At the outset, consider the billions and billions of people who have lived and died who were never exposed to either audible or written messages from heaven. Is there no hope for any of them? Let’s find out. Rest assured this will be a fascinating journey!

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Special Observation

A few years ago a writer attempted to estimate the number of people who have lived and died since the beginning of the human family in the Garden of Eden. He supposed that if this Earth were one great graveyard, the graves would be twenty deep—all over the rivers, the mountains, and the oceans. If his estimate is even close to being accurate, just think of the billions and billions of people who have lived and died since the dawn of creation. It might interest you to know, however, that only a small percentage of these billions have been exposed to what I call “special revelation.” Is God unmindful of these billions? Is there no hope for any of them? Follow me as we take this journey together under “Fate Of The Unregenerate.”

Section 1

It is not my intention to play God. I do not wish to sit upon the Supreme Judgment Seat by advancing the view that many responsible adults who were never exposed to special revelation will presumably be delivered eternally by God’s mercy. I favor this position because I’m convinced Deity addresses this question. I do not harbor an insatiable urge to condemn others because they are, or were, unavoidably ignorant of certain facts, events, and truths. It is my position that under certain conditions, God will liberate many who lived and died without a special revelation in the form of audible or written messages.

By “unregenerate,” I mean those mentally competent and responsible men and women who were receptive to truth, any truth, but who died without any opportunity whatsoever of hearing the Good News about Jesus and responding to it. In other words, I'm speaking of adults who had no occasion to be exposed to any kind of special disclosure, whether by direct contact with God, Jesus, angels, prophets, apostles—or by way of scripture. We will not address those who were or could have been exposed to some form of special revelation but neglected or refused to accept the opening. They are not included in this study.

Section 2
Numerous members of the human family—from Adam to Moses—were exposed to special revelations by way of direct contact with God, angels, or prophets. Heavenly messages in the form of scripture were not available until God commissioned and guided Moses to write decrees, commandments, laws, instructions, and events. Following Moses, and up to our present time, many segments of the human family have been exposed to some form of special revelation—whether God, Jesus, angels, prophets, apostles, or scripture. The remainder of humankind has been without special revelations in that they have not been exposed to any.

In affirming they have been without special revelations, I do not wish to infer they have been without any revelation. In one way or another, God has always communicated with His creation. It is that in some ages He has chosen to communicate with certain peoples and nations in special ways. And while the Holy Scriptures are for all of mankind today, there are countless millions who have no access to them because opportunity has not availed itself. Yet, these millions have a revelation from God through the things He created.

Since the very beginning, God has revealed Himself to every member of the human creation. He has never left his creation without some form of revelation or witness, even those nations and peoples who have been outside of covenant relationship—such as the Gentiles who lived and died under Moses and the Old Covenant. God has made Himself known to every kindred and nation under heaven. Every person has been able to “seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us” (Acts 17:27). God has, in fact, always been aware of His whole creation, having “determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” (Acts 17:26). God is alive in the universe! He knows of and is interested in everyone’s plight.

Section 3
The pagans in the first chapter of Romans were without special revelation. Nonetheless, God had revealed Himself to them through the things He created.

“Since what can be known about God was plain to them, because God had made it plain to them. 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 He has made, so that men are without excuse. For although they [pagans or Gentiles] knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him” (Romans 1:18-21).

These Gentiles had been given a revelation, but not a special revelation in the form of audible or written messages. They were exposed to Deity through God’s creation. They could have even glorified God and given Him thanks, but they chose not to. Although without a special manifestation, they could have served God. God can be seen through created things. He communicates through His splendid handiwork, for “God’s handiwork declares His glory.” His invisible qualities are clearly seen in His visible creation.

Every mentally competent person who has ever lived has been able to find God, for “he has set eternity in the hearts of men” (Eccles. 3:11). All men, everywhere and in every age, have been divinely infused with an awareness of Deity and of life after physical death. On that principle, I must conclude there have been many “unexposed” persons who were receptive to the “revelation of creation.” And those who sought God’s face, as limited as it may have been, and who “by persistence in doing good sought glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life” (Rom. 2:7).

Section 4
Since God has never required the impossible in any age, it seems to me He will show mercy to those who seek His face, regardless of the revelation under which they have lived or may be living. Note the qualification: Those who seek His face. This is the key. The man in darkest Brazil who responds to the only revelation to which he has access—the revelation of creation, although unexposed to scripture and has never heard the name Jesus, is glorifying God and will therefore be delivered by His mercy and grace. God’s creation is the only revelation he knows. He responds to that revelation by trusting in a Supreme Being and giving thanks to Him, as the pagans in Romans could have done.

