infants go, the bible is silent and so should we be. There is a possible hint of salvation for infants but this verse is debatable.
Matt 18:10 See that ye do not despise one of these little ones; for I say unto you that their angels in [the] heavens continually behold the face of my Father who is in [the] heavens.

No it's not silent and the above verse and others are not debatable.

[divaD]

And as far as infants go, the bible is silent and so should we be.

It all depends in how you look at things. In my opin, the Bible is not silent about infants at all.

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Infants have no works to be judged by, thus they won't be at this judgment, thus we can at least conclude they don't get cast into the LOF. Rev 20 makes it clear that everyone there, and not just some, but everyone is judged according to their works.

[crossnote]

Ok, Sirus and Diva and others. From Scripture at what age do they become accountable? This is why I prefer to be silent.

[LookingUp]

Ok, Sirus and Diva and others. From Scripture at what age do they become accountable? This is why I prefer to be silent.

It's not about a number, it's about the heart and only God can judge that.

Here's another passage that suggests infants go to heaven.

After King David’s son died, David knew he would see his son again in Heaven:

“Then his servants said to him, ‘What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.’ He said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me’” (2 Sam. 12:21-23).

[Sirus]

Ok, Sirus and Diva and others. From Scripture at what age do they become accountable? This is why I prefer to be silent.

As LookingUp said, it's a matter of the heart. The age will vary depending on numerous things. Jesus grew in grace and knowledge and at first didn't know to choose good over evil, so obviously it's true for us as well.

[LookingUp]

“The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, ‘When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a RANSOM FOR HIMSELF to the LORD when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them” (Exodus 30:11-12).

“Everyone who is numbered, from TWENTY YEARS OLD AND OVER, shall give the contribution to the LORD. The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to MAKE ATONEMENT FOR YOURSELVES” (Exodus 30:14-15).

God commanded those who were twenty years old and older to pay a ransom for their souls, because anyone nineteen years old and below was not old enough to pay his own ransom.

“Your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered MEN, according to your complete number, from TWENTY YEARS OLD and upward, who have grumbled against Me” (Numbers 14:29).

“Moreover, your LITTLE ONES who you said would become a prey, and your sons who this day have no knowledge of good or evil shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it” (Deut. 1:39).

Numbers 14:29 and Deut. 1:39 are both speaking of all Israel who was considered by the Lord to not be held accountable for the sins of Israel. Deut. 1:39 says “because they had no knowledge of good and evil.” This shows that at that time, anyone under twenty years old was not old enough to make decisions regarding what good and evil was.

[Sirus]

What she said.........

[crossnote]

Once again this is why I keep silent (as I am yapping now).

You say 'it is of the heart' yet the Scriptures say our hearts are evil from birth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
(Psa 58:3)

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
(Psa 51:5)


Then 'Looking Up' hints at an age of 20yrs. So which is it? 20yrs. or 'a matter of the heart'? These are just guesses and give no assurance to those who have lost little loved ones.

[LookingUp]

Once again this is why I keep silent (as I am yapping now).

You say 'it is of the heart' yet the Scriptures say our hearts are evil from birth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
(Psa 58:3)

You say that this verse means that an infant’s heart is evil from birth. Since when do infants speak words yet alone lie?

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
(Psa 51:5)

How does David’s mother’s sin have anything to do with him being born with an evil heart?

Then 'Looking Up' hints at an age of 20yrs. So which is it? 20yrs. or 'a matter of the heart'? These are just guesses and give no assurance to those who have lost little loved ones.

I’m not hinting at anything. I simply quoted Scripture.

[Sirus]

Once again this is why I keep silent (as I am yapping now).

You say 'it is of the heart' yet the Scriptures say our hearts are evil from birth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
(Psa 58:3)

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
(Psa 51:5)


Then 'Looking Up' hints at an age of 20yrs. So which is it? 20yrs. or 'a matter of the heart'? These are just guesses and give no assurance to those who have lost little loved ones.

What doesn't give assurance is applying the wicked of Psa 58:3 to the righteous and ignoring the righteous in the same chapter, which by contrast, cannot do the same.
Oh, and Psa 51:5 doesn't say anything about his heart. Was a man with a evil heart after God's own heart?