How does God judge those who were raised in non-Christian cultures?
God is a just and merciful judge who sees and knows the hearts of all people. For those raised in non-Christian cultures who have never heard the gospel, God judges them according to the knowledge and light they were given. The Bible indicates that every person has some inner sense of right and wrong and some awareness of God’s existence and power from creation (Romans 1:18-21). Those who respond to the light they are given with a seeking heart will be led to further light and truth.
At the same time, the Bible teaches that all people are sinful and fall short of God’s perfect standards (Romans 3:23). No one can earn salvation through their own merits or efforts. Salvation is only found through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). This presents a difficulty for those who never hear the gospel. How can they put their faith in someone they have never heard about?
Several biblical principles can help shed light on this:
God Desires All to Be Saved
The apostle Paul states that God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). God does not wish for anyone to perish but wants everyone to repent and find life in Christ (2 Peter 3:9). This shows God’s heart of compassion for all people in all cultures.
The Universality of Sin and the Need for Grace
As mentioned above, the Bible clearly teaches that all people are sinners in need of salvation (Romans 3:9-12). This universal condition establishes the need for God’s grace and mercy, not judgment and condemnation. It also suggests that God would provide a way of salvation to those who lack explicit knowledge of the gospel.
The Basis of Judgment
Scripture indicates that God judges people based on how they respond the light and truth they are given. Jesus said that the men of Nineveh would stand in judgment against unbelieving Jews because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, while Jews rejected the greater light of Christ (Luke 11:32). Paul tells the Romans that Gentiles without the Mosaic Law still have an inner sense of right and wrong that either accuses or excuses their hearts before God (Romans 2:12-15). Judgment is thus based on the response to the light given.
The Justice of God
The Bible proclaims God as supremely just and righteous (Deuteronomy 32:4). He will judge every person fairly and equitably. Abraham declared, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25). Whatever God decides about those without gospel access, we can trust it will align with his righteous character. No one will be condemned unjustly.
The Mercy and Grace of God
While upholding justice, God is also supremely merciful and gracious. He is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). He shows “love to a thousand generations” (Exodus 20:6). Considering God’s great heart of love alongside his justice and wisdom offers hope that he will deal graciously with those in difficult circumstances.
Potential Biblical Grounds for Salvation
While Scripture does not give definitive answers about the eternal state of those who never hear the gospel, several biblical truths offer potential grounds for salvation based on God’s mercy and grace:
– Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). This provides a potential basis for God to apply it to those who do not know about it.
– God looks at the heart and judges people based on the light they are given rather than outward profession (1 Samuel 16:7; Romans 2:12-15). He can grant saving grace to those who respond in faith to the revelation they have.
– The Old Testament saints were saved by grace through faith, not by knowledge of Christ (Hebrews 11). Similarly, those today can be saved by grace through faith in God even if they do not know Christ explicitly.
– God desires all to be saved and none to perish (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). We cannot assume God would not make salvation available when people have no opportunity to know Christ.
– God reveals himself through creation so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20). But this revelation seems insufficient for salvation. God may provide additional light to those seeking truth.
– Those who have never heard may be covered by the “times of ignorance” which God overlooked before Christ (Acts 17:30). Their response to general revelation may determine if they fall under this category.
– God judges people based on what they do with what they know (Matthew 11:21-22; Luke 12:47-48). Those seeking truth and righteousness in response to general revelation may find greater light and salvation.
– The vision in Revelation 7:9-10 indicates people from every tribe and nation will be among the redeemed. This hints at the salvation of the unevangelized.
While these biblical truths offer hope for those without access to the gospel, we cannot be certain how God will deal with each individual. But we can trust the Judge of all the earth will deal justly, mercifully and wisely with them.
Our Responsibility to Evangelize and Make Disciples
Some may ask why we need to evangelize and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20) if salvation is possible for those who never hear. There are several reasons:
1) Christ commanded us to go into all the world and proclaim the good news. We want to be obedient to Christ.
2) People cannot believe in Christ if they never hear of him (Romans 10:14). So for people to receive salvation in Christ, someone needs to share the gospel with them.
3) God desires for people everywhere to worship and follow Christ, not just attain salvation. Evangelism and discipleship furthers God’s purposes.
4) People receive blessings and benefits in this life by following Christ that they would not experience otherwise.
5) Hearing and believing the gospel is the clearest path we know to salvation. We want to offer people this greater light rather than rely on other means.
6) If those who hear the gospel reject it, they will stand condemned for rejecting greater light (Hebrews 10:29; 2 Peter 2:21). We offer them an opportunity for salvation.
Our calling is to make disciples of all nations, including remote peoples and cultures unfamiliar with Christianity. At the same time, we can trust God’s justice and mercy for those who have never had the opportunity to hear and believe the gospel message. God knows each heart and situation and relates to all people according to the truth and light they have received.