What About People Who Have Never Heard of Christ?
Will They Be in Heaven or Hell?
Written by Dale Ebel
Romans 2:14–16 (LSB)
14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law naturally do the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
15 in that they demonstrate the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
1 John 3:4 (NLT)
4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.
An Illumination for Me!
On September 19, 2025, I was sitting in the waiting room of Landmark Ford, waiting for an estimate on work that needed to be done on our 2014 Flex. As I was reading 1 John 3:4 and Romans 2:14–15, as written above, it was as though the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said something like this :
“Most people around the world — especially in primitive cultures — will never hear about Me (Jesus Christ) while living here on earth, and yet they will die.”
For many years I have delved into the passages stated above, attempting to answer the question that has often been framed, “What about the people in Africa?” It is somewhat ironic in this age, as Africa is now sending missionaries to America.
Even though our intention is to reach the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ, most people will never hear about Him before they enter heaven or hell.
I have dialogued with many non-Christians and Christians about this subject. For some non-Christians, this becomes a sincere stumbling block as they ask the question, “Is God fair?” I have had the honor of leading several of these individuals to Christ after explaining the rationale of the Scriptures above. How satisfying that is!
According to Romans 2:14–15, pagan people have the moral law built into the fabric of their conscience and inner motivation (heart). They sense right and wrong and recognize that there is some type of Supreme Being. They are a law unto themselves (v.14).
A most informative book titled Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson is amazing. It provides startling evidence of belief in the One True God in hundreds of cultures throughout the world. From his numerous case studies as a missionary over many years, he attests to the innate consciousness of people everywhere — a consciousness that testifies to their awareness of a Good Moral Supreme Being. The book is challenging, but it is worth its weight in gold!
Responding to the Law of Conscience
It is important to realize that people who have never heard of Christ will be judged based on their response to the law of their conscience — “either accusing them or defending them,” depending on their behavior. They had no opportunity to respond to Jesus Christ directly. They could only respond to their conscience, into which the moral law is wired as part of their personhood created by God (Genesis 1:27).
Romans 1:20–21
20 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. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship (honor by bowing in contrition) Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
According to Romans 1:20–21, even the most unexposed people possess an awareness of a Supreme Being. I believe the most elementary demonstration of faith is expressed in the two words “worship” and “glorify.” Worship means to physically bow to the ground in brokenness and contrition. The word “glorify” is found in verse 21. To glorify means to elevate a person, and in so doing one recognizes and acknowledges that they are superior.
Any person, no matter where they live or how they have been taught, can either bow or refuse to bow. We all have a choice! If they bow in honor of the True God, God gives them more light and more Truth. If they refuse to bow because of their pride, God allows them to be darkened and eventually simply turns them over to their futile thinking and behavior (1:24–26). This is frightening, to say the least.
Romans 1:20 teaches us that God’s ABC building blocks are His creation. It is rather astonishing to realize that in His creation “His invisible qualities, eternal power, and divine nature are evident.” Are you as taken aback as I am about this Truth?
The richness of the above verses is magnificent. God has given every person, because we are created in His image, the capacity to recognize that there is a Moral Supreme Being. They might not know His name, but there is an internal recognition that He is there, He is above all, He is good, moral, and all-powerful. I gain a principle from these two passages:
Received light brings more light.
Rejection of light brings further darkness.
My above commentary on the Scripture does not negate the Scriptural Truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. In fact, it is rather intriguing to read the last phrase of Romans 1:16: “God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” Notice that even though people die without the Moral Law and without knowing Jesus Christ as such, they will be judged “through Christ Jesus.”
[John 14:6 ESV] 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
[Acts 4:12 ESV] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Of course, people who have never heard of Christ on this earth must put on the Lord Jesus Christ. But for many people, they will not put on the Lord Jesus Christ while here on earth. How can they if they have never heard of Him? When they die, if they have “worshiped or glorified Him,” they will realize that He is God’s Son who is the Messiah and who died for their sin, and of course they will believe in Him.
This concept provides consternation for some who think that one must believe in Jesus Christ here on earth to get to heaven. The question I have asked them — and the question I ask myself — is this: How can they “believe” if they have never heard (Romans 10:14)? The reality is that millions of people have never heard but still respond to the awareness they have. Are they all going to hell? I think not! Revelation 7:9–10 attests to this reality.
[Revelation 7:9–11 LSB] 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.
Oh friends, I get chills when I read of such an event! Please never lose your sense of awe of our Great El Elyon (God Most High)!
For that matter, what about Abraham, Moses, Esther, Ezekiel, Rahab, and Jeremiah, to name some of the pronounced figures in Scripture? Did they hear and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as we know Him today? Of course not. Are they in the presence of Jesus Christ today, and will they be in heaven for eternity? Absolutely! At the present time, are they believing in the Lord Jesus Christ? Absolutely! Are they trusting in their own merit and their own righteousness? Of course not!
The powerful story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 also does not negate this reality. Christ was revealed in the Book of the Covenants (OT), but He was veiled through types, theophanies (especially manifested in the Angel of the Lord), and Messianic prophecies. We never get His name as we know it today.
[Luke 24:27 LSB] 27 Then, beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He interpreted to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
I will reserve my thoughts about this magnificent passage for when I address Jesus Christ as revealed in the Book of the Covenants (OT).
What can you do with this article?
1. Help me think through the Biblical passages.
2. Please connect with me if you have questions or insights:
503-957-4547 or email: dale@daleebel.org
3.If it resonates with you, share it with friends or use it in your small group if you have one.
3.Condense it into a pithy statement or two so that you can communicate it with others.
Examples:
- Every person on the face of the earth is aware of a good, moral Supreme Being.
- A person’s conscience justifies or condemns them based on their behavior.
- No matter where a person is geographically, they can find the True God.
Please provide your own pithy statements!
•
•
•
In the Name of El Elyon,
Dale