Difficult Questions: First Installment

We are beginning a new feature on our blog, entitled "Difficult Questions." Our goal is to prayerfully respond to whatever theological questions you pose, no matter how challenging or complex the question. We will use Scripture as our basis for response, and we commit we will not respond by saying, "It is a mystery, and we cannot understand it," for the mystery of God is revealed in Jesus Christ.

The first question posed is: What happens to the souls of those who have never had the opportunity to hear about Christ?

Here is Hayden Lane's response: The main premise behind this question is really another question: Does God hold people accountable for things they have not heard about or do not know? My answer to this question would be no; that God does not hold people accountable for what they don’t know. My main piece of support for this conclusion is Romans 10:14:

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

This verse clearly states that people cannot believe in something they have not heard or been told about.

In other words, if someone lived in China prior to Christ's death and resurrection, they cannot be expected to believe in Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of their sins. They cannot believe in something they have never heard about.

I suppose I could stop there. But, since I don’t think that one quotation will fully satisfy you as an answer, and leaves you with another question -- “If God doesn’t hold people accountable for what they don’t know, by what standard does he judge those who have never heard about Christ?” -- then I will attempt to explain as best as I can what I believe. The rest of my explanation hinges on my very strong belief that God bases his judgment of people solely on what they believe in their hearts; and I believe this statement is supported by a few verses:

1 Samuel 16:7 - The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Deuteronomy 6:6- These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts

Deuteronomy 10:12 - And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deuteronomy 10:16 - Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer

Deuteronomy 11:13 - faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul-

Deuteronomy 11:18 - Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Deuteronomy 26:16 - The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul

Deuteronomy 30:6 - The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

Deuteronomy 30:10- obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul

Deuteronomy 32:46 - he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.

Psalm 51:17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise

Psalm 66:18 - If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened

Psalm 119:11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you

Proverbs 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart...3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 21:2 - All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Jeremiah 4:4 - Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem

Jeremiah 17:10 - I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Ezekiel 36:26 - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Isaiah 29:13 - "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

(These verses, by the way, are not the total number of verses that address this topic. If you are interested in what else the Bible says about your heart motivation, go to biblegateway.com and search the bible for “heart”)

So, why all of the time and effort spent supporting the belief that God examines the heart? To answer the second question raised by the original quotation of Romans 10:14.

I propose that God will only hold people accountable for what they know, and He examines hearts for people who are seeking Him through what they know. In other words, God doesn’t expect people who have never heard about Christ to respond to something they've never heard, yet he will judge them as righteous or not based on what they would believe in their heart, given the opportunity.

As evidence for this position, let us return to Romans, chapter 2:

12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts...)

In other words, God does not hold people accountable for obeying the Law when they have never heard it, but he does examine their hearts to see if the “Law” is written there.

Here are some more verses to support this argument:

Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law.

Romans 4:15where there is no law there is no transgression.

Romans 5:13before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.

Again, the Law applies to those under it, not to people who don’t know it.
That is to say, without the Law, people are not judged by the standards of the Law, to the point that sin is not even taken into account. Paul even states, “through the law we become conscious of sin (Romans 3:20),”

He also says: “Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law... For apart from law, sin is dead (Romans 7:7-8).”

Paul uses Abraham as evidence when he makes this point about righteousness apart from the Law. In both Romans chapter 4 and Galatians chapter 3, Paul describes how Abraham was considered righteous because he believed God, before circumcision (the sign of the covenant with God), before the giving of the Law (to Moses – centuries later), and before Jesus. Abraham was not held accountable for something that he did not know; God searched his heart, Abraham had a heart that sought God, and Abraham’s faith made him righteous in God’s sight. If this standard was applied to Abraham, and God’s nature does not change (cf. Psalm 102:27
, James 1:17
, Malachi 3:6
, Hebrews 6:17-18) then it makes sense that the way God judges people’s hearts today would not vary from how he judged their hearts then; namely, by holding them accountable to the standard which has been in place from the beginning, righteousness by their faith, according to the standard that they have heard and been given the opportunity to believe.

