What Happens to People Who Never Hear the Gospel?

One of the biggest questions that we struggle with as Christians is—what happens to those who have never heard about God? This is a very important question and, in many ways, the answer is fairly depressing. Does God have mercy on those who were never reached by Christians? The short answer is no.

There is only one way to heaven and that is by faith in Jesus. If, prior to your death you do not have faith in Jesus, you will not be saved. It’s as simple as that. Some believe that since God doesn’t want anyone to perish, he gives everyone a choice after death to choose to follow him. I have found no such evidence. God doesn’t want anyone to die eternally separated from him, but if he gives them the opportunity to follow him after they have seen his face, there would be no point for Christians to spread the Gospel, for there is no greater influence in following God than seeing him in all of his glory. The initial choice of believing in Jesus is something for this life and this life alone. This is the reason why Christians should have an urgency beyond measure to reach the lost.

This topic is very closely linked with the doctrine of election, and there are a few things that we need to look at to see why the answer to this question is no. The biggest problem that we run into is that belief in Jesus is the only way to be saved so unless you believe that Jesus died for your sins so that you can be forgiven of those sins, you will not be saved. Romans 10:13–15 says,

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 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? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

This is why it is so important for Christians to spread the good news, for we are the instrument of its spread. Yet, it also points to the fact that those who don’t hear the gospel are not saved.

But what about those whom we never got to in time or the ones whom we still haven’t reached? Well, the first thing is that we need to have an urgent desire to reach them, but there are a few things that we can look at to give us hope. Several verses talk about creation giving praise to God, but we need to look at one in particular. Romans 1:18–20 says,

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness since what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them. 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 people are without excuse.

Creation points to God. I mean, just look out at nature, and tell me you think that it happened by chance. Look at the stars at night and tell me that it doesn’t fill you with awe and the undeniable sense that there is a God. We have no excuse to not follow God because he has revealed himself through his creation.

Let’s continue with the passage from earlier. What has happened now that we know God has shown Himself through his creation and that we are without excuse? Well, we traded the belief in the Creator for false gods that are either part of creation (sun god, moon god, etc.), or we created our own gods by making images in the likeness of us or animals. All cultures have a god of some form. Many places do not call them “gods,” but that is what they are. For example, in America, our gods are money, fame, and happiness. We spend all of our time seeking these things which makes them the number one thing in our lives. I am not saying that we all do that, but those are the gods of the American culture.

It is a depressing thought to know that those who don’t know Jesus and follow Him will not be with us in eternity. That is why we must spread the good news! We need to have an urgency to reach the ends of the earth and those right next to us. God has called us to spread the gospel because they need to hear it, but even if they don’t hear the good news, they are without excuse, for creation cries out the truth about God.