Expert: Logan - 2/18/2005

Question
I know that once Christ came to earth he spread his message and that there were those before him who spread the word of God and convinced others of his existence. What I don't understand is what happens to all of those people who were born before people like Moses and Christ? What happens to their souls? Are they held accountable for not knowing of and praying to a God if no one ever told them? This has bothered me for quite some time and I'd love if you could answer me. Thanks!

Answer
 Hello.  The people in the Old Testament were Saved/converted by looking forward to a Messiah.  The people in the New Testament were Saved by receiving Christ as Saviour.  Even before Moses, people had The Gospel.  They have always had it.

 You also asked about people who have never heard The Gospel, who are, for instance, in the jungle.  If God is going to Save someone, The Gospel will be brought to them.  We have to remember that God is a Sovereign God. If there is someone who is to be Saved, then God will get The Gospel to them, by whatever means He chooses. Salvation is not an accident of nature, or location, but is the plan of God. Can location mean ANYTHING to a God who is present everywhere?

Psalm 139:7-10 7 ¶ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

1 Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

God is in control of everything.

Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Just one of the relevances of God being Sovereign is that nothing can possibly take Him off guard. Nothing can defeat Him.

Job 9:7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

If He can control the Sun, He can bring The Gospel to a person. Before a person is Saved, He works in their heart, guiding them to The Truth. He may guide them to a Church, where they will hear The Gospel, or to a Holy Bible, where they will read The Gospel. He may guide them to a person, who will share it with them. I have no idea where you live. I live in Illinois, but awhile back a women in the Philipines contacted me with a Bible question just like you have. If she, a mere human, can contact me all that distance, cannot God contact a sinner? We really do tend to put God in a box(in our minds). I admit doing the same.

Anyone who does not accept the free gift of Salvation will not live in Heaven. This is true, whether they live in some remote region of the world, or Illinois.

Thank you for the question, and feel free to ask any question again.

God's Gospel:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10