Cornelius, A Case At Hand
I suspect you recall the story of Cornelius, a Gentile, as recorded in Acts 10. He is referred to as a “righteous and God-fearing man,” even before he knew about Jesus and the new Way. Cornelius needed additional light. God sent the apostle Peter who revealed a special Light to him and his household in the person of Jesus. Needless to say, many “Corneliuses” have died without coming in contact with that special Light. I entertain no doubt but that they were acceptable to God, even if they were not His covenant people. To put it another way: Wherever there are people like Cornelius, there are people acceptable to God.

Section 5
Martin Luther’s parents died Roman Catholics. On one occasion, a friend asked him if he believed his parents would be saved in heaven. Luther answered affirmatively. His friend reminded him that he was now opposing Catholicism while believing his Roman Catholic parents would be saved in heaven. The friend goaded him for a clarification of the apparent contradiction. Luther explained that his parents submitted to all the truth they knew or could know at the time, indicating that God does not require the impossible. Luther gave a sensible response. When anyone seeks God’s face and consistently strives to conform to the only revelation he has, God “will give him eternal life” (Romans 2:7).

What else could possibly be required of a man when he responds to the only truth or revelation he knows or can know? Are we ready to exclude him from Paul’s decree that “those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Romans 2:7)? This man in darkest Brazil does good. He seeks glory, honor and immortality as best he can, based on the only revelation to which he has access—creation. Paul says God “will give him eternal life!” Read it again. Let us not forget that God does not require the impossible of any man. Allow me to express it in this fashion:

Considering God’s enormous mercy, it seems to me that eternal condemnation for lack of obedience will not be relegated when opportunity to obey was not available.

Jesus touched upon this kind of situation when He taught there is no guilt when one is unavoidably blind of certain truths. The self-righteous Pharisees were chiding Him in their usual way. Following the healing of a blind man, He said He had come into the world that those who do not see may see, and that others who see may become blind. The Pharisees asked Him, “Are we blind too” [of certain truths]? Jesus answered:

“If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt
remains” (John 9:35-41).

We cannot pass this premise by without giving it our solemn attention. If I understand Jesus’ intend correctly, He seems to be saying:

There is no condemning guilt when one is unavoidably blind of certain truths and facts.

When a man has no occasion to hear of and submit to divine injunctions, and the heart is sincere, there is no convicting guilt credited to his account. In a related passage, Jesus announces:

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin” (John 15:22).

Section 6
Will God take vengeance upon those who do not obey the gospel of Messiah Jesus? Of course He will. The divine testimony says so (I Thess. 1:8). I would be the last to deny or defy this truth. The question is, however: Are there exceptions to this divine piece of legislation? I am compelled to answer in the affirmative.

I submit that this heavenly principle or truth encompasses only those who have been or can be exposed to the Gospel message. The severely retarded are excluded. The mentally incompetent are spared. Infants and small children are omitted. These three classes alone testify that the celestial legislation is not all-inclusive. I will even assert it is all-inclusive of those for whom it was meant, and I’m referring to those who are competent and have the opportunity to hear the Good News and embrace it. It cannot apply to or include those persons who are incapable of comprehending the Good News. But is there a fourth class? Let’s see.

The three classes referred to above have insufficient capabilities. They are not expected by man or by God to yield to celestial decrees. I offer a fourth class: Those who are devoid of opportunities. These persons cannot be expected to obey what they have not been nor cannot be exposed to, unless God requires the impossible. Please keep posted to the principle that my premise includes only those unexposed persons whose hearts are honest and receptive.

We all are aware that millions of American Indians lived and died without any opportunity of hearing the name Jesus and responding to His message of salvation. I like to think in terms that some of them responded to the truth they knew or had discovered through God’s creation. If some of these Indians served and honored God through the avenue of nature or created things, but could not honor and glorify His Son because of insufficient opportunities, will His blood not reach them through the avenue of mercy and grace? His blood reaches those who are incapable because of mental incompetence through the avenue of mercy and grace.

I am confident mercy and grace will also compensate for the “good Indian” who honored God through nature, but could not accept Jesus and submit to the Good News because of insufficient opportunities.

As was noted earlier, the Gentiles in Romans who had never been exposed to special revelation in the form of scripture, knew God and could have glorified and given Him thanks through His handiwork, “but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” These Gentiles or pagans could not have transgressed Jewish law, or the special revelation God gave the Jewish nation, for they were strangers to the Covenant. “And where there is no law there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). They transgressed the revelation of creation.

Section 7
And now for the pivotal question: If, in the end of all things, God considers safe those who lacked capabilities, will He not consider saved those honest persons who lacked opportunities?

It is not a question of how God’s righteousness is revealed. We agree it is through Jesus. And every person who partakes of God’s righteousness in eternal glory will do so as a result of what Jesus did. No one, absolutely no one, will be saved in heaven separate and apart from what Jesus did. This includes the infant and small child, the severely retarded, and the mentally incompetent.