This conclusion has some very interesting implications, especially in regards to the story of the fall of man in Genesis. If you recall, Adam and Eve were instructed not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If God only holds people accountable for what they know, and Adam and Eve did not know evil until after eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge, does this mean that Adam and Eve only hid from God out of shame and fear and subsequently were held accountable for what they did AFTER they learned it was wrong? Does this mean that no matter what they did before they learned what evil was, it was not sin, because sin doesn’t exist apart from the knowledge that it is sin? Does that then mean that Adam and Eve may not have been “sinless” in Eden, beyond the fact that they didn’t know that anything they were doing was sinful and so were not judged for it until they ate the fruit? Indeed, they were naked and felt no shame, until after gaining knowledge of evil, and then they hid because they realized they were naked and were ashamed. The same action/state of being (nakedness) was not sin before the knowledge, and then became sin after the knowledge created the new standard for judgment. (These implications might have to cause us to completely reevaluate our understanding of the Fall – pretty cool!)

All other departures from the main topic aside, God’s evaluation of your heart basically boils down to what you believe based on what you know – Adam and Eve learned what evil was, and so were judged by that knowledge. Abraham was judged as righteous by believing God in his heart, before the Law existed, and finally “...the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith (Romans 9:30)” through the law on their hearts and through Christ.

Even for those who have heard and believe that Christ died for their sins, what they personally know and believe about their relationship with God is still what God uses to judge them. Paul is clear that the gospel message that saves you is that Christ died and was resurrected (cf. I Corinthians 15:1-8). Beyond this core belief, then the practice of worship basically becomes however you choose to express your faith to God, and God uses your faith to judge your heart and your actions. Paul states:

4As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.... 22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin (Romans 14).”

In other words, even with belief in Christ, God still judges what you do as “clean” and “unclean” based on your own personal conviction in your heart. God examines your heart, and what is clean in your heart becomes clean, and what is “unclean” to you becomes unclean, provided your actions are motivated from faith. -- There are echoes in this statement of Jesus saying that whatever you bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in Heaven (cf. Matthew 6:19; 8:18).

Another important question arises from this conclusion: If God judges you based on your personal convictions, then how is this different from postmodern thought? Postmodernism is an intellectual movement that, in very simple terms, states that whatever you believe is truth for you, and that truth is subjective because it is all a matter of personal perspective. What you believe becomes your truth, and your truth is different from everyone else’s. On the surface, this philosophy sounds similar to the conclusion presented in the above argument, namely that what a person believes is what God uses to judge them as righteous or not. However, there are some very key differences between the Biblical perspective presented above and the postmodern perspective. The biggest difference, and the only one I will address here, is the ultimate conclusion of postmodernism: namely, that there is no absolute truth/right or wrong/or morality. If everyone’s “truth” is different, and all beliefs are “true,” then whatever you feel is right becomes right. For example, if you believe someone needs to be murdered, postmodern thought would state that there is nothing wrong with the completion of the action, because for you it is not wrong since you believe it to be right. However, Paul clearly states that the core gospel message (I Corinthians 15) is required for salvation for those who have heard it, and the Bible makes it clear that there are absolutes; there are standards to which all people are held accountable, and it is by these standards that even those “unknowing” of Christ are judged.

First, all people are accountable to know and believe that God exists. "For 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" (Romans 1:20). The complexity of the world around us tells us that there is a God (even though people can suppress that knowledge in their heart), and that this God is eternally powerful, divine, and righteous. Even those who haven't heard of Jesus are accountable for believing that God exists. However, the rest of Romans 1 tells us that many people clearly reject this knowledge, even though “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ (Psalm 14:1)”
Second, all people are accountable for knowing that they are not God. This sounds like common sense. However, this statement goes deeper than it seems. It means that people acknowledge that they don’t have eternal power and divine nature (i.e. they are imperfect) and that they “sin” (i.e. they fail to live up to all of the moral standards/laws all of the time, even failing to abide by those of their culture). The Old Testament Law also proves that we are “sinful.” If, as Jesus stated, all of the Law and the Prophets can be summed up with the statements, “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself,” then who has perfectly loved God or their neighbor, all the time, in all circumstances, with all of their heart? Therefore, as Paul mentions in Romans chapter 3, the Law makes us aware of our sin.
In regards to people who do not know the Old Testament Law, we have already discussed what the Bible says about God judging the heart. The Bible also tells us that even people who don't have the “Law” nonetheless have their own "law" -- their own moral standard within their hearts (Romans 2:14-15). For example, if in his heart a person believes it is wrong for others to talk behind his back, then that is a law within his heart. Therefore, if that same person talks behind someone else's back, he has disobeyed the moral standard within his heart, and thus has “sinned,” since “everything that does not come from faith is sin (Romans 14:23).” So, the two basic revelations from God that all people are held accountable for are:
(1) That God exists, and
(2) That we are not God (i.e. we “sin).
How does one respond to these two absolutes? Well, if there is a God and we fail to meet even the moral standards of our society, then we cannot possibly live up to God’s standard, based on his divine power and righteousness, which has been revealed to us. Therefore we need to recognize that He is God and we are not. This recognition that we are not God is what is frequently called “humbling oneself” before God or “worshiping.” In fact, the Bible speaks of a time when God will declare the following "eternal gospel" to every nation, tribe, language and people on Earth:
"Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." (Revelation 14:7)
And also:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' (Romans 14:11; Isaiah 45:23)”
“...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11)
We have already discussed how in times prior to Jesus' death and resurrection, people such as Abraham were judged as righteous by believing God and humbling themselves before Him. God alone knows people's hearts, and he will show mercy on those who have hearts for him. Even for those under the Law, even the “Old” Testament, states: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6)”; and also, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart (Hosea 6:6).”

