Do People Who Never Hear About Jesus Go to Heaven?

Have you ever wondered what happens to people who have never heard the Gospel message? Does God “wave” their sins? Does He excuse everything because they never had a chance? Or, does He afflict them with the same punishment and wrath those who reject the Gospel receive? Does God have mercy on those who do not believe in Jesus because they never had a chance to believe in Jesus?

Growing up in the “Bible Belt” of the Southeast United States can skew your view on how the rest of the world lives. For starters, I grew up knowing what it is like to taste a Cajun Fillet Biscuit washed down with Bojangles’ Legendary Iced Tea on a weekly basis. People on the other side of the country have no clue what Bojangles is. Second, I grew up knowing what it is like to be consistently giving and receiving “Southern hospitality”. I thought all people were like people in the South; however, after my travels to various places within the country, I have learned the rest of the country is not as well accustomed to pleasantries as is the South. But most importantly, people in the rest of the U.S. might not be able to relate to seeing a church building on what seems like every street in town. 

There are churches everywhere in the South. We have Baptist churches with various preachers, but if Baptist is not your style, you can move to one of the Presbyterian churches down the street. If after a few months you do not like the preacher, we have a Methodist church for you to try out. If you are looking for something more contemporary and modern with a hint of Pentecostalism, we have that too. The “Bible Belt” is a cornucopia for prospective churchgoers, and I am convinced that someone can attend a different church every week for a year (maybe two or three) and never attend the same church twice! This plethora of churches speaks to the cultural norm of assumed church attendance and understanding of the Gospel. 

If you live in the “Bible Belt”...

You go to church. (I remember one pastor saying, in the “Bible Belt” everyone goes to church. You may have robbed a bank on Saturday, but you go to church on Sunday.)

You say a “blessing” before every meal.

You have heard the message of Jesus.

So, having grown up in a place where it seems like everyone has been to church and heard about Jesus, it is really hard to wrap my mind around the reality that some people have not heard about Jesus at all. But there are people who have never heard about Jesus. This is a real question that needs a true and biblical answer. So, what about people who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus?

First, my answer begins from an assumed understanding that Jesus is the only way to God. If Jesus is not the only way to God but a way, then this question is irrelevant. However, the Bible is very clear that Jesus is the only way to receive forgiveness of our sins (Acts 4:12; Romans 6:23) and have everlasting life with God (John 14:6; John 3:16).

Second, God has revealed himself to everyone in the world to some extent. Romans 1:20 says, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Paul says people are without excuse when it comes to not knowing God. There is too much evidence in nature to not be aware of the reality of God (see the teleological argument for God’s existence). As Isaiah 40:26 says, “Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”

Third, God knows who is seeking Him because He knows all things. This is something that often goes overlooked when this question is asked; but, based on the revelation of God in the Bible, we can be confident that God knows genuine seekers of truth and will move to reveal Himself to them. Take Cornelius for example in Acts 10. As he was praying one day, an angel appeared and told him to invite the Apostle Peter to his house. Peter shows up to preach, and Cornelius and his entire household receive the Gospel and are filled with the Spirit of God. 

Fourth, God desires all people to be saved. God is not an evil, cosmic dictator as some people like to believe. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love.” 2 Peter 3:9 declares God “does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” God is not playing eternal games with the souls of men and women. He is not withholding Jesus from people who really want to be saved. To believe that is to misunderstand the nature of God. 

Lastly, God can reveal the truth of the Gospel by any means necessary to anyone. God does not need a foreign missionary or a Sunday preacher to share the Gospel. He is the greatest and most creative Evangelist of all time. One of my favorite examples of this is the Apostle Paul. As he was on his way to go and kill Christians in the name of God, Jesus met Paul with a radical encounter. After this encounter, Paul became one of the greatest missionaries of all time and planted many churches across the Medditerranean Sea. 

My prayer with this blog is that you have gleaned something of value in this response to this question. I pray these words have shed light into an area you may not have known anything about beforehand. But most importantly, I pray that you would do the work of the evangelist. Because, even though He does not have to, God wants to use you to reach people with the message of Jesus.