Christian Reflection and Prayer

QUESTION:

"If Jesus is the only way to God,
what about those who have never
heard of Him?"

ANSWER:

God's good, trustworthy character
assures us that He will do what's
right for every person He has created
and deeply loves.  Also, God makes
Himself known in many ways to
people, prompting them to seek Him,
and He has promised to reveal Himself
to those who seek Him with their whole
hearts.  God won't condemn people simply
because they haven't heard the Gospel. 
God will judge people who have not been
evangelized based on their responses to
natural revelation (such as creation,
conscience, reason, and experience),
which His Spirit can use to bring them
to salvation.  Also, God often uses the
world's natural revelation about Himself to
prepare people to respond to the Gospel
once they do hear its message.

Adapted from True for You but Not for Me:
Overcoming Objections to Christian Faith,
copyright 2009 by Paul Copan. Published
by Bethany House, a division of Baker
Publishing Group, Bloomington, Mn.,
www.bethanyhouse.com.
Paul Copan (PhD, Marquette University)
is the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy
and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University
in Florida. He lives with his wife and five
children in Florida.

Original publication date: September 17, 2009