It is interesting, going back to the story of the fall in Genesis, that before any aspect of the Law came, the only thing that Adam and Eve knew, and thus their original standard (their “faith”) would have been simply to recognize that God is God (i.e. believe in God and humble themselves before Him). It then makes perfect sense that the original temptation, and the resultant original sin (sin being something contrary to faith), would be “...you will be like God...(Genesis 3:5).”

For those who have never heard about Jesus, they still are responsible to humble themselves acknowledge that they are not God. That acknowledgment means that they cannot trust in themselves for their own righteousness (cf. Proverbs 3:5-6). One cannot recognize their failure to live up to the standard, while at the same time relying on what they do to escape the consequences of that standard. The statement "I'm not a sinner -- just look at all the good things I've done!" therefore, is a rejection of the second of God’s absolute revelations to us.
Therefore, no matter who is saved, and by what standard they are saved, they will receive salvation on the basis of God's grace, not by their works. This conclusion can actually lead to a new interpretation of Romans 9:15-16:
"...I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.”
Where a more traditional interpretation states, in nicer terms, that God arbitrarily chooses to whom he will be merciful out of some capricious or whimsical decision, simply because he is God and can do whatever he wants, and there is nothing you can do about it. Instead, we can interpret this verse to mean that God does not use the same standard to judge all people, but rather that He judges people by where there hearts are and by what they know, based on the grace was given through Jesus' death and resurrection, whether they know about Jesus or not; as Scripture tells us, with Christ’s blood He purchased people "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). I ask you, which God sounds more like the God of love, justice, and righteousness portrayed throughout Scripture?
Therefore, God’s atoning work is the way into the kingdom of heaven, even for those who have never heard of Christ but who nonetheless are shown mercy from God because of what is in their hearts. Jesus did in fact say, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me (John 14:6).” This verse can have at once two meanings:

Jesus' atoning sacrifice makes possible a way to reconciliation with God (i.e. the removal of "sin" as defined in Eden as our desire to and then shame at being our own god) for all His children.

1) Some know of His sacrifice and through accepting that payment being made for them, their sin is removed and they can enter into relationship with God once again, at that moment.

2) Some never know Jesus but have accepted that God is God and they are not, and so they receive the positive result of Jesus' atoning sacrifice upon their death. They miss the relationship with Jesus during their lives, but once they "know" Jesus in heaven they have the complete restoration of that relationship and the final removal of their sin.

Therefore, Jesus' sacrifice solves the problem of sin, for those who know Him and for those who don't. Those who know Christ receive the positive consequences of knowing Him (reconnection with God, the Holy Spirit, peace during difficult circumstances, etc.) plus salvation, and those who do not know Him yet still have a heart for God are covered by God’s mercy and at the time they come to know Jesus, receive the remainder of what His death and resurrection purchased for us.

In conclusion, what are “unknowing” people accountable for having? A heart that seeks God. However, once the gospel message has been revealed to a person, then that person becomes accountable to the standard of the gospel, since they now have heard it, and as such, can believe it. People are held accountable for what they have heard, know, and believe.