What About those Who Have Not Heard the Gospel? Can they be saved?

Inclusivism is the belief that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, but that there may be persons who are saved without knowing it. They are redeemed by the person and work of a Christ they do not consciously embrace. Jesus may save some who never hear of him based their level of knowledge.

2. Exclusivism

In contrast to inclusivism, exclusivism is the view that redemption is possible only through faith in the gospel. Therefore, those who have not heard the Gospel have no chance of salvation.

Before we talk about what I want to talk about let’s talk about what I will not be talking about. This question is related to two other issues related to salvation:

Related Views

Universalism

Universalism is the belief that ultimately everybody will be reconciled to God (saved) through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Pluralism

All religions are oriented toward the same religious goal, whether we use names such as “God,” “Ground of Our Being,” or “Nirvana” and each leads to the same end. Each religion, therefore, is a valid and equal path.

Comments:

Universalism and Pluralism are consistently rejected by anyone who believes in a day of separation and judgment between the righteous and unrighteous and who believes in the exclusive claims of Jesus.

The Inclusive and Exclusive views concerning those who have never heard the Gospel (which we will discuss today) also reject Universalism and Pluralism.

Let’s turn to our discussion to exclusivism and inclusivism. Both have scriptural support. In fact, both of many scriptures they appeal to but let me just highlight a couple.

Scriptural Support for Inclusivism

Romans 2:12–15 (NIV)

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)

Romans 1:18–20 (NIV)

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

To summarize the inclusivist view here’s a quote:

What matters to God, the inclusivist says, is human faith responding to the “light” he has provided at a given time or place. It’s unwarranted, then, for anyone to claim to know the fate of the unevangelized.

What Happens to Those Who Never Hear the Gospel?

SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 | MATT SMETHURST

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-happens-to-those-who-never-hear-gospel/

Scriptural Support for Exclusivism

In addition to the Acts 4:12 passage – Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved – most will appeal to Romans 10:13-17:

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Here is a summary:

The chain of logic in Paul’s mind is straightforward:

The only way to be saved is to call on Christ’s name.

The only way to call on Christ’s name is to believe the gospel.

The only way to believe the gospel is to hear the gospel.

The only way to hear the gospel is to be told the gospel.

What Happens to Those Who Never Hear the Gospel?

SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 | MATT SMETHURST

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-happens-to-those-who-never-hear-gospel/

So, which view does the Bible take? Let’s approach this in the form of a debate. Defending the inclusivist view will be me, Todd Catteau. Defending the exclusivist view will be also me, Todd Catteau.

(The sermon will take on the form of a debate. I will be switching stools as I defend both views)

First, we will defend the inclusivist view and then allow the exclusivist to respond:

First Point

• Inclusivist- We appeal to God’s character in defense of our view. Because “God is love” he’d never condemn someone who didn’t even have a chance to be saved.

• Exclusivist- Truth cannot be determined by sentimentality but only by the revealed word of God.

Moving on:

• Inclusivist- The doctrine of Christ and his atoning work had not been fully revealed to Old Testament people. Yet they knew there was provision for the forgiveness of their sins, and that they could not be accepted on the merits of any works of their own. They had the form of the gospel without its full content. And they were saved.

• Exclusivist- The “days of ignorance” are over and people now have no excuse. “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30, NIV)

Moving on:

• Inclusivist– What about infants who die and those with profound mental disabilities?

• Exclusivist– These represent a special category and are therefore an exception.

Moving on:

• Exclusivist– Inclusivism opens the door to universalism and pluralism!

• Inclusivist– No it doesn’t. Not everyone who doesn’t hear will be saved. Those who are saved are saved by the work of Jesus.

Moving on:

• Exclusivist– Inclusivism eliminates the mandate to evangelize. Why tell people about Christ if they don’t have to know?

• Inclusivist– Knowledge of Christ and salvation is better than not having knowledge. Also, there are temporal blessings associated with knowledge of Jesus.

Moving on:

• Inclusivist– It’s idealistic to believe that every person who has ever lived under the new covenant will be able to hear the gospel.

• Exclusivist– God will ensure that anyone who would call on the name of Jesus will have that opportunity. Someone will be sent. A dream will be given. Some special revelation will come to that person. Whoever seeks will find. There will be no one on judgment day that will be able to say, “I would have believed if I only heard.”

Thank you to both participants. You have heard the arguments, you make the decision. But let’s close with some important truths we need to hold to regardless of which side you fall on:

Trust God.

Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life” is a claim we can never back down from.

Embrace the mandate to go and make disciples. Evangelism needs to be a chief function of the Christian and the church.