If I understand correctly the divine testimony, they will reach heaven without having believed in and accepted Jesus! Yes, you heard me correctly. You might inquire, “But how may they reach heaven without having come in contact with the blood of God’s Son?” They cannot. They are not capable of reaching His blood, but His blood is capable of reaching them! Hear me carefully.

His blood reached those saints of old who lived and died under the Law of Moses, although they had no opportunity of formally accepting Jesus as their Savior. And so it is with those who have lived and died under any and all laws, whether the “law of nature,” the Law of Moses, or the law which prevailed prior to Moses. The blood of Jesus will save those under Moses who trusted in God through the revelation He gave them. The blood of Jesus will save those who were unexposed to the Law of Moses but who trusted in God through the revelation of creation. What is true of one must be true of the other. All who respond to the revelation under which they live, and who seek God’s face, regardless of the age or era, will receive God’s grace and mercy in the eternal age to come.

Section 8
At this point it should be said that those who deliberately sinned and disobeyed God and who lived lives of evil without the Law of Moses, will perish without the Law of Moses. They will perish without the Covenant of Jesus as well—not because they were unexposed to either Covenant, but because they deliberately and knowingly lived lives of evil, thus violating the “divine nature” God had revealed to them through creation.

It is a sobering and disturbing truth that too many of us are prone to take the position that ignorance condemns. Not necessarily, for if ignorance condemns none of us will be saved. All of us are ignorant of some truth. If God condemns eternally the honest unexposed because of ignorance, thus requiring the impossible, how could He be a merciful God? God cares. He understands. He is aware of our plight. His mercy is beyond human comprehension!

My Answers

Question
May a person reach heaven without believing in the Person of Jesus?

Answer
Yes. Among those who will be in heaven are infants and small children, the severely retarded, and the mentally incompetent. I have also added the “honest unexposed” or uninformed—those receptive to celestial truth.

Question
If the unregenerate will be saved, in spite of ignorance, what purpose was served in sending a Savior and the proclamation of that fact?

Answer
It is God’s intention, through the Good News, to not only save the unregenerate from their fallen nature, but that those who are righteous like Cornelius might be conformed to the image of His Son (2 Cor. 3:18). This is why we take the saving message to the unregenerate. Those who are not seeking additional light will reject it. Those who are seeking more light will accept it.

Question
Why take the saving message to the unregenerate if they are saved already?

Answer
Why cultivate a field of corn if it can be harvested without cultivation? To make it a better field of corn. We take the saving message to the honest unregenerate because we are commissioned, and because the “elected” ones need to hear and be spiritually cultivated—thereby producing a better harvest.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37). There are not enough laborers to take additional light to all peoples like Cornelius. Consequently, it is my position, based upon my knowledge of the divine testimony, that God’s mercy and grace will make up for those honest, receptive persons whose only available light is creation (Rom. 1).

Question
So you believe many of the unregenerate ones are part of God’s “elect”?

Answer
I believe all who reach heaven, whether those born anew or the devout unregenerate, are part of God’s elect.

Question
You seem to be saying the “honest uninformed” will be saved by responding to some divine revelation. Isn’t this legalism? Paul says people are saved by grace through faith. Explain.

Answer
No responsible person will be saved except on the basis of grace through faith, regardless of the divine revelation under which he lived and died. His positive response to the revelation under which he lived was a reflection of his faith. If I understand the divine testimony accurately, God’s grace cannot be applied to an accountable person without faith.

Section 9
It seems there are two principal schools of thought relating to this subject. I suggest you select the one that best coincides with your doctrinal position. Here they are:

1) Only those who consciously accept the redemptive acts of Jesus will be saved.

2) Only those who consciously reject the God of creation are lost.

Conclusion
Needless to say, I accept the latter premise (above). The principle I’ve introduced in this essay should be pondered deliberately, namely:

Some lack capabilities; others lack opportunities. If God extends grace and mercy to those persons lacking capabilities, will He not grant grace and mercy to those honest persons lacking opportunities?

Does God use one measuring rod for those persons lacking capabilities and a different measuring rod for those persons lacking opportunities? If we limit heaven’s population only to those who had the opportunity to hear and respond to divine revelations in the form of audible and written messages, the corridors and airways and arcades of heaven will be mighty spacious! I suspect that when we reach heaven we will find many people there whom we felt would not be there, and quite a few not there whom we felt would be there.

It is good that God is the Judge, for we are too prone to misjudge. He understands the predicament of the unexposed. He is not a phantom. He is real! And He will save those who seek Him! The bottom line, however, is that God is still at the controls, and He will accept or reject whomever He wishes. Praise His Name!