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Question: People who live in areas that have never been exposed to Jesus Christ/ God but are good at heart, will they have a chance when dead to get to heaven?

Even though they have never heard the spoken Word of God, they have seen with their eyes God's writing in the heavens and on the earth. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth." (Psalm 19:1-3)

Does that mean we have no need to go to them with the Gospel? No, indeed it does not give us an excuse not to go to them with the Gospel! Very, very few will turn to God without hearing from another human being God's Word as we know it in Christ. Human nature being what it is, seems to demand many witnesses, usually before we will believe.

God is also a God of justice and He knows how hard it is for the heathen to believe unless the Word is preached to them. That is why He has sent us. If we are concerned about them we will go to them as we have been sent (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15).

We also know that men will be judged according to their works, and that there will be degrees of punishment in hell, as we find in Revelation 20:13, and Luke 12:47-48. Does this give us any real consolation to know that the heathen will have less torment in hell than someone who has heard the Gospel?

They still will be separated from God forever, which is enough in itself to shake us out of our callousness and coldness toward them. We need to go to them with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider where you would be today if someone had not shared the Gospel with you?

That being said, there are many stories of those from the past who have received the Lord from an appearance of Christ. Today, also, in countries that will not allow the Gospel to be preached, Christ has His ways of reaching people. We see this sort of thing happening in Muslim countries like Iran, Iraq and in many Middle Eastern Countries. Joel Rosenberg gives us some examples of this happening in his book EPICENTER.

Rosenberg says, "Muslims are seeing visions of Jesus Christ. He is coming to them and speaking to them, and they are repenting and giving their lives to Him. Shiites! I'm talking about Shiite Muslims seeing visions of Jesus and becoming His followers.

He goes on to say, quoting a pastor, "In fact, I actually haven't personally met any Shiites who have come to Christ who were converted because someone shared the gospel with them. They have all come to faith through dreams and visions. They are coming to us already persuaded.

"This pastor was not alone in telling me [Rosenberg said] about the enormous number of Muslims who are coming to Christ through dreams and visions. It is a message I heard from nearly every Middle East Christian leader that I interviewed." (EPICENTER Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East will change Your Future by Joel C. Rosenberg)

Now if Jesus Christ is doing this in our time, don't you suppose He has done this throughout all time? Does that mean we don't need to take the Gospel to people? No, of course not, Christ appears to people who, as you said, ".live in areas that have never been exposed to Jesus Christ/God."

Many people have asked me about the Native Americans (I am part Native American), how could they have been saved before missionaries came to this land? I believe just as we have seen happing today, God is a God of love and He will give a searching heart the answers they need. But, again, that is not an excuse not to reach people with the Gospel. We have been given this responsibility and command by Christ Himself.

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

I will close with this, when we stand in eternity, we will never be able to say to God I would have been more just then you. If I were God, I would have done this with those who did not hear the Gospel. No, trust me and God's Word, God will be righteous and just in all His dealings with man. You and I can't understand now, with our little minds, God's doings, but one day we will. We will praise Him because of His justice He will show to all men!

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8,9)

I hope this helps,

Gary T. Panell

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Keywords: accountability, sin, salvation, good people